LASD vs LAPD?

[biochembruin]

If someone, (not unlike myself) was planning on starting a career in law enforcement in the Los Angeles area would LAPD or LASD be a better choice to try joining first?

there's an easy way to decide, just ask yourself a few questions:

1: do you have a strong desire to work patrol, answer radio calls, and arrest people?

2: do you have a strong desire to work in the jails handling arrestees?

3: do you have a strong desire to work in the court system handling arrestees?

If you answer yes to questions 1-3, LASD is for you. If you answer yes to question 1 only, LAPD is for you. If you answer no to all, I can't help you.

Bottom line, you should do what makes you happy.

[retired]

I'm not sure how southern California Police/Sheriff Agencies operate their FTO program, but in northern California, (Bay Area) if you work for a municipal police department and you do not pass FTO (Field Training Program) you no longer have a job. If you do not pass FTO in a Sheriff Department, you are sent back to work the jails. Sheriff departments have better job security in my opinion, however I enjoy wearing the blue uniform.

You are incorrect. I can only speak for LASD and that is if it hasn't changed since I retired almost 7yrs. ago (I'm sure the active members here will correct me if I'm wrong). I don't know if any other Sheriff's Depts. have the below policy.

If you don't pass FTO with LASD, you are sent back to your prior assignment, whether it be custody, court or TST. You are given one year to remediate your problems on your own and after that year, you are sent to a different station.

If you fail to pass FTO then, you are given two options: 1. You demote to a non sworn Custody Assistant position and work with inmates assisting deputies. The pay is obviously quite a bit less and you aren't issued a firearm as you are no longer a deputy.

Option 2 is you resign from the department.

[Jonathan Doe]

You are incorrect. I can only speak for LASD and that is if it hasn't changed since I retired almost 7yrs. ago (I'm sure the active members here will correct me if I'm wrong). I don't know if any other Sheriff's Depts. have the below policy.

If you don't pass FTO with LASD, you are sent back to your prior assignment, whether it be custody, court or TST. You are given one year to remediate your problems on your own and after that year, you are sent to a different station.

If you fail to pass FTO then, you are given two options: 1. You demote to a non sworn Custody Assistant position and work with inmates assisting deputies. The pay is obviously quite a bit less and you aren't issued a firearm as you are no longer a deputy.

Option 2 is you resign from the department.

I think you are correct.

[Ron-Solo]

As a patrol deputy working out of Walnut/San Dimas Station in 1987 I carried an AR-15 with me every day. I received my initial AR15 training from the Department while working custody in 1979.

[Trigger Finger]

Having been retired for about 5 years and it being about 20 years since I was an FTO I thought on my old department that if you did not pass you were given remedial training then retested. If you still did not pass you were transferred to desk duty, property or one of about 6 or 7 jails that LAPD has, or to some other position where an FTO is not required!

[dvs kugai]

In my department, if you don't pass your field training, you're given a warm boot out the door, not demoted to a "custody assistant" or non-sworn security job. And yes, it's in northern Ca.

[Sarge744]

A large department has it's pro's and con's. If you've invested a few years into a person's training to find out they can't cut it in the field, it is practical to place them in a lesser position if they can perform. In a department with close to 10,000 sworn, you also have a tremendous number of support personnel. Hiring is constant and positions always need to be filled. It's practical to handle things this way.

With that last rant, I think this whole topic has been beat to death

[retired]

And how am I incorrect? I was writing about how NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Sheriff Departments do not fire you if you don't pass FTO, they will just send you back to work the jails if you don't make it. I guess what you are trying to clarify is that LASD will send you back to your old assignment if you don't pass FTO and you will have to remediate within a year on your own. If you still don't pass FTO, then you will get demoted to an unsworn position. That's still great, because in Police Departments, if you don't pass FTO the first time you are FIRED.

Hey Mario, I just reread your post and you are correct. I know I read it the first time, but obviously it passed out of mind as I continued to read it. I apologize for that.

I was aware of what occurs with police depts. tho.

[BigDogatPlay]

FWIW, and not to pour gas on the fire but in some of the SD here in NorCal that staff deputy sheriffs in the jail... those who are off probation, but can not get past field training generally go back into custody and they stay there. I've known of guys who sat in the jail for two or three years waiting for a patrol slot, bilged FTO and wound up back in custody, or in the courts.

In the SD up here with non peace officer COs working the jails, the deputy sheriffs start on the street from day one. And if they fail FTO, then it's sayonara just like for the rest of us. Duty as a bailiff in those SD comes only with seniority, for the most part.