The reason you decided to be a LEO

[gogogadget]

With all the other careers to choose from why law enforcement. Is it the sheep dog mentality? The one thing that bothers me about LE work is the fact you have to adopt the mentality of is this person going to harm me? I used to think cops were jerks, until I saw first hand what they have to deal with. You have to be stern and cautious because the people LE encounter are unpredictable. Ive heard plenty of horror stories that are extremely sad. So what drives you and makes you pursue a job that is a mixture of heightened awareness / paranoia.

[Falconis]

Bottom line, it's a lot more rewarding (to me) than worrying about how other people's money is doing. That and I'm not smart enough to be a doctor and too scared to take out the loands required to be one.

[Lrchops]

I hope you get your credit situation sorted out. I understand the frustration with that aspect of your life. I've personally known some good people that got turned down because of that reason and unfortunately it's a tool departments use to gauge prosepective canadites. As to it's usefulness, I guess it depends on how it's used.

Just some friendly advice. Be prepared for a life situation change. Some friends will view you differently while some friends may try to take advantage of your position. A read through these boards can give you a pretty good idea of how people feel about cops. Good and bad. I remember as a rookie a buddy of mine asked if I could try to get a ticket taken care of for him. I asked the cop who issued the ticket and the cop showed me a video of the stop (anyone remember VHS). It's not that he did anything outrageous, but his attitude was clearly rude and his actions were shameful as far as I was concerned. I called him back, got his side of the story, and called him a idiot. He didn't know he was taped.

And LRchops is right, it's not paranoia. It is understandable cautiousness no matter where you work. Cops have been killed in just about every type of community here and the plain fact is that we are not psychic despite what everyone else thinks. But I feel it is the best job in the world at the end of the day.

I don't know which departments you are applying for, but some are more understandable about credit ratings when you have been in the military. All I can say is keep trying.

[Falconis]

and as an LEO I gotta ask why are you asking? Got an oral coming up or thinking about a career in LE?

[Cheese & Bacon]

When i was 14 my neighbor skinned a guy alive. Due to some strange circumstances, My father was a MAJOR part of the prosecutors case against him. When he was convicted, he looked at my father and vowed to kill him and his whole family in front of the entire court. I knew I must find a way to defend myself and my family. Years of training in self defense and firearms lead me to a law enforcement career.

After 12 years doing this line of work, I really love helping people in their time of need and taking the bad guys off the street.

[1911su16b870]

Working for the military prior to and into Gulf War 1 was tremendously rewarding by knowing that the work mattered to the nation and my brothers and sisters in the conflict. To me LE is work that matters. Lord willing, I hope that I can continue to keep my brothers, sisters and their families safe.

[gogogadget]

Falconis to answer your question yes I'm interested in law enforcement. I passed everything for two departments except back ground because of my credit. Which sucks because my credit doesn't define my character. I'm also ex military. Lately with LE I've started to question to continue a pursuit of it. A reserve officer I know told me its the hardest to get into easiest to lose. Now the survival answer is great we should be aware at all times
. I have a passion to make a difference and help people. I think LE would be great but its a big sacrifice especially now with budget cuts working with minimal staff and a lot of overtime.

[gogogadget]

All your stories are compelling and motivating. Sad to hear about the deaths. Nice to hear answers from LEO who have a love for what they do and strong reason behind it.

[Falconis]

I hope you get your credit situation sorted out. I understand the frustration with that aspect of your life. I've personally known some good people that got turned down because of that reason and unfortunately it's a tool departments use to gauge prosepective canadites. As to it's usefulness, I guess it depends on how it's used.

Just some friendly advice. Be prepared for a life situation change. Some friends will view you differently while some friends may try to take advantage of your position. A read through these boards can give you a pretty good idea of how people feel about cops. Good and bad. I remember as a rookie a buddy of mine asked if I could try to get a ticket taken care of for him. I asked the cop who issued the ticket and the cop showed me a video of the stop (anyone remember VHS). It's not that he did anything outrageous, but his attitude was clearly rude and his actions were shameful as far as I was concerned. I called him back, got his side of the story, and called him a idiot. He didn't know he was taped.

And LRchops is right, it's not paranoia. It is understandable cautiousness no matter where you work. Cops have been killed in just about every type of community here and the plain fact is that we are not psychic despite what everyone else thinks. But I feel it is the best job in the world at the end of the day.

I don't know which departments you are applying for, but some are more understandable about credit ratings when you have been in the military. All I can say is keep trying.

[TinyCrumb]

Just out of pure curiosity, does anyone know what the credit requirements are? Is it a certain score? Do you have to be average, or way above average, or…?

[Ron-Solo]

I wanted to make a difference, help others and protect the ones who can't protect themselves.

I'm fortunate, I can look back and see tangible results on my 32 year career. I recently got a card from a girl I pulled out of a burning car in 1987, thanking me for saving her life and showing me photos of her three kids. It puts things into perspective for you. A few months before, I was in a firefight with three armed suspects who opened fire on me and my partner with superior firepower. By the grace of God we survived. I almost quit a month before pulling the girl out. She wasn't breathing when I climbed into the car to get her, and while restoring her airway, the car caught fire. My partner, who was with me in the firefight, was able to extinguish the fire while I stayed in the car. We were in a very remote mountain area and it was just the two of us for five critically injured victims.

Glad I didn't quit.

If it is your passion, stick with it. The personal rewards are immense, and it is a job you can be proud of.

[alex00]

I went to college with the intention of becoming a lawyer, but quickly changed my mind after working part time for the campus police. I was non-sworn, and got to interact with several officers that became good friends. I ended up doing ride alongs at the end of my shift several times a week.

I was immediately hooked, and chose to pursue a career in LE. I was drawn to the uncertainty that every shift brought. I like the excitement of not knowing what comes next. I always had the helping mentality, and LE offered an opportunity to help people, as well as have a fun and rewarding career. I had toyed with the idea of becoming a firefighter. As part of my Sheriff's Academy training we had to don turnouts and MSAs and enter a controlled burning building. I immediately knew I made the right decision, and vowed never to go into a burning building again. I've since broken that vow but luckily I didn't have any of that bulky gear or breathing apparatus to slow me down .

I've had my share of ups and downs. I love going to work, and look forward to the challenges the day will bring. I've often thought had I not gone into LE what I would be doing. I can never come up with a career that would meet my personal job satisfaction needs as much as LE has.

[BigDogatPlay]

I passed everything for two departments except back ground because of my credit. Which sucks because my credit doesn't define my character.

Unfortunately, at least as concerns many prospective employers in the modern economy and LEA in particular, it does in large part define your character. And in LEA, it has for as long as the formal background process has been going on.

I believe that there has to be a strong sense of service and personal commitment. There always was for me, and it's why I chose the profession.

[tyrist]

Fat paycheck and the love of the people.

[gose]

Fat paycheck and the love of the hoes.

fixed your typo