Going into law enforcement

[Socaliente]

Stay in shape, you dont have to be a gym rat but dont be lazy just because youre out of the academy and off training.

Don't let your personal life carry into the job and dont let your job carry into your personal life. It can be stressful, don't take it home with you. Don't take anything personal from **** bags on the street. They hate the badge and not you.

Be professional, when going to call where the victim is a 80 year old women, treat her like you would want someone to treat your grandma.

Keep your opinions off facebook/twitter, that **** can and will be brought up in court against you. It can be a career killer.

Be proud to wear the badge but don't let it get to your head. You serve the public.

[CBR_rider]

Here is what I learned through training and what has stuck with me since (it mirrors closely what many of the fine gents above me have posted).

#1 You and your partner always go home at the end of shift.

#2 Don't do stupid stuff on duty and don't post on social networks/bring to work your stupid off duty antics.

#3 Don't be an arrogant jerk (to the public, suspects, or coworkers).

#4 Don't stop learning.

#5 Keep hobbies/friends outside of work.

#6 Don't date your partner.

#7 Be Honest and always keep your word: If you tell Joe Dirtbag you are gonna cut him a break, you better do it. If you aren't willing to cut him a break, don't promise him one.

#8 If everyone is happy, you aren't doing your job.

I've had a serious, cop-hating gangster come to my aid during a melee because of #3 and #7 one time. He was over 6'2 and 250lbs, things would have been a lot different if he had decided to join the other side.

[IA300]

Here is what I learned through training and what has stuck with me since (it mirrors closely what many of the fine gents above me have posted).

#1 You and your partner always go home at the end of shift.

#2 Don't do stupid stuff on duty and don't post on social networks/bring to work your stupid off duty antics.

#3 Don't be an arrogant jerk (to the public, suspects, or coworkers).

#4 Don't stop learning.

#5 Keep hobbies/friends outside of work.

#6 Don't date your partner.

#7 Be Honest and always keep your word: If you tell Joe Dirtbag you are gonna cut him a break, you better do it. If you aren't willing to cut him a break, don't promise him one.

#8 If everyone is happy, you aren't doing your job.

I've had a serious, cop-hating gangster come to my aid during a melee because of #3 and #7 one time. He was over 6'2 and 250lbs, things would have been a lot different if he had decided to join the other side.

Very good points, esp. #1...Better to be tried by 12 than carried by 6, #5 is huge, had to deal with that to save my marriage!, #6- NEVER sh$$ where you eat, it will only end badly. #7 always be able to look yourself in the mirror, you alone have to deal with your conscious! Good luck

[Mike-4]

A lot of good advice posted. Follow it.

[Hank15]

Thank you all for the advice.

I'll be writing them down on a piece of paper.

The following questions may be more personal, and I understand if they're not questions you guys would like to answer.

1) What are some disappointments law enforcement professionals encounter?

2) What are some career achievements that are guaranteed by hard work? I ask this because I've met people that work really hard, but was never promoted due to lack of participation in politics.

[Notorious]

1. Politics will be the top disappointment. More cops quit the job due to politics than to a lot of other things. It can ruin a career faster than anything else. It also leaves a terrible taste in your mouth and turn you off to LE. The joke of a criminal justice system is also another disappointment where you bust your *** and sometimes almost lose your life so the scum can plea and walk out before you finish your report. Then you have professional activists who love to ruin your life with false complaints and follow you around accusing you of stuff. That's just the tip of the iceberg here.

2. Hard work guarantees you more work. If you are the go to guy who can take care of stuff, you will be given more stuff to take care of. You are not guaranteed a promotion for anything other than if you are the golden boy or if you fill some minority quota they got. The department can and will use you and chew you up and spit you out if you let it. It did it to people before you and it will do it to people after you. You want promotions? Be a solid cop but know how to be on the right people's good side. Overcome every instinct to just be a solid guy and hope you will be "noticed" for being a good guy. Nobody cares. You have to promote yourself and toot your own horn because nobody else will.

Then again, if you love LE and it's in you, none of this matters at the end of the day because you can't imagine yourself doing anything else. That is something only you know if you got it in you.

[Grumpyoldretiredcop]

Dang, a ton of good advice here.

One more piece of advice... stay out of Association/city-county-whatever politics. I know a longtime cop who's starting over in a different department because of it.

[ak_in_ca]

Remember where you came from and be humble
do not become a badge heavy prick
have friends and hobbies outside of LE
make your family a priority, to the department you are a number dont lose what truely important.
treat others as you would want to be treated in the same situation.
continue to train on your own and constantly learn, the second you think you know everything and become salty is the day you need to quit and find a new career.
BE WARY OF WOMEN AND BOOZE THEY ARE CAREER KILLERS!!!!!!!!

[Hank15]

Thank you everyone for all the input so far.

This might be a bit of a stretch and I might be looking too far ahead.

For those of you that took sergeant, detective, lieutenant exams, did these textbooks help?

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=civil+service+exam

If so, which ones do you recommend?

[Just-in]

studying this thread closely as well...

[code33]

You are getting ahead of yourself.
Are you a POST academy grad or is the agency going to put you through the academy?

Thank you everyone for all the input so far.

This might be a bit of a stretch and I might be looking too far ahead.

For those of you that took sergeant, detective, lieutenant exams, did these textbooks help?

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=civil+service+exam

If so, which ones do you recommend?

[CBR_rider]

1) A few common disappointments would be: Not having many of your friends/family understand what you go through, arresting Joe Dirtbag for the 1,000th felony charge but having him skate anyway because the D.A has too many cases to file (or jail just plain releases him no matter how many times he's booked), and having a public that you literally put your life on the line for second guess every move and decision you make.

2) The only thing guaranteed by choosing a career in law enforcement and giving it 100% every day is that once you retire you can look back on your career know that you did everything you could. You'll get passed over for advancements that you deserve, I promise. But that's not why you are choosing this career. Keep at it, and sooner or later someone who actually cares about the qualities of the officers they promote (as opposed to political allegiances or filling quota) will take notice and reward you.

3) Don't worry about promoting yet(though the POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES for promotion may be something to look for in an agency that you wish to work for). And don't EVER say anything in the academy/training/rookie years about how you are going to be a sergeant/lieutenant. That doesn't mean to not have goals and aspirations, but even if you don't say it in a pretentious way it will not win you any friends.

[ArgoK1]

I agree with Code33, don't think too far ahead right now. You should be focused on academy life and study techniques, not how to become a Sergeant.

In the academy, make sure you are supportive of everyone and be the guy who helps those who might be having some problems. Trust me, the Tac officers will notice that and it will get back to your department that you're a team player. Your reputation begins very early in your career, and you want to start off on the right foot.

Lots of really good advice here, so make sure you print this stuff out and come back to it after you graduate the academy. The academy is tough, but once you get used to it you'll be fine. Start running now, you'll be doing a lot of it.

[IA300]

I agree with Code33, don't think too far ahead right now. You should be focused on academy life and study techniques, not how to become a Sergeant.

In the academy, make sure you are supportive of everyone and be the guy who helps those who might be having some problems. Trust me, the Tac officers will notice that and it will get back to your department that you're a team player. Your reputation begins very early in your career, and you want to start off on the right foot.

Lots of really good advice here, so make sure you print this stuff out and come back to it after you graduate the academy. The academy is tough, but once you get used to it you'll be fine. Start running now, you'll be doing a lot of it.

This!^^^^ We actually had a guy that dropped from #7 in the class to #20 after peer evals. There was a lot of I's and me's in his day to day ops...if you know what I mean.

[Hank15]

These are some really good advice. I will make sure that there are more "we" and "us" than "I" and "me" during the academy.