Straight to patrol with LASD?

[Thesource161]

I am in the process with lasd. I currently finished my process and awaiting the start date phone call along with plenty of other people. Lasd offers what's called a dual track career path which allows you to stay in custody or go straight to patrol or you can choose both. What are the benefits of going into the jails vs. straight to patrol? I'm not looking forward to the jails but I've also heard it's frowned upon to go straight to patrol. Any insite on this topic is greatly appreciated.

Here is the link

http://www.lasdhq.org/recruitment/DualTrackInformation.html

[zuritausmc]

I can't answer your question but have one for you. How long did it take to hear anything back after the initial online application? I'm still waiting to hear anything. They've been the slowest to respond out of the about 6 different departments I've applied to.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[leman77]

Calling Ron-Solo (hopefully he'll chime in soon)......If I were you I'd put your time in custody. If you go straight to patrol the OG deputies might not appreciate it. : ). Good luck!

[Armed24-7]

I have been on LASD for 25 years. I worked the jails before going to patrol, of course. Working the jails is of GREAT benefit. First, you get all kinds of additional training while working the jails. Secondly, you learn how to deal with crooks, convicts, and gang bangers. Thirdly, you will develop that extra sense cops seem to have, before you work patrol. You will be more street-wise for doing it.

Other benefits are continuing your education to get a degree or two or three. Working the jails makes it much easier to do that. Also, you will have opportunities to work overtime and save a bunch of money. A lot of deputies buy their first house while working the jails.

Finally, deputies who are already in patrol will respect you for doing it.

[Thesource161]

I understand the respect part. I also know it would be looked down upon once on the street due to all the guys on patrol or in the ranks now didn't have that option. I have lasd friends and they all say its a great experience and you do learn a lot in the jails. I'm establish as my wife and I have bought a house already and paid off both of our cars. I have worked hard to pay off our debt before starting this process. No one can complain about extra money though and a degree is definetly something id like to finish. It hasn't been the easiest road, I'm sure others could tell you, but I'm approaching that final stretch before the actual academy and wanted some opinions before I made it to that point.

[ls2monaro]

Biggest advantage is it's easier to keep your head low and get off probation in jail. Patrol fto program will be stressful enough in of itself without having to worry about getting fired for no reason.

[Ron-Solo]

This is a fairly new concept, since going straight to patrol hasn't happened in recent history. Years back, the "Honor Cadet" or top recruit from each class was allowed to go straight to patrol. They stopped that before I came on in 1978.

Working custody has some advantages for new people. I learned a lot about how crooks think and behave. I worked 2.5 years in custody before going to patrol. I never went back as a sergeant or lieutenant. Staying too long leads to quicker burnout.

Going straight to patrol has a higher risk of failing probation, which is 1 year from graduation of the academy.

In the old days (before my time) th Honor Cadets were looked down upon by others as not having the experience that a deputy coming from custody will have.

It is a valuable experience, as long as you don't stay too long. I would get that experience. It helped me a lot over the years.

I had heard they were thinking of having a duel track. Some people get too comfortable working custody and don't want to go out. That wasn't me. When I hired on, going to patrol wasn't mandatory. There were guys in my class that never worked patrol, but they never rose above the rank of deputy. You will not promote without completing patrol training. The ones that never went to patrol were often referred to as slugs who did the minimum amount needed to get by all the time. You don't want that reputation.

I'm not sure how they are going to decide when you could go out if you decide to get the custody experience before patrol. Ask your background investigator. They may not know exactly how it is going to work yet. It is a "meet and confer" issue with ALADS, the association that represents Deputy Sheriffs.

[TASK, LLC]

I had the fortunate experience of working with a former LASO deputy who had the experience of working custody before coming over to my agency and into patrol operations.

He had extensive experience in the prison gang culture, knew how to talk to suspects in the streets, and even ran into some gang members who he had previous contact in while they were in custody. He was able to decipher some of the gang activity and recognized quite a bit due to his custody experience.

I can't totally answer your question, but I think that any experience that is unique is important in your development and success as a law enforcement professional.

If you are going to do a career of 20+ years, then some experience in custody may be worthwhile. I have not worked custody, but I would venture to say that there are things you will learn there that you will not learn in patrol. For example, if you want to work gang intelligence in the field, you will have to learn the jail/prison system and culture. Knowing how the system works and being able to identify the rankings of suspects based on their previous housing categories is critical in gang intelligence. It is easier to learn that seeing it with direct experience.

Good luck on making your decision.

[RickD427]

I have been on LASD for 25 years. I worked the jails before going to patrol, of course. Working the jails is of GREAT benefit. First, you get all kinds of additional training while working the jails. Secondly, you learn how to deal with crooks, convicts, and gang bangers. Thirdly, you will develop that extra sense cops seem to have, before you work patrol. You will be more street-wise for doing it.

Other benefits are continuing your education to get a degree or two or three. Working the jails makes it much easier to do that. Also, you will have opportunities to work overtime and save a bunch of money. A lot of deputies buy their first house while working the jails.

Finally, deputies who are already in patrol will respect you for doing it.

I'll very much second the above comments. The experience of working the jails proved invaluable to the remainder of my career.

The dual track system is simply too new to judge at this point. It was intended to correct some of the historic problems that have affected custody operations. Like any new program, there are pros and cons. It will take a while to see how it all shakes out.

[Patrick Aherne]

I worked custody in a NorCal Sheriff's Office for about 3.5 years before transferring agencies to a municipal police agency. I knew WAAAYYY more about gang culture and crooks than guys who went straight from the academy to a patrol position. Still, 15 years since transferring, parolees will talk to me more than some of the officers who work for me. I'm not nicer, in fact, just the opposite, but I learned how to talk to crooks and I learned all about their games while working custody.

Often times, with a new recruit, it is hard to impress upon them that if a parolee is not EXACTLY following your orders, they are making a plan to escape, conceal evidence or assault you. I learned the score while working custody.

I think every street cop should wok about two years inside before going to patrol.

[Samuelx]

Throwing in a couple of pesos here (IMO!):

I worked Custody for 7 years, in two different facilities, before I worked Patrol. I was fortunate that, for most of that time, I either worked in a training unit or closely with one - I got to see and do a lot of stuff that I was really interested in. Not everyone is that lucky - flip side of my experience is getting stuck in a module or booth and never coming out or getting to play.

As has been pointed out, working Custody can be a REALLY productive experience but you also have to have that drive and discipline to make it so. It's real easy to let yourself go and we see it all the time with some of the guys/gals coming out to Patrol.

That being said, can you be a great street cop without working Custody? Absofreakinglutely. There are a lot of great street cops all over So Cal who never worked Custody or Courts. One advantage of going straight to Patrol is that everything in the academy is geared for Patrol and you won't forget much if/when you go straight out. Patrol is also a young(er) deputy/officer's game - the wear and tear is much easier to handle when you're young(er). The sooner you work Patrol and get that experience (learn some stuff, do some stuff), the sooner you can move on to other things (or at least apply for them) or promote.

As far as how Patrol deputies view straight-to-patrol trainees, well me personally, I wouldn't care one bit (all else being equal). Tell you what, I lost a LOT of respect for all the so-called deputies who have decided Not to come out to Patrol for BS reasons. I tell the recruits that if the lazy AS$ Slaps in Custody now aren't willing to step up and do REAL police work, more power to you if you get out to Patrol sooner.

I'm dreading the day when some Custody-only experienced brass tries to give me an order with crappy attitude - I'm probably not going to take it very well...

You can probably tell that I'm not a fan of the dual-track program. I know that quite a few other sheriff departments around the country are set up like that but I was always proud that for us, the vast majority of our deputies (post 214) work both Inside And Outside and there is no difference (a deputy is a deputy). Now we've got "real" deputies and "babysitters". Don't get me wrong, many of those "babysitters" are good people and I've got plenty of friends who are Custody deps (and many of those are solid guys/gals who just haven't gone out yet), but for now they're just half a step above C/A's when it comes to LE work. And yes, I readily acknowledge the fact that there are a bunch of slaps working Patrol too - among them some nice guys/gals who just aren't cut out for this line of work...

[SoCalDep]

OK...Deep breath....

First, a big +1 on everything Samuelx said.

Seeing the current crop of people coming through my part of patrol school, I'd take a next-day out of the academy deputy ANY DAY over a high percentage of those with jail experience.

And for those who wonder how I could say such a thing....Samuelx can vouch for me... He did know where his Beretta safety was, and the only reason I beat him on the draw contest was that he had a Sentry and I didn't (no such thing as cheating in a gunfight!).

The few years in custody do some deputies good. Others get fat, lazy, egotistical, and forget where the frigin' safety is on a Beretta or how it works.

You will be judged on your performance. There are plenty of deputies who spend years in custody and don't learn a darn thing. Others make the most of their time. You will learn a lot on the street as well. It is less forgiving, but with your head on straight I'm sure you'll do alright. Trainees do it in PDs all the time.

Did they specify you would go straight to patrol or just have a shorter duration before going out? I suppose it depends on jail staffing levels, etc.

If it were me, I'd say put in for patrol. Also, last I heard going custody would require you agree to spend a certain time there.

I did 4.5 years in custody, and I was one of the guys Samuelx mentioned... Four years in a box... I did do a couple of cool things (foot pursuits of escaped inmates come to mind...) but I hired on a single kid ready to go and by the time I went to patrol I had a wife, a house, and a six-month-old son. I wasn't going to, and never will sacrifice my family for this job and it changed some of the decisions I would have made. No regrets because I got exactly where I want to be now, but if what you want to do is push a car, then do what you can to get in one. Don't wait.

[Samuelx]

Hey Bro,

The way I remember it is that you were putting your second round into the 10 ring as I was still rotating my muzzle up... The way you move and instruct, I would have never guessed you had been stuck in a box.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

The biggest selling point of LASD is the variety of assignments available. Going to patrol first and knocking out field training has its upside. Working Custody has upsides too. Since Dual Track is new, virtually everyone you run into will have worked Custody prior to patrol. The only real downside to Custody is some people become fat and lazy and forget all their Academy training. But that is on you, not the Department's fault. I have worked Custody, Patrol, Courts, and Admin and all of them have upsides and opportunities to learn different things. Patrol can be exciting and fun, but it can wear you out too, as it is by far more taxing and challenging than any of the other assignments I mentioned above.

[Pappy22]

I always feel bad for the deps working in the jail. TBH its looks kinda miserable. I work for a city so never had to work in any custody type of situation. I don't doubt you learn alot working in a jail setting, but it does look like it sucks *****. Props to all the deps who have to deal with all the dudes we drop off.