Becoming LEO, Need HELP ASAP

[fmxmyway]

I come from the federal service, and that is a lot different, but recruiting and hiring there have some parallels with real law enforcement. The interviewers are looking for trainable applicants, and actively weeding out applicants who already know everything. They are much more concerned with your decision-making skills and your ability to listen and to learn than with the size of your muscles.

Are you thick-skinned enough for a little brutal honesty?

(If not, law enforcement might not be your best fit, by a long shot!)

You have been out in the work force for a while, but you have an unimpressive work history to a law enforcement agency. Sales and (relationship?) banking are not going to get you much positive attention, and that matters.

You are pushing thirty, and still well short of earning a degree. A degree which is not going to be exciting to a police agency, anyway.

It's good to be healthy, but some law enforcement agencies would be somewhere between concerned and suspicious of the Muay Thai and gun business. Many departments have more Tactical War Killers In Tight Black Tee Shirts than they want. Law enforcement is more about what's between your ears than unarmed combat.

Your language skills might be attractive in some of the larger city departments, and certainly in some of the federal agencies. (Most federal agencies require a four-year degree, unless you have some rare and much needed skill.)

I'm not sure how much use a business degree is to a law enforcement agency, but an accounting degree is a much different story. You might consider checking out switching majors. Accounting is pretty boring but a monkey can earn that degree if the monkey has a good work ethic.

Whatever you do, don't try any of your sales techniques on an interview panel! Those folks are probably very adept at sniffing out B.S., and if you try to sell them a dead cow, they are not going to like it, or you.

You might spend a few bucks on one of these trial interview counselors. They will run you through a few mock interviews, and then give you a dispassionate, objective assessment. They will often see things that you cannot.

Good luck, and have a Plan B. A tough economy and many looming five-alarm pension crisis's are making the road as tough as I have ever seen it.

That was extremely accurate and very well put.

[rollaspeed1]

I come from the federal service, and that is a lot different, but recruiting and hiring there have some parallels with real law enforcement. The interviewers are looking for trainable applicants, and actively weeding out applicants who already know everything. They are much more concerned with your decision-making skills and your ability to listen and to learn than with the size of your muscles.

Are you thick-skinned enough for a little brutal honesty?

(If not, law enforcement might not be your best fit, by a long shot!)

You have been out in the work force for a while, but you have an unimpressive work history to a law enforcement agency. Sales and (relationship?) banking are not going to get you much positive attention, and that matters.

You are pushing thirty, and still well short of earning a degree. A degree which is not going to be exciting to a police agency, anyway.

It's good to be healthy, but some law enforcement agencies would be somewhere between concerned and suspicious of the Muay Thai and gun business. Many departments have more Tactical War Killers In Tight Black Tee Shirts than they want. Law enforcement is more about what's between your ears than unarmed combat.

Your language skills might be attractive in some of the larger city departments, and certainly in some of the federal agencies. (Most federal agencies require a four-year degree, unless you have some rare and much needed skill.)

I'm not sure how much use a business degree is to a law enforcement agency, but an accounting degree is a much different story. You might consider checking out switching majors. Accounting is pretty boring but a monkey can earn that degree if the monkey has a good work ethic.

Whatever you do, don't try any of your sales techniques on an interview panel! Those folks are probably very adept at sniffing out B.S., and if you try to sell them a dead cow, they are not going to like it, or you.

You might spend a few bucks on one of these trial interview counselors. They will run you through a few mock interviews, and then give you a dispassionate, objective assessment. They will often see things that you cannot.

Good luck, and have a Plan B. A tough economy and many looming five-alarm pension crisis's are making the road as tough as I have ever seen it.

Thank you. That is all very true.

[stilly]

The times have changed so much that the advice my LEO friends give me aren't very accurate as far as the process goes.

The PC832's alone do not allow you to be a Level III Reserve Officer. Module III consists of more than just PC832's and even if you took the other courses separately, you'd still not be qualified.

I have asked these and many other questions directly to CA POST as well as multiple agencies in my area. Module III = Reserve Level III qualified at the minimum. I believe that this is also listed on the website.

I do not believe that volunteers require courses as they are not considered as Reserve Officers. Reserve Officers get paid for their mandated hours and are formal CA LEOs. There are actual volunteers, but they are a different class and are not "employed" by the agency nor are they sworn in.

Currently:

Level III = Uniform, badge, gun, under supervision of Level I or full time, very limited duties. Very unlikely to see an arrest situation. Protected under LEOSA, have LE "perks" via unions, orgs, and CA exemptions.

Level II = Same as Level III, but with more functions and duties. Still unlikely to see an arrest situation but I'm sure you're more exposed.

Level I = Basically a full time LEO without the benefits and have limited hours.

Looks like a few things have been changed around. I think I was specifically told that a level III was ONLY allowed to be a volunteer with the Posse, and yes, could get the uniform and all, but I do not think any guns were involved.

Definitions must have been modified a bit clearly. Guess I should be happy with my level 1.

Hey look at the bright side though, At least with a PC 832 you can still go buy a handgun without having to take the stupid BFSC test.

When they talked about the reserve officers in my classes (kind of like recruitment for Corona and RSD) they had mentioned that there were some reserves that worked almost as much as regular officers, and they still did not get paid, but I think Corona was paying like $100 a month at the time, where many other agencies were not paying much.

That was what got me also wanting to go further. By taking the POST classes and obtaining my Level 1 I could get some real time exposure to being a LEO and seeing if I would like it, but I kinda of strayed and got wrapped up in other things.

Oh and YES, I think I recall them saying that a level I could supervise a level II or III. Or two level IIs could be out or something. I forgot the particular details. Still a lot of fun to be able to do that though.


For clarification. When I say volunteer, I mean, you are not getting paid. That was the whole thing with the reserve officer program I thought, you get to play cop, but not get paid like one. So yes, you DO have to try out, go through background, go through psych (prolly) and physical and then once through I think maybe an interview and you are let on. Riverside CO Sheriff's are to blame for my inaccuracies They made it sound like a party all the way through. They also said that there was NO cap on age for being a reserve with them. At the time they had a 70 yr old RO. I dunno if that was true or not, but why would they lie.

[America's Least Wanted]

not that it matters much in this thread, but IIRC the PC832 or even being a FULL BLOWN police doesn't 'qualify' you as private lowest level 'guard'.

Oddly enough, 'real cops' must take a BSIS 'rent a cop' class even if they want to do 'warm body' type security, and get a BSIS 'guard card'.

Go figure.

I guess someone at BSIS doesn't feel his dept can be disregarded or something.

[rollaspeed1]

Thank all of you for all of your help. I see much more clearly now.

1. I'm applying to large departments I chose not to apply to before, Oakland and San Jose.

2. Once I figure out the schedule issues I'll start making arrangements for extended academy.

[Che762x39]

Interesting. Cop here since 1981.

My first question is; did you take an aptitude test and it reports you have an aptitude for police work?

The second is do you understand seniority? You will be on the worst shift with the worst days off for many years in most places. Next you have to graduate a police academy, not everybody does. You will do a FTO program, I was the FTO for 7 years and I terminated 7 trainees in that time. So academy graduation does not guarantee anything.

After that you need to work and be smart.

[rollaspeed1]

I did not take any aptitude tests. I just made a decision to go into the field.

I do understand that I'll be stuck working s$@t hours for a while but that's the sacrifice I'm willing to make to serve my later years.

Ideally, after a few years, I'd like to upgrade to detective work if my capabilities allow me.

[Just-in]

Interesting. Cop here since 1981.

My first question is; did you take an aptitude test and it reports you have an aptitude for police work?

The second is do you understand seniority? You will be on the worst shift with the worst days off for many years in most places. Next you have to graduate a police academy, not everybody does. You will do a FTO program, I was the FTO for 7 years and I terminated 7 trainees in that time. So academy graduation does not guarantee anything.

After that you need to work and be smart.

I took one of those my senior year of highschool, "Hind sight is 20/20", had I taken their advice I'd probably be a lot happier by now with the progress of my career. I love... Ok enjoy my current job, and working to better peoples lives as well as other challenges it offers since I've promoted quickly such as training and overseeing certain aspects we encounter in the field, however it is still just a job not a career anyone takes serious or I can see myself retiring from.

It described me as an "Analytical thinker" and recommended a list of jobs all in law enforcement from game warden to police officer to prison warden. Like a dummy I didn't come to my senses for another 8 years!

To the OP, locate a career center you may discover something else you had no idea you would be suited for or interested in.

[ECG_88]

I took that aptitude test in high school and I used to think it was a load of BS. It gave me 2 possible career choices: Forrest/Park Ranger and Doughnut Machine Operator. Now that I am thinking about LE it makes sense. lol

[rollaspeed1]

I will get right on it.

[Boblaw]

You want to be a detective/investigator as opposed to a street cop. Let me suggest that you apply to the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a CO. (Much easier to get in than a State LEO position) Complete your training/one year probationary period. then lateral transfer to your choice of Federal Agency such as DEA, ATF, CPB etc....to many to list. Lateral transfers with the Feds is the ticket. I would spend the year with the BOP completing the BA at a school like National where you can tailor your schedule or online courses.

[code_blue]

You want to be a detective/investigator as opposed to a street cop. Let me suggest that you apply to the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a CO. (Much easier to get in than a State LEO position) Complete your training/one year probationary period. then lateral transfer to your choice of Federal Agency such as DEA, ATF, CPB etc....to many to list. Lateral transfers with the Feds is the ticket. I would spend the year with the BOP completing the BA at a school like National where you can tailor your schedule or online courses.

If he goes this route then CA POST is useless to him. You'd have to be hired by the agency of choice before the training begins and that's a whole other ball game. The 6 - 12 month hiring process is super long and even more so now that the Gov is shut down at the moment.

[Khromo]

You want to be a detective/investigator as opposed to a street cop. Let me suggest that you apply to the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a CO. (Much easier to get in than a State LEO position) Complete your training/one year probationary period. then lateral transfer to your choice of Federal Agency such as DEA, ATF, CPB etc....to many to list. Lateral transfers with the Feds is the ticket. I would spend the year with the BOP completing the BA at a school like National where you can tailor your schedule or online courses.

In all due respect, I don't know about this.

There are circumstances where federal law enforcement agencies are limited to laterals from within the fed LEO community, but those lists are extremely competitive. Border Patrol applicants usually have language skills, and transfers from other federal agencies often have already completed some of the required fed training, making them cost effective. There tend to be a lot of veterans on those lists as well. Lateral transfers are not automatic.

A degree from National U is a degree, but it puts the applicant towards the bottom of the list.

While lateral apps within the federal gov can be a viable path, the Bureau of Prisons is one of the worst places to start. There is a reason those jobs are more available than others within the federal system.

Prestigious agencies like the DEA get some great applicants. You need to shine, not just get over the wall.

I think the best card the OP has is his language skill. With the proliferation of Eastern European organized crime, he might be better served looking to agencies that are heavily engaged in high-level organized crime, large metro departments serving cities with big Eastern Euro populations, or more realistically one of the immigration enforcement spin offs that absolutely drool over (qualified) applicants fluent in a less-than-common language.

[Rickrock1]

A good start Join the military and or look into a corrections officer job. It worked for me.
Good luck

[ldsnet]

This is the logical way to go, but I don't have the means to quit working for 6 months and at the same time pay $6K for the academy. Otherwise, I would. It IS the right way.

Most schools offer the level 1 POST as a night school. It takes a few years but you can get your cert that way. Start your reserve request early, most departments take 6-9 months to complete a background investigation.

If one department turns you down try another. If law enforcement is your dream, there is a way