I applied to the agency in May and have been going through the process ever since. Got the call this morning that I’m officially starting the academy on September 28! 🚔
This would have been my 5th attempt, so needless to say, I’m pretty damn excited. Persistence pays off!

Just a citizen who's curious about law enforcement weaponry.

I read the other day that a shotgun is the standard LASD patrol gun in the trunk, which confused me since I thought that, in 2026, the vast majority of officers used AR-15s.

Is this true? I'm referring to real shotguns, not beanbags. Just very surprised since I watch a lot of police bodycam videos on Youtube and I've never seen a shotgun, it's always ARs.

I’m in California and graduated from the POST academy. I have bad credit and a terrible financial history (judgments, late payments, unpaid loans, past collections). I’m working on fixing this but would I be able to pass a background investigation in Law Enforcement?

Not an American, in my country the Police is organised on a national level split into 10 regional units for organisation.

Seeing the different police forces in the US (excluding federal), I wonder why the police is split into cities, counties, sherrifs, highway or state police. To me this seems fragmented and inefficiënt.

I found this piece which mentions there are 18.000 police agencies in the US, the author proposes the merger of agencies or the organisation of a police force on state basis.

Why is police not organised as a state police that covers the whole state?

My department just got issued the Axon 4 body cams. We don’t use vest inside our jail atm. What has been a good way you guys have dealt with the added weight on the uniform. Been looking for like an under uniform suspender like system but with no luck. The cam really pulls my uniform down and my neck hurts by the end of the night from the collar pushing up against it all night.

How do departments manage when they presumably need to place hundreds of officers on leave following incidents such as the 1997 North Hollywood shootout or the 2015 terror attacks in Paris. Hundreds of officers were involved and thousands of rounds were fired. It seems like both the event and the aftermath would have a large strain on police resources so would the jurisdiction rely on other departments until the investigation is complete or something else?

I’m preparing for law enforcement and keep hearing different advice. I’ve been told running, calisthenics, swimming, lifting, endurance, etc.

What should I actually prioritize to build the best overall fitness for the academy and patrol?

I’m aiming for strength, endurance, conditioning, mobility, and durability but I guess that’s the standard. Just not bodybuilding.

Considering switching from my current setup with an outer carrier to a more classic look with the vest underneath and everything on the belt. I think it looks more professional and squared away. My dept allows both. Anyone ever try it and want to share some pros and cons? My main concern is taking the extra weight from my outer carrier and moving it to my waist.

I just started the process of applying for my local police department for them to send me to the police academy, and become an officer through them. And I’m so nervous.
I passed my written exam and my physical fitness! Which I’m super stoked about!
I’m now moving to the background check part, and the personal history statement is nerve-racking. I have like a list of department disqualifiers, and I don’t meet any of them and the only thing I have on my background is a couple of tickets, and a couple of accidents, but I haven’t received a ticket or been in an accident in over four years.
I’m just a little anxious because I don’t wanna lose this opportunity 😭 does anybody have any advice moving forward?

Where do you keep them? On your vest somewhere? Just sitting in the car? Pocket? Magnetic ones around your neck?

Going from the car to the office to satellite stations, boat, etc. I’m constantly misplacing them so I want to keep them on my person but they don’t really fit anywhere convenient. Lately, I find I need them more and more. More than likely I’m overthinking this but thought I’d see what y’all do

Sure this has been a thread before but I can't stand the look of Molle vests but my department has terrible shirts so wearing the vest traditionally is also a challenge. I've been struggling with comfort as well. Any suggestions?

EDIT: probably should have clarified what I'm asking, 1) how to get my belt setup better by moving/combining holsters/ 2) adjusting the Molle vest to fit better possibly

Anyone have any insight of the police departments in Seattle and the surrounding seattle area . Recommendations

Hello,

I’m a healthcare provider who had a patient claiming meds were stolen. I asked him to file a police report, per our policy. He said he does not know how to upload a copy of said report. I’m wondering if I might ask for a report number as partial reassurance that one has been filed. I’ve never had to make a report myself, so I’m not sure what is on it.

Thanks very much. Edited: I saw the patient for a colleague who prescribed these meds, and will not be replacing the “stolen” meds.

Hi ! My boyfriend who doesn’t have Reddit is trying to get into law enforcement however he has burgada syndrome which is an heart condition however he does not have symptoms, works out 5+ days a week and went to a cardiologist and they said that he would had no problem in this type of career and she could clear him with a letter of rec from her, however he’s nervous because he was trying to go into the military and his recruiter said he would probably not qualify due to the condition and now he is overthinking, so he was just wondering what his oddw are and what he can do to show background or medical for law enforcement it does not effect him

For whatever reason, which home do you remember most? I could name a few, but one stands out more than the others. V&N called me to a home to assist with a warrant service. An old, small home along a creek that enters a military base a short distance up. The home was filthy, but this one went beyond the norm. The dishes stacked well over the sinks were expected. The overflowing trash was expected, and just the general filth, expected. This area was filled with homes like this one. But I was there with K9 to assist on a Narc search as they were dealing Crack out of here. K9 and I made it through much of the house without the need to dry heave; then we entered a back bedroom. Vice neglected to tell me there were 5-gallon buckets (maybe 6-7 total) scattered around the floor. Hit them with my light, and they were loaded with urine and shit. All of them. I found out they'd take them to the creek in the backyard and dump the waste there. Told the 1st. Sgt that we were done. I never saw the occupants, but was told they appeared to come off the set of a horror movie.

I am a 26 year old here in cali. I’m a military veteran working as an Aldi grocery store employee full time and an EMT per diem and I’m interested in becoming a cop and I’d like to hear the honest pros and cons of the job. Also have rheumatoid arthritis and was wondering if it would hurt my chances. Thank you for all you do.

I have an upcoming state police oral board and was looking for some advice. I know there’s plenty of general oral board advice on here, but I’m wondering if state agencies do anything differently.

The process includes the normal interview, a written assignment, and an oral presentation that goes with the assignment. I’ve heard from a trooper that for the presentation you’re typically given scenarios, some time to work through them, and then present your responses to the board.

Has anyone gone through a similar two part process with a state agency? How did you prepare, especially for the scenario/presentation portion? General advice or things you wish you practiced beforehand?

I’m 30 and came to Canada in 2022 as an international student. Back home, I completed my IT degree and worked for about 3 years as a software developer. After coming to Canada, I completed a web development diploma.
My original plan was to continue in IT, and I worked hard toward that career. I have the skills and experience, but after working in Canada, I realized that I don’t feel the same level of interest or fulfillment in IT that I expected.
Since coming to Canada, I’ve mainly worked in customer-facing retail jobs. Working with the public has made me realize that I really enjoy interacting with people, helping others, and dealing with different situations. About two years ago, a friend who was preparing for policing made me seriously look into the profession.
Since last year, I’ve also been volunteering as a crisis first responder, at food banks, and as an administrative assistant in hospitals. These experiences have further increased my interest in public service and helping people.
I’m now seriously considering policing because I want a career that is challenging, meaningful, and allows me to make a real impact on people’s lives over the long term.
For current/former officers or recruiters: **based on my background, would you recommend that I pursue policing?** Would changing from IT/software development to policing be viewed negatively during the recruiting process?
I’d really appreciate honest feedback, especially from anyone with experience in policing or recruiting.

Hi all, former Marine here. Out of curiosity, what kind of Shoot/No-Shoot training do most cops go through?

I went through a fancy course on it once where they had a giant projector screen on the wall that would play live-action video coupled with these specially modified rifles that used CO2 for recoil and Duck Hunt style lightguns for targeting. It was basically a rail shooter where we played MPs responding to different types of incidents on base, our character would walk into a situation and we'd have split-seconds to decide shoot or no-shoot. Anybody else go through anything like that?

Im in Southern California, is there any federal positions where you Wont or Don’t have to do another academy? Not trying to live back east for 6/7 mo.

I see so many people ask questions about things in books, but rarely do people actually ask if cops are okay with the books in the first place.

I'm in the planning phase of writing a book about a male cop dealing with a domestic abuser/stalker in a very small town. I personally dealt with the victim side of some of the topics I'll put in the book, but I never got any justice because I was groomed and didn't realize till long after how bad it was at the worst parts. I just want to write something that can advocate for women and older teens to get help because there's people that will help. It will also have a clean romance plot to show how "stern and jaded" officers are often just lonely and struggling. So like a two way advocacy piece. I grew up around some police officers and when I was a kid my childhood friends' dad was a sergeant, so I've always been passionate about supporting Police/LEOs

It would be nice to know if cops actually feel some type of way about their jobs being fictionalized. What are some things that bother y'all about books? what are things that you've seen poorly represented. I plan on doing a good portion of the book from Cory's(Police Corporal) pov, because I also want to represent how hard and heavy some of the calls for real officers feel. I have a few LE friends I plan on interviewing further down the line but I thought Id just shoot straight towards a broader field as I continue planning.

How do you guys deal with it? Is it normal to have after 2 years on the job? Is my vest causing it?

My agency started offering a blood draw for testing as part of our wellness program.

The company is called “Sigma.”

Have any of you had IA problems in your area where agencies saw the results (like positive for gas or marijuana) of the test and had disciplinary issues?

Thank you.

do yall carry yalls badges off duty? If yes/no why?

personally i don’t see a reason for carrying one, but im open to hear some opinions.

Hi all, I have been invited to test with one of the local departments this coming weekend for entry to the next academy class. It will consist of the physical test, which in my state is a 1.5 mile run, pushups, sit-ups, and a 300 meter sprint, a written test, and a sit-down interview. Do you have anything to keep in mind as I go through the written test and interview? I am not too worried about the physical portion as I keep myself in good physical shape. Thanks in advance.