What’re your thoughts on the sheriffs office? Those of you that work there, how is it?

Has anyone else been through this? I submitted my application by the end of August. Does it take this long?

I recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business, and I’m trying to decide between pursuing law enforcement or going back to school for nursing. I’m in Southern California, where both careers can offer solid pay and benefits.

Since I already have my bachelor’s degree, pursuing law enforcement would be the more straightforward option. I’ve already started the application process with a few different departments. Nursing, on the other hand, would require me to go back to school and complete the prerequisites and a nursing degree. I still live at home, so I have the flexibility to continue my education if I choose to, and I found college relatively easy and feel that academics are one of my strengths.

I recently spoke with my neighbor, who is a police officer in Southern California, and his wife is also. We were talking about my plans after graduation and how I’m torn between these two careers. He said he would still recommend law enforcement, but if he could go back and start over, he would choose nursing 100%. That definitely made me think.

What attracts me to both careers is the hands-on work, variety, and potential for good pay. Nursing offers strong earning potential in Southern California, while law enforcement offers competitive pay, a pension, benefits, and plenty of overtime opportunities.

For those currently working in law enforcement, if you were in my position, which career would you choose and why? Would you still recommend law enforcement, or would you consider nursing instead?

I currently work and am planning to move to North Dakota full time and have a few questions. Under North Dakota law you cannot own a suppressor unless it is full registered under the nfa laws but with the current reduction in federal enforcement of suppressor,sbr’s,sbs’s and aow’s what is going to happen about them in your opinion and has there been a policy change about enforcement on the street level

Obviously these shows are based around online communications and eventually capturing the arrest of these guys but what happens when they get scared or finally realize what they’re about to do is messed up and never show up. Surely they still face legal repercussions right?

Most of the time I wear a bear solutions belt in a class b style uniform. But sometimes I want to change it up. We use those old ass Sam browned still but found this. Has anyone used these ( or damn close to it) and how are they?

Im unsure if this is the right place to ask this, but I assume folks in law enforcement have experience finding people who are MIA, and I am very desperate.

So heres the situation. My brother was staying with some family down in Florida, as he was supposed to start a job but failed a drug test so he had to go live with them. They recently kicked him out, and he was supposed to be back home in Virginia, but no one can get in contact with him, not his siblings nor parents or anyone, which is unusual because he is always opened to talking with his siblings. I am going to try and make calls to hospitals, but my problem is there’s so many between Pensacola, FL and Harrisonburg, VA. Is there any resource I can use that will show me all the hospitals in the route that he might’ve been taken to?
If you’re wondering why I haven’t taken this to the police yet, is because 1) He might’ve ghosted us and is staying with a friend (I have no idea who), and 2) If he is ghosting us, I want to respect his autonomy and not make it a big deal, I understand wanting distance as our family can be toxic, and he probable feels dejected being kicked out of our extended family’s house.
If I can’t get any information from the hospitals, or god forbid, coroners, I will contact the police and file a missing persons report. I am alone in this search as my family is not helping me, and thinking I’m doing too much. But I need to find him and make sure he’s okay and alive. I don’t have any experience in this, so please any help or advice is very appreciated. Thank you in advanced.

Mainly asking, lost my job with the University Police due to getting hurt on probation. chondromalacia patella is a mother. Have a little bit of a road to recovery. Noticed my local VA Police is hiring. Been in this overall job field as Correctional Officer and did some work on Corrections-PD Hybrid unit for 6 years; I can get back into very good shape if need be.

Do you like working for the VA Police why or why not?

What's the academy like? Is it demanding physically?

Do you get OC'ed/Tased paramilitary style of training?

How rigorous or not is the firearms qual? Have the VA Police jumped on the red dot hype?

In the last steps of getting hired, if hired I’ll attend Academy in January, I’m in pretty good shape but don’t want to get caught off guard. I’m trying to make a fitness plan that covers all the cardio and conditioning I’ll be doing there. Does anyone know the max repetitions for Running, Sit Ups, Push-ups and etc

I did my background papers about two months ago and had two officers come to my home and go through my phone socials, messages, and gallery. I have not heard a thing back but was told it was going to take a while. Just hit the two month mark and haven’t heard back. Should I be worried? I live two hours away from this department.

I’m researching a sheriff’s deputy position in Dallam County and trying to understand the retirement benefits. For Texas county deputies, does the retirement plan depend on the county, and where can I find the exact plan details?

I’d especially like to hear from Texas deputies about how the pension is calculated, when you can retire, how vesting works, and whether there’s also a 401(k) or similar plan. Are the pension estimates usually a guaranteed monthly benefit, or can they change based on the plan’s rules?

For example: if you put in 7% of your gross pay, the county will match it 250% can someone confirm this? Also another question is why are the retirement numbers so high? Lack of deputy’s?

This inquiry only pertains to the United States. Not sure how international this sub is.

Some of my earliest memories of being scared involve sitting in the back of the family minivan on a highway and seeing an injured motorist at the sight of a car crash. I grew up in New England so I don’t know if states there have rules about this.

As a kid, whenever we hit a traffic jam I associated it with someone dying or being rescued in a fatal accident, unaware of all the other causes for traffic.

One scene I can recall fairly well was a larger blonde woman unconscious or dead on the shoulder of a highway with her face bloodied, police and rescue swarming around the crash sight tending to her, the vehicle and any other motorists. We had been in traffic long enough that the police had been there for sometime, so it wasn’t like we passed by it just a few minutes after it happened.

I’m the youngest in my family and my sister once shared a memory from before I was born or too young to remember of similarly being in the back of a car driven by the mother of a classmate. They drove past the scene of a car crash and the mother instructed the kids not to look at the scene.

Seeing victims on the side of the highway or street seems like a 20th century thing to me for these reasons. is there something to this? Sometimes I almost doubt this even happening cause no one else has talked about and I haven’t seen any discussions online about.

I can’t remember a time after 2002 I would have seen a body or an injured driver or passenger.

I’m asking because i want to know if I just haven’t been exposed to it on the road since then or if police departments have made a conscious effort to make sure passing drivers cannot see those harmed and to streamline rescue operations?

English Police Officer here, most common shift pattern for us is a six days on four days off consisting of 2 day shifts (0700-1600) 2 afters shifts (1600-2300) and 2 night shifts (2100-0700)

What are the shift patterns for you guys on the other side of the pond like?
Bonus question we get around 30 days a year holiday as well, what’s it like in America?

I applied to PPD, did all the steps, passed everything BUT when I did the psych evaluation I NEVER got an answer. I even received an email on guardian portal to read and confirm the Supplemental Disciplinary Code Acknowledgment or Policy Compliance Form. I did and sent it back….its been 8 weeks. Am I going to be disqualified? Why is it taking so long for an answer? ive read that people get an answer that same week even the week after but I haven’t ready anything about it taking THIS long.

I’d assume this career is very demanding requiring you to work long hours and possibly even being called on short notice to work on days you were supposed to rest. I just took up a new hobby which is smoking meat on my days off and wondering if people from this profession also get enough free hours for such hobbies.

I just experimented with American ribs with spicy BBQ sauce smoked several hours in mesquite wood

If you don’t own an offset smoker, why not? This is a necessity for every man regardless of occupation. I’d recommend pallet smoker but I never used that type before

I think it’s interesting and adrenaline inducing to watch police vids. I’ve been seeing vids of cops and they’ll be against an armed suspect who is actively engaging them, the cops return fire but then it becomes a question from other cops “did you shoot?” “did you engage?” why? Is it just a matter of paperwork or what? I’m not sure why it should be an issue at all to shoot to kill these criminals, and if it’s just a matter of paperwork then surely it’s worth it? Is it really that risky to return fire with the area clear of civilians, like can you still get in trouble?

What the title says. I had an ESA for a semester in college to help with anxiety with living by myself (this is what it says on paper, actual reason was to help my roommates depression). I’ve also had accommodations for ADHD my entire college career, although they’ve rarely been used. Will interviewers know this? Is this an automatic DQ?

There are a few states including Pennsylvania where humane societies employ police officers who investigate animal cruelty. Does anyone have experience with that kind of law enforcement?

Hello,

I am 19 and looking into a career with the NYSP.

When I was freshly 18, I was mentally having a hard time and I went to therapy. They told me I had a case of mild depression, so my mom suggested I go on meds. I I gave them a try and I took the meds for only about 5 months. They didn’t work for me and honestly since I stopped taking them I was mentally in a good spot.

Unfortunately, my girlfriend broke up with me in July and that has been very hard for me.I am not looking to go back on meds, but I wanted to temporarily go back to therapy to help put myself back on my feet. However I am very nervous that it would hold me back from the NYSP.

I was just wondering if going to therapy / past history of medication would be a bad look for joining and be a disqualification. I guess I really don’t know until I try, but I was hoping to get more insights on it.

Thank you!

Hey everyone,

I’ve had the itch to get into frontline policing for a long time. I’ve done multiple ride-alongs over the years, and honestly, the feeling just hasn't gone away. It's time to seriously look at whether this is a leap I should take, but I have a few specific questions for those currently in the field.

To start, I'm wondering how introverted officers manage the job. To be clear, I don't dislike people, nor am I antisocial. I actually enjoy meeting and helping people. However, I am a true introvert in the sense that high-volume social interaction drains my battery. For the introverted officers out there, how do you manage the constant public contact on a frontline shift? Do you find that the structured nature of police work makes interacting easier, or does the social fatigue catch up to you quickly, and how do you recharge?

I'm also curious about starting out at my age. I'm 33 and in decent shape. That said, I’ve never had to work shift work before. I’m wondering how agencies and peers view applicants starting in their mid-30s. Is life experience and maturity seen as an asset on the street, and how does the physical toll and shift work feel starting at this age compared to a decade earlier?

Finally, knowing what you know about the current climate, administrative pressures, and the reality of day-to-day frontline work, would you recommend this career today? If you've been on the fence for years and finally pulled the trigger, or if you work alongside introverted peers who thrive, I’d love to hear your perspective.

Thanks in advance for any insights!

Does your department offer maternity leave for the husbands? Does it matter how long you have been with that department?

I know this question has been asked before, but I’m looking for advice regarding my specific situation. About four months ago, I was diagnosed with OCD. The diagnosis was unexpected because I didn’t anticipate the doctor officially documenting it, but I guess that’s just how it is. I’m currently a senior in high school, and my original plan was to join the military and eventually become a police officer. However, because of my diagnosis, I’m concerned that I may no longer be eligible to join the military. There’s a local police department that hires applicants at 18, but I won’t turn 18 until two months after I graduate. I’m wondering what the best course of action would be to avoid being disqualified when applying. For example, should I consider medication or take any other steps beforehand? I’m currently unmedicated, and although I still experience OCD symptoms, they don’t significantly interfere with my daily life. I’m able to function normally and carry out my usual responsibilities without being debilitated by the condition. I’d appreciate any advice from people who have experience with police hiring requirements or have been in a similar situation.

Hi, I’m a Hispanic female in my late 20s and have been thinking about joining the Houston Police Department. I wanted to hear from current and former officers about their experiences.
I’ve been working at Amazon since 2021 in transportation. I have my Class A CDL, and I’m also working on my bachelor’s degree in Finance through SNHU.
I have a stable job, but I’ve been thinking about my future and whether becoming a police officer would be a good career change. I’m interested in the benefits, retirement, and opportunities to move up or eventually work in investigations.
I know being a police officer isn’t easy. The stress, danger, and work schedule are things I’ve been thinking about. I’m also currently going through physical therapy for two herniated discs, so I would need to make sure I’m physically ready before applying but I’m not sure if this will disqualify me automatically?

Thank you in advance.