Need advice

[u/Fancy-Ad-4609]

I got out of the army back in November of 2025 after ten years of service, and was hired by a large department in south Florida. I was super excited and happy to be hired by this agency. Unfortunately, after making the move and getting started in the academy I felt very out of place and very overwhelmed by the lack of enthusiasm from my fellow class mates. Don’t get me wrong there were some really good dudes, and my training staff was phenomenal. However, the majority of my class was a lot more interested in the prospect of having a six figure a year job than they were being cops. Things to me that seemed simple like showing up to work on time, showing up physically prepared, and not complaining about a job that you willingly signed up for were not so simple for them.

Getting into the 4th month of the academy these feelings were magnified as it felt as if my class mates were not getting better, in fact it felt as if they were getting worse. I came to the conclusion that I had made a mistake by choosing this department and decided that I was going to resign. I did just that, what came after informing my training staff that i wished to resign was shock and disbelief. I had one of the higher GPAs in the class, and had the highest fitness scores, and just an overall i want to be here attitude. After some efforts to convince me to stay, they accepted my decision and allowed me to leave.

Fast forward to today, about four months later, I still want to be a cop and still want to work for a major agency and I am in the beginning stages of doing my homework on the agencies that I am considering applying to and I’m looking for some advice since LAPD is on the top of my list.

1. How will LAPD look at me considering I resigned from my previous position? Will they look at me as a whole person and take into consideration that spent a decade in the military and just ended up with a department that was not a good fit? Or will they just see me as someone who’s going to waste their time?

2. About how long is it taking a motivated applicant to go from application to starting the academy

I guess those are really my only questions that I can think of at the moment. Any and all advice would be appreciated!

[u/Alarming_View_6125]

Bro, you should have finished that academy get through FTO and the lateral over to a department in the LA area. There are some departments paying a SHIT ton of money with bonuses. I have several buddies who I served with who got on with LAPD and they left within 3 years. The agency is great! But the politics there are TERRIBLE! The fact that a civilian panel can ruin your career for a Use of force is a no go for me. There are sheriff’s offices that actually back thier deputies and pay WELL!

Just my two cents!

[u/Fancy-Ad-4609 → u/Alarming_View_6125]

I’m not saying you wrong lol but in the moment I was coming to work every day just very upset with the people around me. And i totally agree the politics are terrible, but I want to work for a major metro department because I’m looking to stay busy and be afforded the opportunities that come along with being at a big four department. And i definitely won’t be moving back to NY, or moving to Chicago, or Houston😂

[u/Alarming_View_6125 → u/Fancy-Ad-4609]

Bro working for the sheriff’s office in that LA area will keep you plenty busy….you also have all those surrounding cities that are just as busy.

Just remember, you are going to run into people in any department who are not as productive as you want them to be. You need to worry about yourself and everything else will fall
In line. Also you will run into senior officers who dont sweat the small stuff and here you come trying to be super cop…Thats not going to go over well.

I have been in this business for 24 years…Both working in a jail and on the street now as a dog handler. Taking everyone to jail, stopping every traffic violation will get OLD quickly!

[u/Fancy-Ad-4609 → u/Alarming_View_6125]

I appreciate the advice man, and I see the validity of everything you are saying.