Any LEO's out here?

[FoxySandChick]

Originally Posted by Robocop

The down side for me is that it has also made me very synical and even more so a very negative person. I find it very hard to go out and enjoy life as every person I see is a criminal in my mind. If I go grocery shopping for example and happen to see someone with a case of beer in their cart I will always assume they are a drunk. If I see two young kids walking to the park I quickly assume they are punks looking for trouble. It is hard to turn the negative side off simply because I see so many idiots on a nightly basis.

This ^^^ is so true for me and I was only doing it for 3 years. It took me awhile to accept the normal faults that everyone has, not that I thought I was perfect or anything. For example it was hard for me to accept someone with a minor criminal history into my life as open and willingly as someone not in LE would and they wouldn't even think twice about what this person was arrested for. A lot of people have been in jail at some point in time and are good people, I had to force myself to think like that. You see so much negative you start to exaggerate the negatives about people and overlook the positives, you forget that people make mistakes and can change and become better people. I used to be a very positive person, always looking to help someone who was struggling, compassionate, I lost a lot of that while I was on the PD, but gained some of it back over the years when I wasn't surrounded by cops anymore. It is a different world in the life of a cop. I don't think either of us are saying these things to scare anyone away from choosing the career, just being honest about what it has done to us. Of course everyone deals with things differently, so that is not saying all cops end up like that. But think about who cops are friends with...mostly just other cops .

Hope this wasn't confusing, I'm sleepy and just rambled....

[tigerfan00]

i cant say much that hasnt already been said

however to anyone in...or thinking about doing it

read this book...then let your loved ones read it

its great for helping them understand you and what you experience


http://www.amazon.com/Love-Cop-Revis...dp_ob_title_bk

[tigerfan00]

i dont have a lot of issues with family...because im single with no kids...

i do work nights and i really enjoy the night shift...however it has almost crippled my social life...which...whatever...im ok with that

my mom had a hard time at first when i got my job...then again when i got promoted and put on the road at night...but she's dealing with it pretty well because she worries more about my brother currently because he's USMC and in Iraq currently...so that keeps her mind off of me

i make sure to call her regularly and ALWAYS if a major event hits the news concerning one of our officers

[Pinal1223]

I'm still around....

[Stillfly199]

Originally Posted by FoxySandChick

I really enjoyed it, left due to a medical problem. It can be stressful on the family especially your significant other if they are not familiar with that type of job. My ex-husband was a Marine while I was with the PD, so both of us understood the stresses that come with that kind of job.

I mean think about the things a cop sees/does each day then goes home to the family, those things aren't really normal over dinner type conversation topics. IMO it is hard for someone in LE to share their days with their families or to vent and release frustrations from the day. Would you want to hear about all the things your s/o was having to deal with every day? Or do you want your wife to hear about all the crazy things you had to do/see each day, you wouldn't want to worry or scare her. Some will say yes of course, but in reality you don't really want to know.

It's just my opinion that is takes a certain type of person to be a military/LE significant other and it takes a very strong relationship.

I don't think it is so hard on mothers/fathers/siblings cause those aren't the people you have to go home to everyday and share your life with. Of course they will worry, but its not the same for a wife/hubby.

But it is a very rewarding career and I respect everyone who chooses to do it, along with fire/medics/military etc.

Think about the reasons you want to be in LE, that will help if someone in your family is upset with your decision.

Good Luck

Well my mom is a dispatcher for the agency I am going after so she is used to it all already. I have been a firefighter for the last 3 years and I think that has scared her more than anything will. I am single as of right now with no kids so I am not too worried about the family life right now. Just thinking about the future and what it will be like and what I might have to deal with. Sorry to hear about having to go out due to medical, thats no fun. I'm sure you had fun in those 3 years though.

Originally Posted by Robocop

After 13 years of night shift, with all of these in patrol, I must say it has its ups and downs. In one way it has made me very humble to appreciate the things I have as I see so many who struggle to just eat much less enjoy any luxuries.

The down side for me is that it has also made me very synical and even more so a very negative person. I find it very hard to go out and enjoy life as every person I see is a criminal in my mind. If I go grocery shopping for example and happen to see someone with a case of beer in their cart I will always assume they are a drunk. If I see two young kids walking to the park I quickly assume they are punks looking for trouble. It is hard to turn the negative side off simply because I see so many idiots on a nightly basis.

It has had a huge impact on my personal life and I am trying hard to not be one of those older officers who is always angry at the world. I know many old timers who you can not even have a normal conversation with. If you approach some officers and say simply "hows it going" you will get something like "typical crappy day and I hate this place"...."the world is being taken over by thugs"..."what do you care how its going"....well you get my point. Some officers allow the work to make them always bitter and at times this can get them fired for excessive force complaints.

Believe me it is hard to control yourself after you find yourself face to face with some punk who just raped or robbed some old lady. Every part of you wants to hurt them and with years of built up frustration it is easy to lose control. I feel sorry for some co-workers who I see struggle with their emotions yet it is very common in police work. I have seen friends killed and been to far more funerals that I would like to imagine. Sure people die every day however if involved in police work you will see it much more often than the civilian person.

On the good side however I get to drive a cool car around all day and rarely have to lift heavy objects. Believe it or not most people still respect the police and many will remind me daily of this....that also makes my job feel rewarding. I have lifelong friends and the brotherhood of blue will never let you down. I can, and have, changed peoples lives and even a few times saved someones life. The pay is decent for someone with only a high school diploma and I get to have a decent retirement if I make it 20 years.

For me the good is far much more than the bad and I still enjoy learning new things daily. It does take a certain type of person to deal with police work long term however again I believe it is a very rewarding career if you learn to shut certain parts off after your shift.

I am not too worried about this being as I already have these views on most of the people I run into out here. Like said before I am in firefighting and 90% of the calls we go on are for the dirt balls who have shit all over the place and cant even take care of their own kids. So I have learned how to shut a lot of things out, I learned that one right off the bat. Wont go into detail but a really bad Structure fire where 5 people were shot and a 6th one died with smoke inhalation. I saw stuff that guys with 20+ years have never seen. They all kind of turned to me making sure I wasnt gonna break down and it was that day I realized you cant take things personally. I think that will help me out a lot in law enforcment. I already drive down the street and see the kids assuming they are punks, or the drunk, or the stoner, or the low life who is buying cigarettes and beer instead of milk for the kid. So I guess that wont be a huge shock to me lol.

Originally Posted by FoxySandChick

This ^^^ is so true for me and I was only doing it for 3 years. It took me awhile to accept the normal faults that everyone has, not that I thought I was perfect or anything. For example it was hard for me to accept someone with a minor criminal history into my life as open and willingly as someone not in LE would and they wouldn't even think twice about what this person was arrested for. A lot of people have been in jail at some point in time and are good people, I had to force myself to think like that. You see so much negative you start to exaggerate the negatives about people and overlook the positives, you forget that people make mistakes and can change and become better people. I used to be a very positive person, always looking to help someone who was struggling, compassionate, I lost a lot of that while I was on the PD, but gained some of it back over the years when I wasn't surrounded by cops anymore. It is a different world in the life of a cop. I don't think either of us are saying these things to scare anyone away from choosing the career, just being honest about what it has done to us. Of course everyone deals with things differently, so that is not saying all cops end up like that. But think about who cops are friends with...mostly just other cops .

Hope this wasn't confusing, I'm sleepy and just rambled....

I understand this completely. I have been in the process of this job for about a year now and it is sad to say but I have blocked long time friends out because of the paths they choose. Not saying they are bad people but they are constantly buying underage people beer and always drinking and driving, or getting drunk at a movie theatre, and I understand to them that is fun, but it was too much of a risk for me to get caught and lose everything that I have been working so hard for. I understand how it being difficult to let someone into your life who has been in trouble in theiir past, or has something on their record. I know it is going to be a career that is going to have very many ups and downs, but being able to see a lot of what you guys are talking about before someone goes into law enforcment will help them out big time.

Originally Posted by tigerfan00

i dont have a lot of issues with family...because im single with no kids...

i do work nights and i really enjoy the night shift...however it has almost crippled my social life...which...whatever...im ok with that

my mom had a hard time at first when i got my job...then again when i got promoted and put on the road at night...but she's dealing with it pretty well because she worries more about my brother currently because he's USMC and in Iraq currently...so that keeps her mind off of me

i make sure to call her regularly and ALWAYS if a major event hits the news concerning one of our officers

Im in the same boat, no wife/gf and no kids. I cant wait to work the nights. My brother is really not doing anything with his life so I think she worries more about him than me all the time. But I am lucky because my whole family is behind me 100% so far, and I know I have only been through the application process, but they seem to actually be excited about it.

Originally Posted by Pinal1223

I'm still around....

How many years?

[Pinal1223]

..just over 8 yrs and going strong.

[Stillfly199]

Originally Posted by Pinal1223

..just over 8 yrs and going strong.

Good for you, thanks for keepin the streets clean

[Pinal1223]

Well from the looks of it, you're in public safety yourself. Fire Fighter?

[AzogSS]

<- State Trooper

[Cossi]

LEO here going on 4 years. Greatest job in the world, hands down. Yeah, you get in in fights, everyone hates you, and there is a ton of paperwork. But when you get to do the service part, and it changes someones life and they look at you with tears in their eyes, and say thank you. That makes everything worth it. Drunks are hard work, but can be DAMN entertaining. I do have to agree with the cynical part. Everyone that says hi, and nods at you is guilty for something, at least it will seem that way. You get to drive a cool car, drive fast with lights and sirens, etc etc, and are responsible for every person you pass.

A couple other things, that are very opinion based. When you are doing the job if you aren't a little scared at times, or have some level of fear it is time to get out. I believe that to an extent fear is what keeps us alert and keeps us alive. Also, I tell/ask all the rookies this; in life some people get an opportunity to make a decision; you can either be someone, or do something. It is your choice which, but you will never be anyone in this line of work, but you can damn sure do something. Make sure you are doing it for the right reasons.

JMHO. There are alot of guys on here that have been doing this ALOT longer than I have. I wish you luck, and nothing but the best with it. Stay alert, stay alive.

[shook0002]

<---Almost 8 years in murder central. Its a great job, even though we have just about zero public support here, and lead the nation in line of duty deaths.

[DIVER_5]

Started in Hawaii 3 1/2 yrs then Miami, 3 1/2 yrs now St. Pete Fl last yr and counting...

[tigerfan00]

im glad to know im not the only LEO around here...i knew there were a few but didnt realize there were that many of us

ive been LEO for 2.5 years now...i spent 2 with my department assigned to a building within my jurisdiction...then finally was promoted in june to be a road officer...spent an extra 9 weeks at the academy and graduated #1 in my class

i absolutely LOVE my job...its stressful...tiring...long days...and sometimes scary as hell...

but likes others have said...the feeling you get when you help someone that REALLY needs it...or save someones life...is incredible

i know that when i go home in the morning...i actually feel as if i did something worthwhile the night before...cant beat that feeling

[Stillfly199]

Originally Posted by Pinal1223

Well from the looks of it, you're in public safety yourself. Fire Fighter?

Yes sir, 4 years as a firefighter

Originally Posted by AzogSS

<- State Trooper

Nice, how do you like the trooper side of it?

Originally Posted by Cossi

LEO here going on 4 years. Greatest job in the world, hands down. Yeah, you get in in fights, everyone hates you, and there is a ton of paperwork. But when you get to do the service part, and it changes someones life and they look at you with tears in their eyes, and say thank you. That makes everything worth it. Drunks are hard work, but can be DAMN entertaining. I do have to agree with the cynical part. Everyone that says hi, and nods at you is guilty for something, at least it will seem that way. You get to drive a cool car, drive fast with lights and sirens, etc etc, and are responsible for every person you pass.

A couple other things, that are very opinion based. When you are doing the job if you aren't a little scared at times, or have some level of fear it is time to get out. I believe that to an extent fear is what keeps us alert and keeps us alive. Also, I tell/ask all the rookies this; in life some people get an opportunity to make a decision; you can either be someone, or do something. It is your choice which, but you will never be anyone in this line of work, but you can damn sure do something. Make sure you are doing it for the right reasons.

JMHO. There are alot of guys on here that have been doing this ALOT longer than I have. I wish you luck, and nothing but the best with it. Stay alert, stay alive.

Thanks. I understand completely what your saying about doing something. I have always wanted to do something in the emergency services world. What you said I think hits it right on the nose. You wont get a whole lot of support all the time, but as long as your doing somehting is all that matters. Thanks for the input, I will remember all that.

Originally Posted by shook0002

<---Almost 8 years in murder central. Its a great job, even though we have just about zero public support here, and lead the nation in line of duty deaths.

Wow, that is insane, glad you have managed to stay safe. I will hopefully be in the L.A. area when all is said and done.

Originally Posted by DIVER_5

Started in Hawaii 3 1/2 yrs then Miami, 3 1/2 yrs now St. Pete Fl last yr and counting...

That is quite the move to go from Hawaii to Fl.

Originally Posted by tigerfan00

im glad to know im not the only LEO around here...i knew there were a few but didnt realize there were that many of us

ive been LEO for 2.5 years now...i spent 2 with my department assigned to a building within my jurisdiction...then finally was promoted in june to be a road officer...spent an extra 9 weeks at the academy and graduated #1 in my class

i absolutely LOVE my job...its stressful...tiring...long days...and sometimes scary as hell...

but likes others have said...the feeling you get when you help someone that REALLY needs it...or save someones life...is incredible

i know that when i go home in the morning...i actually feel as if i did something worthwhile the night before...cant beat that feeling

So did your dept. put on the academy or did you have to go to one at a college? (Police academy's around where I live are all at colleges) I understand what you mean about feeling like you've done something. I have been a volunteer firefighter for 4 years and a paid for 3 years and when people ask why I volunteer it is simply to help, and of course get more experience. Overdue but congrats on the promotion.

[Robocop]

I miss the old academy days and had to do 23 weeks of 8-5pm training. After graduation I entered the streets with a 16 week field training officer program. We do 8 weeks on one shift and then the last 8 weeks on a different shift. If you pass then you can ride solo however are usually paired up with other officers until you get your years probation period completed.

Now it feels like I am one of the old-timers and many of us will go visit the new recruit classes. It is funny to watch the new guys as they seem so "green" however it is just as funny to imagine myself as once being just the same.

Cossi you mentioned the fear factor and you are very correct. I have seen many good officers who have been hurt simply because they believed they were invincible. You can be a well rounded, and brave officer, yet still be afraid at times. When I first started I thought I was impressing my co-workers by running full speed ahead into any situation. Many times I checked that open door without back-up feeling I was tough enough to handle myself. I was simply very lucky and over time learned from others mistakes. Take a step back and call for back-up and you can still be brave however you stand a much better chance of going home each night.

I also told myself that if I ever lose my fear I too will retire as I will be a danger to myself as well as my co-workers.

[tigerfan00]

Originally Posted by Stillfly199

So did your dept. put on the academy or did you have to go to one at a college? (Police academy's around where I live are all at colleges) I understand what you mean about feeling like you've done something. I have been a volunteer firefighter for 4 years and a paid for 3 years and when people ask why I volunteer it is simply to help, and of course get more experience. Overdue but congrats on the promotion.

in sc...the CJA is a standalone deal...each dept in the state sends their officers there

its 12 weeks long and then my dept's FTO program is 252 hrs with the squad you'll be assigned to along with 2 days in every other region and a day with every special operations team (traffic, k9, narcotics etc) and once you test out you are solo...but we have a shortage of patrol cars so many newly solo officers continue to ride with another officer until theres a car for them

being that i graduated #1 i have a brand new car waiting on me

[Stillfly199]

Originally Posted by Robocop

I miss the old academy days and had to do 23 weeks of 8-5pm training. After graduation I entered the streets with a 16 week field training officer program. We do 8 weeks on one shift and then the last 8 weeks on a different shift. If you pass then you can ride solo however are usually paired up with other officers until you get your years probation period completed.

Now it feels like I am one of the old-timers and many of us will go visit the new recruit classes. It is funny to watch the new guys as they seem so "green" however it is just as funny to imagine myself as once being just the same.

Cossi you mentioned the fear factor and you are very correct. I have seen many good officers who have been hurt simply because they believed they were invincible. You can be a well rounded, and brave officer, yet still be afraid at times. When I first started I thought I was impressing my co-workers by running full speed ahead into any situation. Many times I checked that open door without back-up feeling I was tough enough to handle myself. I was simply very lucky and over time learned from others mistakes. Take a step back and call for back-up and you can still be brave however you stand a much better chance of going home each night.

I also told myself that if I ever lose my fear I too will retire as I will be a danger to myself as well as my co-workers.

I think your academy is longer than a lot of the ones around here. I know that some of them are 4 months long. The particular one I will be attending with be 27 weeks , with liberty on Wednesday night if you dont screw up and weekends off if you dont have any studying to do. But I am not looking at it as something bad, I am going into it with a good mondset in my opinion. I am excited to go throuh a lot of the stuff. The only thing that scares me is the classroom stuff. I have a tendency to yawn a lot in class and I know they will eat me alive.

Glad you never got hurt doing that stuff. I know this is going to be a dangerous line of work and think about safety first when I think about it. I know it will probably change and i'll get a little cocky when I first get out there, but I hope it doesnt affect me that bad .

Originally Posted by tigerfan00

in sc...the CJA is a standalone deal...each dept in the state sends their officers there

its 12 weeks long and then my dept's FTO program is 252 hrs with the squad you'll be assigned to along with 2 days in every other region and a day with every special operations team (traffic, k9, narcotics etc) and once you test out you are solo...but we have a shortage of patrol cars so many newly solo officers continue to ride with another officer until theres a car for them

being that i graduated #1 i have a brand new car waiting on me

Wow that sounds like you get passed around . I think that is good for you though, gives you an idea of the whole situation instead of just being a traffic officer.

In southern California where I want to start out, if you work the night shift you are paired up from the start of your shift. I think you go through a 4 or 5 phase Field Training Officer (FTO) program with each phase 10 days or something like that.

[chris4x4]

Originally Posted by tigerfan00

being that i graduated #1 i have a brand new car waiting on me

Put me down for $20.00 that you crash it in a month....

[Slotback]

Originally Posted by Stillfly199

So how does everyone like being in law enforcement? How do/did your kids/family like it?

It's interesting/it's boring/it's fascinating/it's full of b.s...basically it's got everything.

[doakes]

It's a great job, it has its good and bad.

I am a cop. That means that the pains and joys of my personal life are
often muted by my work. I resent the intrusion but I confuse myself with
my job almost as often as you do. The label "police officer" creates a
false image of who I really am. Sometimes I feel like I'm floating
between two worlds.

My work is not just protecting and serving. It's preserving that buffer
that exists in the space between what you think the world is, and what
the world really is.

My job isn't like television. The action is less frequent, and more
graphic.

It is not exhilarating to point a gun at someone. Pooled blood has a
disgusting metallic smell and steams a little when the temperature
drops. CPR isn't an instant miracle and it's no fun listening to an
elderly grandmother's ribs break while I keep her heart beating.

I'm not flattered by your curiosity about my work. I don't keep a record
of which incident was the most frightening, or the strangest, or the
bloodiest, or even the funniest. I don't tell you about my day because I
don't want to share the images that haunt me.

But I do have some confessions to make:

Sometimes my stereo is too loud. Andrea Boccelli's voice makes it easier
to forget the wasted body of the young man who died alone in a rented
room because his family feared the stigma of AIDS. Beethoven's 9th
symphony erases the sight of the nurses who sobbed as they scrubbed
layers of dirt and slime from a neglected 2-year-old's skin.

The Rolling Stones' angry beat assures me that it was ignorance that
drove a young mother to draw blood when she bit her toddler on the cheek
in an attempt to teach him not to bite.

Sometimes I set a bad example. I exceeded the speed limit on my way home
from work because I had trouble shedding the adrenalin that kicked in
when I discovered that the man I handcuffed during a drug raid was
sitting on a loaded 9mm pistol.

Sometimes I seem rude. I was distracted and forgot to smile when you
greeted me in the store because I was remembering the anguished,
whispered confession of a teenager who pushed away his drowning brother
to save his own life.

Sometimes I'm not as sympathetic as you'd like. I'm not concerned that
your 15-year-old daughter is dating an 18-year-old because I just
comforted the parents of a young man who slashed his own throat while
they slept in the next bedroom.

I was terse on the phone because I resented the burden of having to
weigh the value of two lives when I was pointing my gun at an armed man
who kept begging me to kill him.

I laugh when you cringe away from the mess in your teen's room because I
know the revulsion of feeling a heroin addict's blood trickling toward
an open cut on my arm.

If I was silent when you whined about your overbearing mother it's
because I really wanted to tell you that I spoke to one of our high
school friends today. I found her mother slumped behind the wheel of her
car in a tightly closed garage. She had dressed in her best outfit
before rolling down the windows and starting the engine.

On the other hand, if I seem totally oblivious to the blood on my
uniform, or the names people call me, or the hateful editorials, it's
because I am remembering the lessons my job has taught me.

I learned not to sweat the small stuff. Grape juice on the beige sofa
and puppy pee on the oriental carpet don't faze me because I know what
arterial bleeding and decaying bodies can do to one's decor.

I learned when to shut out the world and take a mental health day. I
skipped your daughter's 4th birthday party because I was thinking about
the six children under the age of 10 whose mother left them unattended
to go out with a friend. When the 3-year-old offered the dog the milk
from her cereal bowl, the dog attacked her, tearing open her head and
staining the sandbox with blood. The little girl's siblings had to pry
her head out of the dog's jaws - twice.

I learned that everyone has a lesson to teach me. Two mothers engaged in
custody battles taught me not to judge a book by its cover. The teenage
mother on welfare mustered the strength to refrain from crying in front
of her worried child while the well-dressed, upper-class mother
literally played tug of war with her toddler before running into traffic
with the shrieking child in her arms.

I learned that nothing given from the heart is truly gone. A hug, a
smile, a reassuring word, or an attentive ear can bring an injured or
distraught person back to the surface, and help me refocus.

And I learned not to give up EVER! That split second of terror when I
think I have finally engaged the one who is young enough and strong
enough to take me down taught me that I have only one restriction: my
own mortality.

One week in May has been set aside as Police Memorial Week, a time to
remember those officers who didn't make it home after their shift. But
why wait? Take a moment to tell an officer that you appreciate their
work. Smile and say "Hi" when he's getting coffee. Bite your tongue when
you start to tell a "bad cop" story. Better yet, find the time to tell a
"good cop" story. The family at the next table may be a cop's family.

Nothing given from the heart is truly gone. It is kept in the hearts of
the recipients. Give from the heart. Give something back to the officers
who risk everything they have.