advice from any LEO's please

Good luck, I think you will do well with which ever course you choose. Sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders, you don't find that very often with teenagers anymore.

 

thanks, i really appreciate that.

 

I would advise going with a full service Sheriff's Department, that way you get a taste of it all. This way you can see first hand how all the different divsions work. Some like pulling people over, some like serving warrants, some like doing undercover and so on. Regular city and county agencies just work traffic and domestic calls normally with a few exceptions and are limited by jurisdiction, where as most Sheriff agencies have state wide jurisdiction like mine and the GA State Patrol.

Good luck with your quest.

 

so what's the difference in my county sheriff department and s full service one? i'm still trying to figure everything out, but this is the first i've heard of this. i'm in polk county, are there any near me?

 

FWIW, make sure that your record is clean. Working as an intern, i see applicants applications get turned away because of a simple misdemeanor of underage possession of alcohol. one little scratch on your record makes the other applicant look that much better

 

Oh no, I have none of that. No offenses, felonies, misdemeanors, violations, anything. I have had two traffic citations and that's all.

 

Also, while you are in school, network with your professors. Mainly the ones that are LEO's or retired ones. they often have the most connections are are more willing to help you than the other professors that know the law by book only

 

Yeah, I am going to talk to the professor that is over the Criminal Justice department soon. He has been an officer at several levels, over one of the academies here in GA, and currently teaches and is on several boards. I am sure that he can help me out.

 

Im not sure what he's talking about either. I work for a PD and we have divisions for K9, tact, narcotics, detectives, interdiction, patrol, traffic and sro's. So do the other PD's in my county, as well as the SO. I've never heard of a full service sheriffs dept. Maybe its a georgia thing.

 

yeah, we have all of those divisions too. but i'm in GA too and have never heard of anything like that.

 

Same here... I work for a PD and we do the same and more than our Sheriff office. We do domestics, 911 calls, traffic stops, crashes, ect.

 

I know I'm a bit late posting here but good luck getting into LE. Most importantly right now, your degree! Get that degree. Depending on where you work they are going to want life experience. There is no rush.

(Just in case you wanted to switch degrees)...I never recommend CJ degrees. It never looks good when a 30 year old man is applying for a non-LE job carrying a CJ degree. The question ultimately comes up about why they are not currently working in LE, fully aware that the applicant applied several times. I know officers who have forestry degrees just in case LE didn't work out. I also know officers who have CJ degrees and think they are worthless. The academy you attend, FTO, and years on the road will teach you all you need to know.

This is likely a repeat of the several posts you've already read but good luck. I was once in your shoes. It's a long process but well worth it...and by the way, don't knock the local PD's. That's where it's at!!!

 

The best thing to do is get in front of the recruiter that takes care of the GPD. There are "Fast route" programs that some departments do have. This means you would be slammed with homework and Detail work. Start putting applications in at your local Security companies. Helps get your feet in the door. Most time you will devolep good relations with PD. ANd every little bit will help you. Good luck.