I received my job offer this morning and I’m absolutely thrilled with this. I’ve accepted the position and I’m looking forward to this opportunity. Thank you to everyone who gave any feedback or advice on my hiring process!

Im want to try and get better benefits for our FTOs. We used to have better than we do now but this new leadership made it to only $100 a month and 2 hours of leave a week for the time you have a trainee. I do not think this is sufficient for what FTOs are required to do. So... if you have a department of 200 to 300 sworn officers, what do your FTOs get?

I’ve heard from a LEO who transferred agencies because he felt like he never really fit in. He said his FTO and one of his supervisors treated him pretty poorly, and he also mentioned that there were a lot of cliques within the department. It got me wondering how common that actually is. From my perspective, I would not to take it personal and focus on doing the job. Every workplace has personalities that don’t mesh, so I feel like I’d just put my feelings aside and keep moving. At the same time, I know law enforcement is different from a typical job because you’re relying on the people around you in high
stress and sometimes dangerous situations.

is it possible to succeed even if you don’t really “fit in” socially? Also, are cliques really a thing, or does it just depend on the agency?

Hi :) I’m 24, and my boyfriend (25) and I have been together for almost three years. He’s currently studying for the New Jersey police exam and hopes to enter the police academy soon. I’m incredibly proud of him, and I know becoming a police officer has been a long-term goal and passion of his.

That said, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t anxious about how this career might affect our relationship.
It’s hard to talk to him about it because I think he sometimes hears it as me being unsupportive or negative, when really I’m just sharing my fears. I’m someone who tends to research everything, and I’ve read a lot about how the academy and law enforcement can change people—the stress, the long hours, the emotional toll, and how it can sometimes affect relationships and personalities.
On the other hand, he’s a very positive person. He tells me he’ll still be the same person, just more disciplined, and that he’ll be able to separate work from home. I truly want to believe that, but after reading so many stories online, I can’t help but worry. It’s honestly gotten to the point where it keeps me up at night.

For those of you in law enforcement—or those in relationships with officers—what has your experience been? Did the academy or the job change you or your relationship? If so, how did you make it work? I’d really appreciate any honest advice or reassurance.

Answers from anywhere welcome, but especially SC.

I know workplace dating happens everywhere, but I'm curious if law enforcement culture treats it differently because of the nature of the job.

Any FBI or USMS TFOs who can comment on if they received or were offered any significant tactical
training?

USMS obviously does fugitive ops, but I wasn’t sure if the TFOs actually got good training and were encouraged to seek current training or if it was all OJT.

Similarly with the FBI, I know they send some TFOs to their UC school. Wasn’t sure if they had other schools they opened up to TFOs focused on tactical operations.

I have an opportunity with both, and I’m trying to weigh one over the other. I know I’ll do more ops with USMS v the FBI, and I have a lot of respect for DUSMs. But some of the TFOs are less impressive. I just wanna go whichever direction where they’ll invest in me.

is that even a thing lol. i watch a lot of midwest safety, needless to say this never happens there but i’m now curious about the instances where it does!

I used to work in insurance claims and we had a "bizarro file" for all the claims that were really weird, nonsensical, or couldn't be categorized.

Do law enforcement departments have around-the-office or over-the-radio names for calls/cases/files that are too "weird" to fall under normal definitions?

Hey guys, my GF just got on with the local police. She needs a good set of boots to get her through academy, does anyone have a good set to look at? Thanks!

Hi!

I made it to the second round of interviews for the records department, and it says it's going to be a 2-part process, a 30-minute interview followed by a practical computer skills test.

Does anyone have any advice for what they may ask, or what to know for the practical computer skills test? Should I brush up on basic excel?
(Probably, nonetheless.)

Thanks!

I hear all the fake scary stories of psychotic people calling 911 claiming they need help let’s say in the middle of the woods or off some sketch country road for example. Their intentions are to lure the cop on purpose by calling 911. Has this or something similar ever happened while you were on duty? Are there always more than one officers sent when super sketchy calls are received, if any? Can’t help but think of this every once in awhile

I am in the process of immigrating to the US with my wife and we plan to settle in southside Chicago.

I am thinking ahead of a field I would like to work in and I have been coming back to the idea of getting into law enforcement/ police work.

I am looking for some advice for those who may be in this field/ advice on a pathway into it for me.

I have spent my 20’s working for various business and corporations and have held management roles for the past 5 years. I feel as if I am not cut out for the business life and feel like I am gaining nothing from it. Business and corporations play you for a pawn and I would like to be part of a group/ team where the work I do is having a positive effect and that is why I am thinking of police work. I feel it is a field where the work I do is genuinely appreciated and has a positive result (if that makes sense.)

For context, I am 29 yrs, male, Irish. I keep physically fit and often run half marathons and enjoy training hard and pushing myself.

Any advice is welcome, thanks :)

I took my PAT with WCSO and passed. Wanted to have my PAT results to send to other departments, but I’m having trouble finding out how. Lots of dead ends. Any advice or guidance?

I’m a 5’0” 31 year old female that just graduated the academy and now I’m looking for a job. I have my application in at the busiest agency in my area.

I did amazing academically (got an award for it) and had the biggest gap between my standards for running and what I actually ran (got an award for it). Passed all the physical training, certifications, firearms etc etc

Let’s be completely realistic. That’s just the academy and that doesn’t actually mean I’m going to make it in this career.

I need someone to be completely honest with me: am I in over my head with this? I honestly think I’m being delusional.

I stopped going to the gym and I don’t run as much as I used to. I don’t know if I should apply to more agencies. I just don’t know what the future is going to look like if I take that chance. I could completely ruin things for myself.

I’m tiny, I’m a girl, my brain is sometimes stupid and I felt like I was playing pretend in the academy.

I think I just need someone to agree with me or give some perspective. The person I thought I was going to be is not the person I became.

I live in a town with a ton of roundabouts. Like more than five. As I was just out picking up my dinner I went through a couple and this question occurred to me… if you were sitting and watching traffic in an area with a roundabout and someone started going around and around it without exiting, how many times would be too many before you initiate a traffic stop? Two? Three? Ten? Let them have their fun? Just curious if it’s up to discretion or if there’s actually a law about it.

Any experiences working with them?

For clarity, I don’t mean SROs assigned to a school who are part of a larger department, nor do I mean college police officers. What I’m really wondering about is an agency that is entirely dedicated to a school district like the Gwinnett county school police. The schools are closed except for the odd on campus program, which tend to be rather small. So what do these officers who are entirely dedicated to a school system, who aren’t part of a larger agency actually do during the summer?

Hey I’m a 23 year old male from California and I’ve been thinking about becoming a police officer here in socal. Specifically county sheriff depts and border patrol.

My work history:

For almost the past 3 years I’ve been working 911 BLS/AlS as an EMT for my local ambulance company. I was originally planning on becoming a paramedic and then going Fire. But I had failed paramedic school twice and now I’m rethinking my career choices.

I feel like having been a first responder I am capable on having scene confidence, as well as good communication skills having to work with both Fire and PD.

Reason for wanting to be a cop.

Since I was a kid I always wanted to be a first responder which is a reason why I became an EMT. Like I said in my original post I failed two attempts at paramedic school, and witnessing how underpaid paramedics are for all the responsibilities they hold I became discouraged from continuing a degree in EMS. Which is why I’m now interested in the law enforcement side of things.

As bad as I know cops have it I still really like being a first responder and assisting people when they are at they are at their worst. I understand policing comes with witnessing disturbing scenes and dealing with the worst people on the streets, as well as being disrespected by the public, but at the end of the day your still a necessary asset to the public.

So should I do it?