Becoming a LEO

[nightmare69]

The bigger departments here say you must complete the civil service test first then you are placed according to how you do. I have never been good at taking tests and with 75+ people showing up my chances of being near the top are slim.

https://www.tylerpolice.com/RECRUITING/ ... dures.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also the big dept seem to want 60hrs college and no felonys, ever. Way it looks I will be putting myself through the academy and praying I can find a job after or just give up the dream all together.

[srothstein]

I agree with the recommendations to find the job first. I got hired on in the DFW area, and they not only paid for the academy, they paid my salary while I was there.

If you want a good list of departments that are hiring, check out the TML web site:

http://tml.associationcareernetwork.com ... ?cabbr=TML

Thanks for the link, only jobs I saw are for towns I have never heard of. I will continue to try to get on with a dept first but I really don't want to move to a big city, that is just not me. Im going to stay around east Texas.

A lot of those towns you never heard of are so small that they don't get in the news a lot. They may be very close to you. Don't forget to check local colleges and school districts also.

And I wanted to just add one point about big cities. I was looking for a small town position after i got out of the Army. After all, a military base is much more like a small town than a big city so I figured I would feel at home there. Eventually, I applied for San Antonio so they would pay for the academy. I figured I would complete probation there and then look for another position somewhere smaller. And I did just that - 11 years later. I really enjoyed the work there and the city was nice to be in.

I also like the advice to go find a position as a jailer and after some time there work your way into patrol. You could get hired and paid right away and the department will pay for the academy later, including your salary while being trained. I also agree that spending some time as a jailer will greatly improve your quality of work as a police officer. You will learn a LOT about dealing with people working in a jail. (Yes, I hated being a guard when the Army made me one. And I can't stand working in a jail now. But I do look back and realize how much I learned when it is one or two guards surrounded by 250 convicts. Force and commands are usually not the best way to get out of a hairy situation in cases like that. Polite talk and some respect for the person goes much further than you think.)

[nightmare69]

Problem is one of the reasons that I'm making a career change to make more money. I would have to take a huge pay cut to be a jailer. I cannot afford to go that route. If I cannot get a job as an officer out of the academy then I will stay were I'm at or look at working for another hvac company. I really have zero intention of becoming a jailer.

[texanjoker]

As a deputy we started in one of our 7 jails. I believe all leos should do some jail time. Working a booking jail is the ultimate learning ground. You learn the cons, see the crooks, learn how to handle violent people, ect. When you get in the real world the experiance gained is priceless. We also recieved more respect as the crooks knew we ran the jails:-)

TexanJoker, thank you for that..

brief leo put down... too many of the rookies that don't have a background in jail or communications, tend to think themselves above jail or dispaatch. Which in turn creates a lot of friction between t he 3...

Very true. I was a dispatcher before being a deputy soI have worked all sides. When i first got to TX I again briefly dispatched until i got back into investigations. I have recommended to many to start in dispatch while getting hired. They all learned from it.

[nightmare69]

I hope I can find a department to sponsor me and put me through the academy and pay me while I go for 4 months. I would be guaranteed a job afterward. Ive been reading horror stories where people have put themselves through the academy and cannot find a job afterward. I don't want to be one of those people. Your certification is only good for 2yrs and it expires if you don't find a job within that time. Im going to call a few more departments next week and put some more feelers out.

I don't want to have to quit my job and move in with my parents and have zero money just to go to the academy with no guarantee of finding a job after I graduate.

[gigag04]

If you're not a good "test-taker" than maybe oil & gas industry would be a better fit for higher pay.

Good luck in whatever you choose.

[nightmare69]

If you're not a good "test-taker" than maybe oil & gas industry would be a better fit for higher pay.

Good luck in whatever you choose.

Its just the bigger departments that do the civil service tests. None of the smaller departments do any written tests and that is who I like to go to work for after I graduate to get my experience.

[Keith B]

If you're not a good "test-taker" than maybe oil & gas industry would be a better fit for higher pay.

Good luck in whatever you choose.

Its just the bigger departments that do the civil service tests. None of the smaller departments do any written tests and that is who I like to go to work for after I graduate to get my experience.

You may find the smaller departments also don't pay very well and unless you are willing to take a cut to just get into Law Enforcement you may find that you may be wearing a set of golden handcuffs. This means if it is the money that is driving you, you may make too much money at your current job to move to something else. That exact reason is why I never went full time and stayed a Reserve LEO as my regular job at 5 years of service paid more base annual salary than the Chief made in our small town of 15,000 population.

[nightmare69]

I don't make much working for the school. Every small PD I've looked at would be a nice raise in pay. I'm not doing this only for the money in fact that is toward to bottom of the list of reasons. I want to help people and make a difference. Do a job that protects citizens and have a job that most people respect. I just feel like I'm near a dead end at my current job.

To go to the academy I'm probably going to have to move in with my dad and drive 35 miles 1 way to school. I live about 15 miles from the academy now.

[Excaliber]

I hope I can find a department to sponsor me and put me through the academy and pay me while I go for 4 months. I would be guaranteed a job afterward. Ive been reading horror stories where people have put themselves through the academy and cannot find a job afterward. I don't want to be one of those people. Your certification is only good for 2yrs and it expires if you don't find a job within that time. Im going to call a few more departments next week and put some more feelers out.

I don't want to have to quit my job and move in with my parents and have zero money just to go to the academy with no guarantee of finding a job after I graduate.

You sound like a thoughtful young man who is struggling with career choices when you have so many options available. Here are a couple of thoughts that may help:

Life is full of things that are not guaranteed, but a few things are.

One of them is that if you never follow your dream, it's a certainty that you'll never live it.

That's not to say that it's smart to rush headlong into the first plan that comes to mind, but if you really want something enough you'll find a way to achieve it.

Here's one more thing that's guaranteed:

If you never try to achieve your dream, you'll regret it deeply as you grow older and your options diminish.

Think carefully about this. Is 4 months of discomfort too much to invest in getting the admission ticket to the career you're dreaming about?

I wish you the best in whatever you decide to do.

[nightmare69]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I know that the biggest rewards come with the biggest risks. Yes I am struggling with the choice but its looking like I'm going to go for it. School would start late January or early February.

[Keith B]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I know that the biggest rewards come with the biggest risks. Yes I am struggling with the choice but its looking like I'm going to go for it. School would start late January or early February.

Sound advice from Excaliber. If you are not happy and feel you need to do something else, then as he said you will never know unless you try. And, you have an advantage in already having a skill that is in demand and should you decide law enforcement is not for you or not working out you can fall back on the HVAC training.

[nightmare69]

I got a sponsor today. Local county sheriff dept about a hour away is going to sponsor me cause they know my family well. They normally dont do sponsor ships but they will for me, Im going to meet with the sheriff on labor day and hopefully turn this into a intent to hire. Be a great feeling knowing I have a job waiting on me once I get out of the academy around May. Any other advise yall have I'd love to hear it.

[gigag04]

http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Read Penal Code, CCP, Traffic Code first, then go into Ch 481 of HSC and Ch 106 of ABC. Repeat.

Start exercising regularly if not already.


Start putting together a chronological list of the following:
Everywhere you have lived (full address, move in, move out dates)
Everywhere you went to school (HS and College) - get certified copies of transcripts
Everywhere you have worked (all contact info, dates)
Every illegal thing you've ever done, whether or not you were caught.


Start applying to every agency within a xx mile (you decide) radius of where you live, once you start the academy. Throw a wide net.