Need Serious Life Changing Advice.

[Flatland2D]

Ask any senior in high school why we have the 2nd amendment, and you'll understand.

According to my high school government teacher, the 2nd amendment is "the most widely misinterpreted amendment." I happened to be wearing an NRA shirt that day. Not cool.

Anyway, back to the original post. I'm just a year older than you and been struggling with college for five years. I will have a bachelors in EE in a few weeks. I was dismissed from one university during this time and now go to its sister school, but my grades have gone upwards since (though I'm still not graduating with a good GPA). I made honor role last semester for the first time ever.

My advice would be to rethink college and see if there's anything you want to do with an education. One thing to realize is that once most people leave school, they are gone for good. You'll have a full time job, start a family, and otherwise not be able to committ to an education unless absolutely necessary. This is the time in your life for college. It isn't for everyone, but you're probably going to have to force it to work later on in life, when you have greater responsibilities. Just make sure you're 100% certain it's not for you before withdrawing. You may want to think about criminal justice since you like LE. Might make the studying more interesting for you. I also think you'll get a little more respect with a college degree, even if it doesn't have anything to do with the job you're applying for. It says something about you.

Becoming a police officer was my "plan B", too. If I didn't get into a serious relationship very early in college and then married, I would probably have faced the same decision you are right now. My wife won't allow me to do it because it's dangerous, but it also would be hard to start a family with. Taking that into consideration (and I've always had a love for engineering), I decided I better tough it out and stay in college. I'm glad I did, and I'm proud of myself for it.

One thing about SWAT, although this isn't always the case, is that you'll also be competing with ex-SEALs and the like looking to "settle down". I imagine that kind of thing is pretty competitive.

Best of luck to you. Give it some time to sit in your head. If it hasn't been suggested already, go for a ride-along with a cop. I think most places will let you do that to see if it's for you.

[KBCraig]

Frankly, I am tired of non-LEOs who live in the child ego state and are offended and complain about ANY authority.

Non-LEOs who live in the child ego state, who are offended and complain about any authority, can be a pain. But in the end, they're just noise.

On the other hand, LEOs who live in the parent ego state, who truly believe they are ordained to keep the "children" in line, are far more dangerous. They have guns, handcuffs, and jails, and an unchecked certitude of righteousness.

I'd rather be crossways with an ineffectual whiner, thanks.

[txinvestigator]

Frankly, I am tired of non-LEOs who live in the child ego state and are offended and complain about ANY authority.

Non-LEOs who live in the child ego state, who are offended and complain about any authority, can be a pain. But in the end, they're just noise.

On the other hand, LEOs who live in the parent ego state, who truly believe they are ordained to keep the "children" in line, are far more dangerous. They have guns, handcuffs, and jails, and an unchecked certitude of righteousness.

I'd rather be crossways with an ineffectual whiner, thanks.

Unchecked? Hardly.

[govnor]

Frankly, I am tired of non-LEOs who live in the child ego state and are offended and complain about ANY authority.

Non-LEOs who live in the child ego state, who are offended and complain about any authority, can be a pain. But in the end, they're just noise.

On the other hand, LEOs who live in the parent ego state, who truly believe they are ordained to keep the "children" in line, are far more dangerous. They have guns, handcuffs, and jails, and an unchecked certitude of righteousness.

I'd rather be crossways with an ineffectual whiner, thanks.

I think we've all had experience with those kinds of officers...the ones with a chip on their shoulder. Now, I will say that getting pulled over by one is a pain. They are generally rude, and you WILL get a ticket no matter what.

On the flipside of that coin though...when your next door neighbors have a hip hop party every night, that's exactly the cop you want knocking on their door! Sometimes it takes someone like that to make an impression.

[srothstein]

Leaving aside the issue of whether or not you should become an LEO or something else, let me explain a little about police work to you.

There are many different levels of police work. There are very small towns, medium size cities, large cities, specialized agencies like the Park or Airport police, school district police, county sheriff's departments, state police (and that is a lot more than just DPS) and all of the federal stuff.

Each and every department sets their own rules on what is required to be a police officer and how far you can go, within certain minimums. Federal agencies do not need to meet the state required minimums, but most of them are higher requirements anyway. Almost all of the federal agencies require a bachelor's degree to get into.

The state of Texas says you need a clear criminal record (no class A or higher at all, no class B in the past 10 years), a physical exam to make sure you can do the job, a psychological exam, and either a high school diploma or a GED with 12 credit hours of college.

There are departments that require a bull to get on (mine is one if you are not already certified), ones that require varying amounts of college (anywhere from 15 to 90 credits), and some that require none. As a general rule, small towns have lower pay and lower hiring requirements as a general rule.

But, police work is not like military work or like what you see on TV, even with Cops and SWAT shows. It does require, as a job function, that you be able to deal with people and have some common sense and intelligence. There is a lot of writing in the job, so you better be able to write at least as well as a HS paper (good grammar and spelling).

There is some danger in police work, though I really do not believe it is a bad as most people think. They normally here about the rare cases where someone got hurt and never hear about the thousands of officer who worked their shift and the closest they came to danger was dying of boredom. Most officers go their whole career and never get into a shooting at all. More get hurt in fistfights, but it is still only a small percentage. OF course, if you do get in danger, it happens suddenly and is very dangerous.

If you are really interested in a police job, there are a few things you should consider. Check with your local department if they have a ride along program where you, as a normal citizen, can ride a shift with an officer. This will show you what a normal shift is like, especially if you do a weekday instead of a weekend. It will also get you to where you can talk to an officer about the choice. This is my first recommendation to help you decide if it is what you want.

If you do want a police job, there are two basic ways to go. You can apply to one of the major departments that has their own academy. That way you get academy training, and get paid for it.

Or you can go to a regional academy for your training. This means you pay for your own training and then look for a job after you get certified. There are always several police departments that are too small to pay for an academy for their cadets that will recruit in the regional academies for people like this.

But either way, if you decide to become a cop, you will need to be a very good student for the next six months or so. Academy training is not very easy usually, and counts for college credit in most cases. Many use real college professors to help teach the classes, if that gives you an idea what to expect in the academy.

[DSARGE]

If it's in your heart, GO FOR IT!! Take everyone's advice--as you asked for it, but don't pay attention to the naysayers. You don't want to be 90yr old and be saying to yourself--"what if?". Noone can truly answer the question but you. Whatever reason you have, if you feel it in your gut, you just have to make up your mind and do it--and you really have to want it as well as the lifestyle that comes along. Talk to some folks that do it/have done it. Ask them the pro's and cons.
Growing up, I always wanted to join the military and/or police. I was told by alot--including close family not to. I was not in "tip top shape" at the time, either. I went to college for a start in a career as a veternerian, but had the "fire" to do something more adventurous. I talked to some recruiters and figured out who had the best police program, and the rest is history. Something inside told me to "go for it", and I did and went full bore. I went in to Air Force Security Police (now Security Forces) and worked primarily in Air Base Defense or securing air bases in hostile environments. I have also had the opportunity to work investigations and law enforcement. I have went to several schools, including air assault, and sniper school. In 2001, I got into SRT (Special Reaction Team)--the military version of swat, and progressed on to marksman observer/designated sharpshooter, until I became a Military Training Instructor (AF Drill Instructor)in '04.
I am not trying to post a resume, but to let you know that if I can do it, anybody can. I have had one heck of a ride and enjoyed every single minute of it and am looking forward to the next 8 yrs until I retire and get a civillian job doing the same thing. I gave up alot--away from family, missing holidays and b-days, and "growing roots" somewhere. It has been tough on my wife, also--not to mention the odd and long hours and stress. The way I see it is someone has to do it, and I love it.
If this is what you want to do, research it and consider the pros and cons/ but don't let life pass you by if this is what you want in your heart. Good luck to you and PM me with any questions. Good luck!

[NguyenVanDon]

Leaving aside the issue of whether or not you should become an LEO or something else, let me explain a little about police work to you.

There are many different levels of police work. There are very small towns, medium size cities, large cities, specialized agencies like the Park or Airport police, school district police, county sheriff's departments, state police (and that is a lot more than just DPS) and all of the federal stuff.

Each and every department sets their own rules on what is required to be a police officer and how far you can go, within certain minimums. Federal agencies do not need to meet the state required minimums, but most of them are higher requirements anyway. Almost all of the federal agencies require a bachelor's degree to get into.

The state of Texas says you need a clear criminal record (no class A or higher at all, no class B in the past 10 years), a physical exam to make sure you can do the job, a psychological exam, and either a high school diploma or a GED with 12 credit hours of college.

There are departments that require a bull to get on (mine is one if you are not already certified), ones that require varying amounts of college (anywhere from 15 to 90 credits), and some that require none. As a general rule, small towns have lower pay and lower hiring requirements as a general rule.

But, police work is not like military work or like what you see on TV, even with Cops and SWAT shows. It does require, as a job function, that you be able to deal with people and have some common sense and intelligence. There is a lot of writing in the job, so you better be able to write at least as well as a HS paper (good grammar and spelling).

There is some danger in police work, though I really do not believe it is a bad as most people think. They normally here about the rare cases where someone got hurt and never hear about the thousands of officer who worked their shift and the closest they came to danger was dying of boredom. Most officers go their whole career and never get into a shooting at all. More get hurt in fistfights, but it is still only a small percentage. OF course, if you do get in danger, it happens suddenly and is very dangerous.

If you are really interested in a police job, there are a few things you should consider. Check with your local department if they have a ride along program where you, as a normal citizen, can ride a shift with an officer. This will show you what a normal shift is like, especially if you do a weekday instead of a weekend. It will also get you to where you can talk to an officer about the choice. This is my first recommendation to help you decide if it is what you want.

If you do want a police job, there are two basic ways to go. You can apply to one of the major departments that has their own academy. That way you get academy training, and get paid for it.

Or you can go to a regional academy for your training. This means you pay for your own training and then look for a job after you get certified. There are always several police departments that are too small to pay for an academy for their cadets that will recruit in the regional academies for people like this.

But either way, if you decide to become a cop, you will need to be a very good student for the next six months or so. Academy training is not very easy usually, and counts for college credit in most cases. Many use real college professors to help teach the classes, if that gives you an idea what to expect in the academy.

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to schedule a ride along somewhere around hopefully next week. I've never done it before, so this is going to be my first time.

[NguyenVanDon]

If it's in your heart, GO FOR IT!! Take everyone's advice--as you asked for it, but don't pay attention to the naysayers. You don't want to be 90yr old and be saying to yourself--"what if?". Noone can truly answer the question but you. Whatever reason you have, if you feel it in your gut, you just have to make up your mind and do it--and you really have to want it as well as the lifestyle that comes along. Talk to some folks that do it/have done it. Ask them the pro's and cons.
Growing up, I always wanted to join the military and/or police. I was told by alot--including close family not to. I was not in "tip top shape" at the time, either. I went to college for a start in a career as a veternerian, but had the "fire" to do something more adventurous. I talked to some recruiters and figured out who had the best police program, and the rest is history. Something inside told me to "go for it", and I did and went full bore. I went in to Air Force Security Police (now Security Forces) and worked primarily in Air Base Defense or securing air bases in hostile environments. I have also had the opportunity to work investigations and law enforcement. I have went to several schools, including air assault, and sniper school. In 2001, I got into SRT (Special Reaction Team)--the military version of swat, and progressed on to marksman observer/designated sharpshooter, until I became a Military Training Instructor (AF Drill Instructor)in '04.
I am not trying to post a resume, but to let you know that if I can do it, anybody can. I have had one heck of a ride and enjoyed every single minute of it and am looking forward to the next 8 yrs until I retire and get a civillian job doing the same thing. I gave up alot--away from family, missing holidays and b-days, and "growing roots" somewhere. It has been tough on my wife, also--not to mention the odd and long hours and stress. The way I see it is someone has to do it, and I love it.
If this is what you want to do, research it and consider the pros and cons/ but don't let life pass you by if this is what you want in your heart. Good luck to you and PM me with any questions. Good luck!

DSARGE, I don't know what to say. You are a really true inspirational. You toughed it out through the thick and thins. I, for one, cannot do what you have done. Being away from families, missing holidays, and missing family events will just make me depressed. I'm going to take your experience and try to use it as a motivational tool. It's great to hear that you have overcome such a great experience with your life. This is an awful hard decision for me. I'm going to have to talk it over with the parents again before jumping the gun.

[nitrogen]

What does it take to get into a police adacemy under your own dime, exactly?

[carlson1]

What does it take to get into a police adacemy under your own dime, exactly?

Srothstein will know. By the way he gave a Great Answer above. When I went to the Academy years ago you could not go on your own. You had to have a job first and in those days you could work 2 years before you went to the Academy. Times have changed.

[KBCraig]

What does it take to get into a police adacemy under your own dime, exactly?

Here's one place to check:

http://kcfac.kilgore.edu/etpa/

[srothstein]

What does it take to get into a police adacemy under your own dime, exactly?

You need to check where your local regional academy is. Each one will have a slightly different admission procedure. The basic rules for who can go are set in the TCLEOSE rules, viewable on line here:
http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/rea ... =215&rl=15

It is really pretty simple to qualify. Basically if you can get a CHL you are 90% of the way there. The criminal history part is no class A or higher, ever and no class B in the past ten years. You must be 21. There is a requirement for a high school diploma, or if you have a GED then you also need 12 college credit hours.

Most of the regional academies will take care of the background check for you when you apply, though some will require you to go to a local PD for it. Then you enroll in the class, just like almost any college or vocational class. Pay the tuition and buy the required supplies, and go to school.

Tuition is generally around $1200 right now for the full course. If you go full time, you can expect to spend about 4 months in school. There is a requirement from TCLEOSE for what is taught and the minimum number of hours is around 680 right now. A lot of the academies still offer it as a part time three phase program. In this case, you either go in the evenings or on weekends and spend about a year in training.

Some of the schools will require you to buy a uniform for attending. This is not too bad since the uniform is usually Dickies style work pants and shirt or a polo shirt with the school name. Some do not require uniforms at all but that is getting rarer. Some will require you to purchase weapons and leather gear, some will have that to loan. The difference is that some recognize that different departments require different styles of leather gear or different weapons and some even issue both. Some schools require you to buy it and specify whatever is predominant in their area, figuring you will need it as a cop anyway.

If you complete the academy, you will get a certificate to go take the TCLEOSE licensing exam. If you pass that, you are eligible to be hired by someone and become a licensed peace officer. The trick many people forget is that you are not a cop or licensed just because you passed the test. Your actual license is not issued until the first department commissions you.

If you want to go to the academy part time, you can very easily find a local department that will pick up your commission as a reserve. In most cases, you will have to work between 16 and 32 hours per month for free for that department, but you then are a peace officer with full peace officer authority.

As I posted earlier, if you want to work as a paid cop, there are always departments that come to the schools recruiting. Most of the schools will have a bulletin board full of recruiting information for departments all over the state. I get those notices all the time at our academy too, but i generally throw them away. Our academy is proprietary just for our employees, so we don't want to lose them now that they are trained.

[stevie_d_64]

If Mr. Nguyen desires to pursue this, thats his perrogative, and I would not say anything to him to "not" pursue this career...

The "system" will evaluate his application, screen him, and put him into training after that part of the process...If he makes the cut, he's on his way, and we'll have another good person come out of that academy after he completes that course...

Those of us who know, know you don't skate through that program...

So whatever questions we have now, will be answered if you get pulled over and the nametag says "Nguyen"...

One thing to note...Our police departments all around the country are going to be flush with an influx of combat veterans over the next ten or so years...I have a high degree of confidence that that is going to be a fact...Thats what people with no military, or other law enforcement experience are going to have to account for...And more importantly, compete with for for the jobs out there...

Sure, you can apply, go through the training, complete the program, but you can be assured of nothing after that...

I wish you good luck...

[BrassMonkey]

The Dallas cop who got tased was doing a pretty good at it it seems.

but it also would be hard to start a family with.

[austin]

Van Don,

The Marines are not for everyone and based upon what you have said, they would not have been for you. The US has four military branches - Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force, and and auxiliary branch - the Coast Guard.

You should go down and talk to an Air Force or Navy recruiter. Take the tests they offer. They will not only tell you if you would qualify but they will tell you what you have aptitude for. At least you will get the information you need to make a fully informed decision.

I would also go to a career guidance counselor at your school and get a few aptitude tests behind you. These things are great for giving you insight into yourself.

They should also offer classes on "how to study" which are VERY VERY good.

The Air Force ( and Navy ) has its own military police and they perform a much greater variety of functions than the Army MPs, which are currently being used as Mech Infantry as well as traditional MPs these days. The Air Force is usually a much more relaxed branch, but can have MUCH longer hours during certain periods. When I went in ( Army) I heard you could get a guaranteed slot at a base of or area of your choice in some of the USAF slots.