Relative tried to get hired after graduating the POST or whatever it is called.

He never made it because in the personal interviews he was too polite, nice, and thought everybody deserved rights and that his job was to respect them.

Couldnt get hired to save his life

Government and just as much emphasis is placed on the "serve" part of "protect and serve".

I feel as if most cops want to play Rambo and have dreams of grandeur to be the "guy who saves the day" and act out their die hard or Dirty Harry fetish.

the bully who stole lunch money or the booger eater who's lunch money got stolen.

In it, the authors explain how a cultural shift took place within the CIA beginning under Reagan. The agency use to only recruit from upper echelon schools - Ivy League, Stanford, U of C, etc) believing that a well rounded education limited ideological views when and opened perspective.

Under Reagan, many of the old guard in the upper echelons were forced out and replaced with ideologues who viewed everyone who was not like us as enemies. Eventually, the lower ranks who still held a broader view of the world became fed up and left, or themselves pushed out.

I believe the same has happened to law enforcement throughout the country.

I couldn't go along with the way things are done.

I went through most of my youth certain that I would follow suit. My Jr. year in High school my Dad sat me down and told me I could pursue whatever career I wanted ... except being a cop.

(He was as serious in that conversation as he was when he sat me down at 10 yrs old to give me "the talk.&quot

also wanting the approval of my father. He was military, so I did ROTC, went into the Air Force as a fire fighter. When I got out it was the same thing, always needing to put on a uniform in order to feel like I was doing right. I think years of that broke me down. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I was fortunate in that I always had that ... it was more about career path ... in the late 70s, being a cop was one of the few avenues to the "middle class" for Black folks.

But I will share that my Dad did not trust more than a few cops ... very few of whom were white.

Did they die on the job?

Both died of (semi) old age.

but he served in the U.S. Army in WW II and Vietnam era. He skipped Korea. I was about the age as you when he strongly suggested that I never voluntarily join the Army- like he wouldn't speak to me again. I don't think he would've done that, but I didn't want to test it either.

I come from a long line of police officers in our family, all men. I never knew a woman officer when I was growing up, so I never considered the possibility. I think detective work would be fascinating, but not sure I could cut it as a patrol officer.

I was told by fellow corrections officers that I would never be hired, and if so I would never pass the academy. It was the culture in the corrections department, which was the jail for the city and is run by sworn officers just like the police that you had to be strong, assertive and imposing to get hired. I passed all the requirements, which is very in depth, physical fitness, psych tests, polygraph, interview by the chief and got hired on the first try. I think that's all I wanted to do, was prove them wrong. These were the types you did not want to have as police officers so they settled for the thing that was closest that they could get and that was the jail. In the academy it became evident that some of those types made it through and I knew I would routinely be at odds with them when working the same beat. I knew they would talk about me, not being aggressive, wanting to talk to long, and take to long to try and resolve problems without having to use force. The detectives were more like me, and had I stayed on I too would have wanted to become one.

and that seems to be a large part of who I'd be working with.

(I know - not all. I actually have two friends who are police officers.)

I played basketball with some of the cops and they talked me into applying. It was OK as a way to offset some of my expenses but I would never consider it as a full time job.

My son was on the force for about five years but he was too laid back and too independent to go very far there. He's a big guy, 6'5" and 250 lbs but it wasn't in him to be a dick and when he figured out that was what they wanted he bailed.

Or anyplace else with an out-of-control gun culture and millions of paranoid, unstable, aggressive gun owners.

Glad you made it out.

Often we don't consider our police may be a reflection of the very culture they are supposed to protect us from. I know it's not that simple, but if you look at other some countries by contrast I think you see a vastly different relationship between police and citizens.

The more firepower in the hands of the general population, the more firepower the police are going to demand and get in order to deal with the worst case scenario. And so it escalates and the streets become more dangerous for everybody including the cops.

Oh well, as long as Wayne LaPierre and the gun manufacturers are getting rich...

We need a domestic "salt 2 treaty"...... so to speak.

I was a correctional officer for a year, but found I was too empathetic for even that. Busting people is not my cup of tea.

That said, being a detective might be kind of fun.

being a patrol officer, at least not with any local police department.

A good patrol officer - not the "shoot first and ask questions afterward" kind we have too many of today - really has to be more of a social worker than anything because they handle a LOT of domestic calls where that skill set is necessary. I know I can't do that kind of work; it is not in my constitution.

I'd be like 'Hey, no need for an arrest. Please don't do that again.'

Use brains and reason instead of billy clubs and bullets.

Cops under capitalism have a specific function which is to protect "private property" and support the status quo by any means necessary. Their function is basically oppression and even if you go into the job with the best of motives, i.e., to help and protect people, these motives quickly become subsumed to the primary function of the job.

I couldn't do it.

I saw this happen, and I really was concerned about it happening to me. I recall in the academy that the more macho recruits along with the instructor would joke about having to crack some heads and you could tell some of them couldn't wait for the chance to prove themselves on the street. I wanted nothing of that. When I was a corrections officer I was sometimes the only officer on a floor with upward of 100 inmates. I didn't get them to cooperate because I threatened force, I learned very well how to appeal to peoples reason, treat them like you would want to be treated and to continually not judge them. Even in the jail, officers like me were rare and it wouldn't take long for a John Wayne officer to come on floor and get everyone riled up. This happened a lot when relieved for breaks and lunch and the in-house or roving officer was a dick.

I could probably shoot someone if my life was in immediate danger, but I don't think I'm equipped to do that work.

I did work as a psychologist in Community Corrections for 13 years, but I wasn't involved in anything like enforcement. I took early retirement as the whole tenor of the organization became more mean and punitive, with decreasing interest in helping people who fell to stay back on their feet.

work with them.

Zero interest in going into places like Chicago and Compton to police those places

I'll keep my office job

as a medic, it was fascinating to me the other side.

Of course, after a few times getting assaulted as a medic (in a country where assaults on EMS are treated as assaults on law enforcement) I decided that nope. no thank you.

These days I think though that law enforcement does need people from the full spectrum of society. I think the problems can be fixed, as long as police, and it has to be police, realizes there is a problem with internal culture.

I get it, the part of being a brotherhood and sisterhood, and watching for each other. In EMS those bonds are there too. But police needs to have a full review of the culture and the thin blue line.

I think it can be done, but it will be far from easy. I know, since I helped change the culture of at least one group of EMS, and I know the resistance to change is huge... especially in organizations such as police.

The report on policing in the 21st century has a line in there about policy statements being eaten for breakfast by tradition, and that is the first step. Recognizing that cops will need to change, and leave behind a warrior culture and adopt a public servant one.

I would have probably stayed there and be there today if not for a very bad back, product of fire fighting in the military and 7 years of wearing a 15 lb duty belt when I was in corrections and PD. I haven't really asked peoples opinions about any of this until now. For some time I was feeling guilty that I turned my back on the officers I went through the academy with, that I should be out there backing them up. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

but in time, well it is a young person's job, and I got a bad back to remind me of it



Yes, the patient lived... but boy did I do a number on my back, and one that I will still have to pay for.

The feelings are ones that people cannot understand truly, unless they have been in that kind of a job. You have. So let me give you a hug.

It's a toxic profession, the friends I have doing it now are trying to transfer to other positions or agencies where they don't deal as directly or as dangerously with the general public. One so far has gotten on with the Department of Agriculture as an enforcement agent and the other is now a Fish & Wildlife Officer.

They say it has gotten to where they don;t trust their coworkers, their management or the citizens. The stress becomes overwhelming and all they can do is go into self preservation mode.

I would encourage anyone who has a desire for public service and is an honest, ethical person to be in law enforcement.

Part of the problem or part of the solution

I think that is the attitude of many cops and it's a big contributer to out of control cops. The belief that you are part of the problem because you aren't a cop. Us vs them with us or against us. All lead to the attitude that you are righteous and everyone else is wrong or an adversary.

It is a very dangerous mindset and hopefully you are not a cop.

I wanted to eventually work for Kentucky as a forensic auditor putting economic predators away and recovering funds for their victims. I was in my 20's and had not yet learned enforcement is in bed with the monied.

was with LMDC and LMPD. I'm a family support specialist now.

If anything, I'd probably go federal.

Baltimore... No way...

My small home town... Probably

I have a real job.

On my father's side, there are numerous people employed in law enforcement. I think I'd make a very good detective.

It was the portion of the academy I liked the most, crime scene investigation. Even today I use a lot of what I learned as general problem solving tools.

But I love the idea of recreating what happened from the evidence. I actually get to do that on a much lower-stakes level in IT; we do a lot of "forensics" after attacks, and it really is fun to try to get inside the hacker's head and figure out what he's trying to do.

Not a beat cop, though. They see way too much of the absolute worst side of people.

Never had any interest in telling other people what to do.

I would not advise anyone to become a cop.

I would not date a cop.

Hope you find another vocation that you like. It is always nice to hear from people like you, you tried, found out it was not for you and you found another job that suits you.

I'm afraid I'd shoot someone because I was scared or angry.

My whole family are cops. I decided to go into construction. I don't have the temperament to be a cop. I'm anti-authoritarian and too laid back.

was apparently a pretty decent policeman.

We need better training, need to cull out the racists and other losers, need better selection criteria, better training on how to handle situations without shooting people center mass, and a lot more.

But the worse thing that can happen is a bunch of right wing militia types and gun lovers patrolling the streets.

Officers Zimmerman and JT Ready won't be good for anyone.

We agree.

I have no desire to fuck over people's lives.

My SIL is a cop and after seeing what she goes through - no way in hell. She had a larger goal in mind though and achieved that goal and now works at the police force's headquarters, in an office. Helping people (she helps guide victims of domestic violence to social workers, counselling and other resources). But she sure had to go through a lot of shit to get there. The police force she works for lost someone this week and that also would play in the back of my mind. Not sure I would take a job so unpredictable and dangerous. That's not my personality type. My SIL on the other hand, is one of the most zen people I've met. But yeah, there is a high rate of burnout. The shift work doesn't help.

Sheriff's Dept. in Miami. I decided that I would make a bad cop though, because I would confiscate weed and coke from people and let them go on their way! Then I started thinking about becoming a Game Warden. In South Florida at the time, Game Wardens were given a house, a truck, an airboat, a regular boat for patrolling the canals and the backwaters of the bay, a swamp buggy, a three wheeler (before they made 4 wheelers) and a starting salary of $60,000/yr. Then I found out that they had to go to college and have a degree in botany, criminal science and something else that I can't remember. It would have taken about 6 years to complete. I gave up on that dream and went into construction instead.

Peace,

Ghost

I'm better than that.

But I'm too empathetic towards those who are downtrodden. I wouldn't have a problem arresting some lowlife thief or a scumbag rapist or a gang banging murderer.

I just wouldn't be able to take down a homeless person out in the streets "trespassing" or some poor family accused of keeping in a shoplifter ( and tearing thier shit up in the process)

I believe police should go after violent criminals; not innocents who can't defend themselves. I truly respect the good cops who go through such a tough job but i just couldn't handle the baggage.

although I used to consume alot of donuts .

Recent grad at Penn State - I convinced to pursue his Masters P.A. Homeland Security focus on Commerce beginning this fall. You can make a much better living handling Import/Export with Cyber Security. If he still wants to pursue Public Service in a few years - I would encourage him to join the oldest police force (CBP) or the Postal Service.

I deal with Federal Law Enforcement Agencies daily - and I like the people I interact with. I've found that many kind of backed up into it - or thought it would be exciting.

Local / State Police forces - they can be - difficult (????) to engage with.

Exception Killeen TX - but what I worked with them on was probably the most exciting thing they ever got involved with.

But it is BS that only evil people want to do it.

So, no.

Curiously, I do environmental law enforcement, but I only ever carry a lawyer.

The only way I would join the police would be if I was part of a total, top to bottom clean up. Get rid of the institutional racism, cover ups and corruption and I would go for it. As a one man crusade to clean up the police? Hell no.

Looking at the way the police generally handle things, they seem to get minimal training and I wouldn't be surprised if some departments screen out their more intelligent applicants.

in my town most have 4 yrs degrees and some a masters or equivalent from the federal government. Local dept is a big advocate for Kendra's Law, which has shown great success in the past 5 yrs statewide.

Followed by 6 months of academy training after being hired.

I don't think I would be a very good one.

No paycheck/job is worth knowing you have a better chance than most of dying every day.
I know someone has to do it, but think most who do are either on a power trip or have a death wish.
God bless our vets who served but they are getting the short end of this stick right now. They joined after HS, have no marketable skills other than killing people or defusing bombs and no one is offering them jobs except for police depts and prisons. That's not the kind of atmosphere that will calm their anxieties and ease them back into society. That is an atmosphere of hopelessness, that drives people to violence and suicide.

And didn't have to carry a gun.