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Posted by: Copper82

Guys,
I'm trying to get on the job in MA after working as a Police Officer in Indiana and now Texas. I'm currently keeping my options open for NH as well. I'm an Army Reservist (no oversea's experience yet) and have a Bachelors. I'll have 3 years experience come this August. The forum has been a lot of help piecing together info about the process, but I have a few direct questions that I hope you can help with. How are out of staters treated in New England? Does prior law enforcement experience count for much? How long, on average, are hiring processes? I've read a bit on the advisory letter, but how hard is it to get it? How are benefits? I've read some posts and heard different things from bad to good. I apologize if this has been covered before. I've been searching the forums a bit today, but keep coming up with questions.

I appreciate any and all help.

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Posted by: j809

NH,VT and ME would probably be much easier to go to and work as a police officer. Massachusetts is very difficult and you have to be hired by a PD in order for your waiver application to go through. MA got vey strict on waivers and they look at your out of state curriculum with a microscope and count every hour of training ,comparing it to Mass. SO you might have 40 hrs at your Texas academy on some subject and MA will give you zero hours for it. NH is easier, I believe you take a 2-week academy to get the waiver. As far as benefits, here in Mass they are good, just about every PD is unionized vs. TX where I belive it's not friendly towards unions. Good luck.

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Posted by: Copper82

You are correct about Unions in Texas. They are very very weak. Apparently during the 70's and early 80's they had some pull but it's gone down hill since. They are incredibly fractured right now with at least 5 that I can think of for my department.

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Posted by: Deuce

I wouldn't talk up unions too much. Some unions here ain't worth a shit....

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Posted by: Edmizer1

I have a couple of friends who work in Texas. Police Unions are basically illegal in that state. It goes something like if a City has over 250,000 residents, the residents can vote for the cops to have a labor organization who can "meet and confer" with the city over pay and benefits but nothing is mandatory. The residents can revoke this at any time by ballot. The smaller agencies there can be scary to work for. They can fire you for anything or nothing, at any time, and there is no appeal. The big cities that have "meet and confer" do have some appeal rights but its nothing like Mass. Some of the bigger agencies there are starting to pay good because they are having a hard time filling vacancies. My friend works for Austin PD and says they keep pushing back recruit class start dates because they can't find enough people to fill the classes. I visited him a few years ago and there were billboards advertising the police job. He moved from Mass to get the job and has told me that the mentality is much different there. Many people that take the job have no real desire other than a paycheck. He told me the story of a girl on his shift with about two years on the job who didn't show up for work for a couple of days. A Sgt. went by her Apt. to see what was wrong and she said that her boyfriend didn't like that she was a cop so she wasn't going to do it anymore. She told the Sgt. that she would drop off her equip. the next day.

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Posted by: j809

Quote:

He told me the story of a girl on his shift with about two years on the job who didn't show up for work for a couple of days. A Sgt. went by her Apt. to see what was wrong and she said that her boyfriend didn't like that she was a cop so she wasn't going to do it anymore. She told the Sgt. that she would drop off her equip. the next day.

That sounds familiar.

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Posted by: JoninNH

J809... I think I am going to buy me a Ford...

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Posted by: j809

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoninNH J809... I think I am going to buy me a Ford...

OH Yeah!!!!!

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Posted by: Mitpo62

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoninNH J809... I think I am going to buy me a Ford...

I own two and they don't bounce like that!

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