What to do?

Hello everyone,

My name is Stephen and I am sort of in a rut....I am very interested in becoming a police officer, but sadly, gained the interested fairly recently at the age of 24. I wish I realized what I wanted to do a bit earlier in my life so going through the process in becoming a police officer would have been slightly easier...But I feel a bit overwhelmed on what to do at this point. I know the civil service exam is coming up in a little under a year, but I wanted to know what I can do in order to apply to non- civil service agencies in Massachusetts.

What does the process look like for non-civil service agencies? I was highly considering applying to NH agencies as well, to maybe increase my chances in becoming an officer. Do you guys/gals recommend applying for part time officer postions? To possibly get my feet wet? Id truthfully rather avoid the CS process in MA and jump right into actual police work. What is my best bet? Or what road should I take?

I have over 60 credit hours at a State university and have been employed since the age of 16 in MA. I have a near perfect driving record with a perfect personal record. Becoming a police officer has become a passion of mine. I wish I could explain why or how it became to be, but I truthfully know this is what I want to do. But I am scared on how the process is, and I dont want to waste any more time sitting back clueless. Thank you everyone for your help and time.

Feel free to send me a private message or reply here. Thank you again.
-Stephen C

Stephen, I'll start you off with:

1) Prepare for a barage of shots aimed at your post.
2) At 24, it's still not too late to join the military which in all honesty is a fantastic start. This from a NON vet.
3) Do NOT rule out NH but go with a humble attitude, not a "I'm from MASS and I feel I'd be better than the yokles you got around here!" (Not that I think you would)
4) Do NOT rule out Florida, Texas, California, et al since this is a tough state to get a job in.
5) Do NOT rule out a campus job as a career. I don't say that JUST because I've done very well at a university, but because if nothing else, it's a great place to start. Again, it can be a nice career too if you're not hung up on the whole "If I'm not working for a city, I'm not real" BS.
6) Leave your options open to other avenues of law enforcement. If you look, there are LOTS out there.
7) Don't EVER join a site like this and act like a know it all (not that you seem to be, you seem like a nice kid) because you'll get your ass handed to you.
8) Don't take slams personally because if you really want to be a cop, taking slams can be part of the job. If you can't do it on line, in life, well, you'll end up throwing your whole career down the toilet.
9) Take all the advice given on this site and utilize the 'search' feature since some of the questions you ask have been asked before.
10) Take EVERY exam. You'll get pissed off at the ammount it'll cost you, but don't be a putz. And go to EVERY interview if you get that far.
11) Talk to cops on the street now and then. You'll get (as a rule) a true honest opinion from guys who are just out there doing the job. (ignore what may seem like suspicion, it's a natural thing to be suspicious)

Many can tell you, I could go on and on and on, but I'll stop here. Read and Heed the wisdom of others.

I was 35 when I decided I wanted to get in to law enforcement. Listen to the advice Kilvinsky gave you, its a step in the right direction.

Don't give up no matter what these douchebags tell ya!

Good luck!

I was wondering if you were still around here!

Yup, still lurking the halls and alleys!

Go anywhere mentioned but MA. This state blows and the legislature continues to bind our hands, which is sad because there are tons of great cops here whose talents are often wasted with the BS. It is the epitome of pissing into the wind. 24 is young. I started at 29 and, like you, wish I started earlier. Don't quit. Again, anywhere but MA, seriously.

And popping up now and then to say, BOO!

nightowl threw in something I hadn't recalled, DISPATCH JOBS! Dispatchers are a vital part of the department and it's a great place to learn and you can also make a nice career doing THAT if you so choose, especially on those nights when the poor cops are trudging out from roll call into the rain, cold, snow, heat, etc., while you sit in a comfortable chair waiting for your food to be delivered after your third trip to the tonic ma....wait, I'm thinking of the dispatchers at MY job!

Yeah Im on active duty orders in the military until I'm 27! You could always look into the guard/reserve for some experience and a few extra bucks a month. Best of luck

Usually non Civil Service police departments give their own tests, so be mindful of the dates they are given and the $ it costs to take it.

Kilvinsky,

Thank you very much for your advice and knowledge. Any advice or tips I will take with the best of advice. Trust me, I dont know anything and I literally cannot be arrogant. The people on this forum including yourself are knowledgeable and more importantly know more and/or are actually in the LE field.

I wont give up in NH, I am almost convinced Ill start out there, or somewhere NOT in MA. I want to be in law enforcement and beggars cannot be choosers. I will take whatever agency takes me and work from there. I have a goal to hopefully be a MA State Trooper one day, but we all have to start somewhere.

Campus PD seems like something Id be interested in as well. But are they civil service as well? Or is it something like a non-civil service approach?

NON-Civil Service, all of them, both state schools AND private.

Just thought of something Steve, say you are part Cherokee. It's a MA thing.

I'm sory, I'm not trying to find a back door or anything to that degree. I didn't explain it well enough. I know tha the nextcivil service exam is in 1year. And I really want to get the ball rolling before that. I will be applying to every agency I can now, and once the CS exam comes along (april 2013) I will certainly take it. I'm very eager and excited for this. At 24 and nd nearly done with college, I can FINALLY AND HAPPILY say I know what I want to do. Its something I haven't been able to say yet.