[PatrolDB]

Anyone have any info on this department? Are they specials? Pay? Etc etc... just curious because it seems they have a lot of openings lately but never heard of them.

 

[[email protected]]

I found this posting I believe it was last year on craigslist I think it was. Maybe it was on here. I applied and they called me in. I was interviewed by 2 SPO. After the interview they had no further correspondance with me.

But the general consensus I got from the interview is the following. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. They hire you and you start as a security officer. There is possiblity to go to security officer II. If you perform well in these positions then you are able to go for a SPO. I think they said pay started at like 15 or 16. Pay can get as high as 25 an hour as a SPO. They are a hands on training department. I basically understood that basically as an officer you transport drug addicts and observe them on the ward. Yep and thats my 2 cents

I forgot to add that hey have I think 2 different locations possibly three that they can float you between

 

[Kilvinsky]

Is this Cambridge Hospital or something else? Just curious.

 

[daxxkid]

My academy classmate use to work for them, he says its a good job, they are Cambridge Hopsital Police, but now have also Somerville Hopsital some clinic in Revere ans Malden and may be taking over Whidden Memeorial Hospital too, they have State Specials and Cambridge Constables. They will send you to Reserve academy and if you have college you can be SSPO if not then just Constable. Ill ask him more about it.

 

[Kilvinsky]

Wow, they sure have grown over the years. Thanks for the info.

 

[Foxy85]

Constable?

 

[Deputydog522]

Yes most of them are sworn in as constables for there powers. There patch is just like Cambridge Police but it has hospital above police. They carry OC and Baton. I put in for the posted security I job about 4 months ago and I recieved a call to set up an interview. I started asking questions before I made an appointment for an interview. I found out at security officer I you do not get powers and the starting pay is 13.00 an hour. After that , living on the south shore I was not driving to cambridge for 13.00 an hour. So I believe that the security officer II's are the police officers???? I dont know??? I never got to asking about the police side. But I have seen them, Cambridge Hospital Police Officers. I know they put in the job description about making arrests and stuff. I dont know, But again I was told as a security officer I, I would not get police powers. I dont know????? Oh Yeah I was also told that you do go into the city of cambridge retirement program, but your not a city employee.

 

[rg1283]

Cambridge Health Alliance is a private organization that consist of Cambridge City Hospital and:

http://www.cha.harvard.edu/locations/locations.shtml

 

[Mass]

Yes most of them are sworn in as constables for there powers. There patch is just like Cambridge Police but it has hospital above police. They carry OC and Baton. I put in for the posted security I job about 4 months ago and I recieved a call to set up an interview. I started asking questions before I made an appointment for an interview. I found out at security officer I you do not get powers and the starting pay is 13.00 an hour. After that , living on the south shore I was not driving to cambridge for 13.00 an hour. So I believe that the security officer II's are the police officers???? I dont know??? I never got to asking about the police side. But I have seen them, Cambridge Hospital Police Officers. I know they put in the job description about making arrests and stuff. I dont know, But again I was told as a security officer I, I would not get police powers. I dont know????? Oh Yeah I was also told that you do go into the city of cambridge retirement program, but your not a city employee.

Thats seems interesting........... not a city employee, but in their retirement program?

 

[mpd61]

Don't hit me over the head but...

In Cambridge "Constable" is synonomous for "Special". AKA Special Officer.
Since Cambridge is the only municipality that does this, (Semantics) it causes a lot of tilted heads. So yes, in other words, a Constable in Cambridge is a "special" police officer.

I'm sure somebody (Kilvinsky) can back me up on this analogy.

 

[PatrolDB]

Don't hit me over the head but...

In Cambridge "Constable" is synonomous for "Special". AKA Special Officer.
Since Cambridge is the only municipality that does this, (Semantics) it causes a lot of tilted heads. So yes, in other words, a Constable in Cambridge is a "special" police officer.

I'm sure somebody (Kilvinsky) can back me up on this analogy.

Fall River does this also... It raises a lot of confusion but nonetheless, gets the job done I guess... Strange route to go if you ask me.

Anybody know if this hospital is "busy" or not? I'm sure it's no BMC but just curious if a regular shift has a steady work load?

 

[Kilvinsky]

Don't hit me over the head but...

In Cambridge "Constable" is synonomous for "Special". AKA Special Officer.
Since Cambridge is the only municipality that does this, (Semantics) it causes a lot of tilted heads. So yes, in other words, a Constable in Cambridge is a "special" police officer.

I'm sure somebody (Kilvinsky) can back me up on this analogy.

I back you up on that analogy. All the folks I've met are pretty good people even though our interactions are fairly brief, I haven't met anyone I could say anything bad about.

Anybody know if this hospital is "busy" or not? I'm sure it's no BMC but just curious if a regular shift has a steady work load?

At Cambridge Hospital they have a fairly busy psych ward and there's plenty of ambulance traffic and it's setting is right outside Inman Square (Inman? I'm pretty sure that's Inman) so there's certainly the potential. As for the other campuses, no idea on this end.

 

[PatrolDB]

Not true. The hospital in Fall River/New Bedford uses the constable appointments for their security as well. Not sure what good it serves other than being the cheap-ass, cop-out way for adminstration of saving money to hire half-assed, undertrained security to function as "police" when they are probably not needed in the first place. It's a joke like all the other institutions looking to hire in-house security or substitute contract security to function as police for bottom-dollar price. What a lovely way to get the most under-educated, least qualified, over-rated wanna-bes to serve your needs. lol Do it right or don't do it at all!!! They make me sick. Whether you are employed by private or public institution is besides the point. If you have the need, secure the resources to make it happen in-house or supplement with contract security becuase you don't really need it. Quote me on it.

Well, you are off a little bit... I worked for the New Bedford institution you speak of for 4 1/2 years up until I received a much better offer at a much better place in March. Those eligible (passed an accredited academy), are NB SPO's and get sworn in by the mayor once they pass the background by NB police detectives. They would NEVER swear in a constable. Undertrained? You could say that most of the guys are. There are a few though I would go to the gates of hell with. As for the others... well, i'll bite my tongue for now. The institution is HORRIBLY managed (micro managed) and very cheap, yes. Good experience though, very very busy.

Fall River (St. Anne's.. NOT Charlton), if you ask me, has a few good guys. Although, one was kicked out of the academy that I had attended with him. The whole constable thing is the idea of the backstabbing manager they have there and all the guys know it sucks and it's a cheap route to take. It sucks though, both hospitals have great potential but will never reach their capabilities.

 

[Guest]

The Cambridge Health Alliance runs the Cambridge Hospital, The Somerville Hospital and the Whidden Hospital in Everett along with some clinics.

They offer totally free care to residents of Cambridge, Somerville and Everett residents, so you get a lot of mental health and substance abuse clients along with people who can't get Mass Health. The cambridge Hospital outside Inman Square is a very busy spot, Somerville and Everett tend to be less busy although Everett has a large drunk tank.

Everett was using Securitas Security. There was talk about an in house special police department but they didn't want to take on the added costs at the time.

Cambridge appoints Constables to do more than civil process. For example, the private security guards at the Volpe Transportation Center in Kendall Square, which is a federal facility are appointed as Cambridge Constables so they can effect an arrest on thier property.

 

[rg1283]

The institution is HORRIBLY managed (micro managed) and very cheap, yes. Good experience though, very very busy.

Sounds like most psych hospitals - the micro managed part. More of incompetent management that should be managing a 7-11 into the ground some where.

 

[champalou05]

They are no longer a security department we are a Public Safety Dept and as an Officer I you do get your powers

 

[champalou05]

I work for the CHA police and we are a Public Safety Dept not a security dept and yes you can get your powers as a Officer I any more questions let me know

 

[Mass]

Just a question, What training do you guys have?