[eastsidesc]

Is it worth it to become a police officer? I am currently a Umass Amherst student majoring in Economics w/ a minor in IT and Sociology w/ a concentration in Criminal Justice entering my last year soon. I've always been interested in becoming a police officer and am not even really sure about the process to becoming one. Does everyone have to go to an academy? I'm also chinese, after reading some of these posts it seems as though racial/language preferences may actually help in getting a job. I live in quincy where there is a large asian community as well. What I really want is some insight into what type of a future police work would bring, should I explore police work or is there a related field that I might want to go into? How's the pay and chances of promotion, assuming I would be able to even get a job?

 

[Crvtte65]

No don't do it, never ever ever, run for it!! ....you'll make more competition for me :wl:

Really though, for my standpoint at least, I want to because I absolutely know I want to and not because of benefits (education this and that) or pay (definitely not because of the pay) or anything else. If you think really hard and think you want to go and request a few ride-a-longs and see if you can deal with the mundane parts of the job and also more importantly the adrenaline rushes of crimes in progress.

Everyone has to go through an academy, either a Criminal Justice Training Counsel Approved one or the State Police (or Special State Police) to get the appropriate job. Minorities and those that speak fluently in other languages does add more "points" on civil service towns.

My :2c:

 

[eastsidesc]

It's not just the benefits or pay, I think I would enjoy the job. I like interacting with people and helping people. I've only had business jobs and I would hate to see myself working in a cubicle for the rest of my life.

 

[DUKE1005]

eastsidesc-

I say go for it! However, don't limit yourself to location. If you read over the different forums on this website you will find that many and most of the jobs available right now are either up North or down South. Also, getting onto a civil service department in Mass is near impossible. There are though, more non-civil service departments than I had previously realized, so there is still some hope. I too am very new to this field. I have worked as a campus police officer for just under a year now and first started as a security guard. Prior to that I worked in Physical Therapy and computers. After graduating college, the PT field sucked so I went into computers. After about a 1 1/2 years working in a cubicle, I realized I was not happy at all. I am slowly working towards a bachelors degree in CJ and have just graduated from the MCJTC Reserve Academy. I realize I have a lot more education and training to go in order to compete with a lot of the other officers out there but if you are persistent and determined, I say go for it! If you are without connections (as I'm not sure that really helps out anymore) try getting a job as a dispatcher for a non-civil service town or a college and work your way up that way. Good luck. :t:

 

[Tackleberry22]

It is a rewarding field to be in. It is fun and exciting, as well as boring when nothing happens. Lets face it, this is the only job were you can take away a persons freedom (arrest) and "play cops and robbers" for a living. For me, I knew this was a job that I want to do. It is not a job for everyone. There is the good and the bad to this job. Its fun getting in high speed chases, saving lives, and arresting Mr. Bad Guy. However, seeing people shot up, disfigured, and cut to pieces is enough to make a person sick. Another factor is can you shoot a person who is about to kill you or an innocent person. Many people go through the academy and once they get out onto the streets, find out that they miss the office cubicle. If you work in a city or large town one deals with these aspects more often than a small town department would (so they say).
However, no matter what department you work for, every day you are a target for some jerk off who cares only about him/herself and he or she will do anything to avoid capture. Another thing is if you have a bad day or you're not concentrating on your job somebody could get killed or injured.
I agree with DUKE, don't narrow you're search to just Mass. As of now it is very hard to get on a department in Mass. because of economic slump that the state is in. If you didn't take the Civil Service test this April you are going to have to wait until 2005 to take it.
If you feel that you are up to the task, I say go for it.

 

[j809]

I like interacting with people and helping people

Boy, I've heard that about a million times from every candidate we interviewed. :wink:

P.S. You only interact with people when they have a problem and need your services, unless you're a DARE or GREAT or school resource officer. People call the cops when things go wrong in their lives, oh yeag and when you write them a speeding ticket ,they really enjoy interacting with you. Do the job if you really love it and think it is for you. Start out as a special or part timer or whatever and see if you like the dynamics of police work, otherwise you might be a very miserable person, unfortunately, like many people on the job now. Good luck

 

[drewpopo]

Im not sure if others here have the same problem maybe i just had a poor choice of friends. One Major aspect of the job is your changes. you slowly relize your old friends dont want to be around you, you have to look around a bar before you sit down, unless yur with a few other guys on the job. You cant go into this job if you are not sure if you want it, you are setting yourself up for working overnight, weekends, and holidays.

 

[Air Force Cop]

Why are there so many wanna be cops in MA.? I was looking to MA for a job when I seperate from the AF, but it seems like everyone wants to be a cop. Guys in my unit say it a psychological thing, it makes them feel like they are importain and can make up for when they were picked on in high school. I think thats bull shit but why are there so many wannbe's?

 

[j809]

Anyone who is an Air Force Cop is the biggest wannabe I know, because you would never make it on your own on a local PD, especially in MA.

 

[Air Force Cop]

yea, i know serving your county does make me the bugest wanna be. Look into security forces(air force cops) and see what we do, I'm pritty sure we would do just fine as a mass cop.
Thats a crappy thing to say to someone who just got back from 4 months in the desert, SO YOU COULD BE FREE and be a cop.
I was just wondering why mass pumped out so many cops, everywhere I talk to in New England say that got alot of the mass boys coming up to take there exam. [/quote]

 

[j809]

Guys in my unit say it a psychological thing, it makes them feel like they are importain and can make up for when they were picked on in high school.

Saying crap like that makes you sound like a little 18 year old that enlisted and has no clue. Besides if you were a real man you'd have joined the Marines. Everyone knows the AFSP pulls people over on bases for going 2 miles over the speed limit or guards airplanes for 16 hours straight. Don't make inflamatory remarks like you did and you won't sound like such a fool. Stay safe and come back to Massachusetts. Join the rest of the wannabes.

 

[mpd61]

yea, i know serving your county does make me the bugest wanna be. Look into security forces(air force cops) and see what we do, I'm pritty sure we would do just fine as a mass cop.
Thats a crappy thing to say to someone who just got back from 4 months in the desert, SO YOU COULD BE FREE and be a cop.
I was just wondering why mass pumped out so many cops, everywhere I talk to in New England say that got alot of the mass boys coming up to take there exam.

[/quote]

Chill out Fly boy! He's just bustin ya mild on the side, ja noe what i meen?
Seriously. O.K. then;

Are you SP or LE (don't lie)?
What was your best felony arrest?
How many domestics? where?
How many fights at the Top 4 club?

Come on, you can do it! get with the program. Housing Cop will take you off the flight line and onto the bricks and teach you what it's REALLY like to be "da man"
:shock:

 

[Burner1]

Hey AF Cop...

MPD61 already beat me to it. As an ex-"SP" not "LE", please, stop the cliche' "So you could be free" bit. It's old, especially for those of us on the board that have done it as well. Move on, and move forward...and use SPELLCHECK! I'm probably the biggest "wanna be" on the board! Not only did I have my nice cozy civil circus job, but through poor decision making, I'm no longer there! Sure I miss it, it would be nice to get back on again, but life goes on...So what if there are a lot of people that "want to be" cops. At some point in your life, didn't you "want to be" something?

 

[drewpopo]

Fly boy

Even the wannabee's in Mass know enough to use spell check

 

[Mikey682]

yea, i know serving your county does make me the bugest wanna be. Look into security forces(air force cops) and see what we do, I'm pritty sure we would do just fine as a mass cop.

[/quote]

Yeah, I checked out what you guys do...

clicky clicky:

http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/media/gallery/photos/mech/images/AFPolice.JPG

watch out for those parked F-15's!! :sh:

 

[eastsidesc]

So what if there are a lot of people that "want to be" cops. At some point in your life, didn't you "want to be" something?

Well said, everyone starts somewhere.

 

[Air Force Cop]

hey mikey thanks for the pic, we've been looking for that one for a while, the story behind that pic is, a SP driving the flightline talking on his cell phone while his partner (a female) was asleep because she was sick, he drops the phone and while he was picking it up the plane got in the way
(YEA RIGHT)suckey suckey.

OH, and on the wanna be thing:you guys get too bend out of shape,its prob sunny outside, you can go outside and enjoy it DO IT, stop sitting behind the computer and bitching, im stuck in the rain and AFN TV the only thing to watch.
I was just curious if mass police dept. help with the push of so many cops(ride alongs and Civilan acadamies) or just alot of collages offering up a CJ degree or is it just a state of mind?

P.S. Marines are only good for catching bullets and beating their wives.
but they get the job done! and can drink a beer with me any time.

 

[Mikey682]

he drops the phone and while he was picking it up the plane got in the way
(YEA RIGHT)suckey suckey.

haha yeah thats the story I was told too when I was shown that pic by an ex-AF cop

 

[Officer Dunngeon]

I was just curious if mass police dept. help with the push of so many cops(ride alongs and Civilan acadamies) or just alot of collages offering up a CJ degree or is it just a state of mind?

...I don't understand this, anyone else? What exactly is the question here? Are you trying to speak English?

P.S. Marines are only good for catching bullets and beating their wives.
but they get the job done! and can drink a beer with me any time.

So, are you saying that you condone women getting beat up by willingly drinking alongside a wife beater? :?

 

[mpd61]

yea, i know serving your county does make me the bugest wanna be. Look into security forces(air force

Are you SP or LE (don't lie)?
What was your best felony arrest?
How many domestics? where?
How many fights at the Top 4 club?

:shock:

And the answers would be??????????????
:roll: