Cheating death and fighting communism: that is how a fellow officer once described our job. It was meant to be funny, but as time went on it seemed all too true.
I spent more than ten years in law enforcement, all of it on the street in uniform patrol. I've been a patrol officer, instructor, sergeant and lieutenant.
Do not report crimes here. Nothing here should be considered legal advice. All opinions are my own.
It depends on the laws of the state, but generally attempting to commit a crime is punishable as if you completed the crime itself. Based on your scenario, the only reason why the item was not stolen was the clerk saw the theft taking place and the thief put the item back. The intent to commit a theft existed, and the thief took an action to commit the crime, so in many jurisdictions it would be a criminal act (attempted theft or something similar.)
Consider the guy who runs into the liquor store to rob it. As he begins to demand money, the store clerk pulls out a gun and the robber flees. The robber did not succeed in the crime, but intended to rob the clerk and took some action to commit the crime. Therefore, the attempted robbery could be prosecuted.
I hope that makes sense, and these things vary from state to state depending on the laws of each.
I do not have a military background, but it looks like the USMC has a variety of law enforcement related MOS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Marine_Corps_MOS#58_Military_Police_and_Corrections
That said, I've worked with plenty of officers who were former miltary that did not have a MP background and they did very well in the hiring process. At my last department, I worked with a former Marine who was an aircraft mechanic, another who was in motor transport and a third who was a machine gunner. All were good cops.
If there is something specific that interests you, go for it. If you have a solid service record and even manage to get yourself promoted, it will all work to your benefit when you apply for a civilian law enforcement job.
Remember your oath, stay safe & thanks for your service.
I was a sgt at one department and a lieutenant at another. The duties of the ranks were different at each of the two agencies. For example, one of my duties at both jobs was being the commander of the field training and evaluation program. Yet one department assigned that to a sergeant and the other agency to a lieutenant. There are no hard and fast rules.
If you feel you have been improperly searched by officers, you can contact their agency and file a complaint.
Toymaker
With all the high-tech kids toys, is there still a demand for traditional ones?
Call Center Employee (Retail)
Do you think it's just a matter of time before all U.S. companies move their customer support overseas?
Chef
Has anyone ever found anything gross in their food on your watch?
You should probably contact a criminal defense lawyer. Most attorneys will talk to you free, and only charge you if you have them perform some action (such as contacting the victim) for you. If you (through your lawyer) act before the company realizes they have been defrauded, there is a possibility you can square things with them before they call law enforcement. A lawyer can help with this.
Working the road. Where else?
Until you've had to make decisions on when to deploy a dog in a real-life, volatile use-of-force situation, and then justify those decisions to your chain of command, an internal affairs investigation, a city attorney and (probably) a court, how exactly do you figure you will have the credibility to tell others what they need to know?
It's one thing to know the law from reading a book or attending a training class, its another to apply it appropriately in the field. It is a bit like training in the dojo vs. a street fight. Or perhaps a better analogy is the guy sitting on the couch watching a football game who has never stepped onto the field, yet thinks he knows better than the players.
Reality is a harsh, unforgiving mistress. Until you've danced with her a while, you simply don't know what you don't know.
I'm not familiar with Colorado law in that respect. If you call the local Sheriff's Department, they should be able to tell you.
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