BlueSheepdog
10 Years Experience
Around the Way, FL
Male, 40
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.
You can probably still enter an academy, but it will be difficult to get a department to hire you. Three speeding citations and an at-fault accident is a fairly significant indicator of poor driving. Few agencies would want to put an officer into a patrol car for 40+ hours a week and expose themselves to the potential liability of his or her foreseeable bad driving.
As time passes, the citations become less of a problem for getting hired. For example, two years since the last citation looks like you have improved your driving. Five years looks even better. Different departments will have different guidelines based on the agency's risk tolerance.
Share Answer: 
By phone is often the easiest for many people. Sometimes walking into the police station is easier.
Share Answer: 
In general, a police officer can use that force which is reasonable to defend himself or another, to prevent a crime or to detain a subject. Refer to http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=490&invol=386 and http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=471&invol=1 as a starting point for this body of work.
Share Answer: 
You should contact the local police department. I am not an active officer, nor is this a law enforcement agency. Dial 911 if there is a true emergency.
Share Answer: 
Investment Banker
What's the craziest partying you've ever seen among bankers?
Magician
What's the most amazing magic trick you've ever seen?
Day Trader
What can a good day trader earn in a year?
If you are unable to work things out inside the family, you might want to contact a family law attorney.
Share Answer: 
The desire to help people - to make a difference. All of those things I mentioned above suck the life out of you. But with good friends, family and faith in God supporting you, the job can be done.
There were many times that I was going to a call that I would have preferred avoid, but I knew I had the skills and disposition to handle it. Who wants to go to the call where a man just committed suicide in front of his wife by sticking a gun in his mouth and pulling the trigger? No one. But, as I often questioned myself, "if not me, then who?"
There are upsides to the job, though they are rarely visible to, or understood by, anyone outside of law enforcement.
Share Answer: 
In a smaller department, only one officer may be assigned to a specific area. In that case, the back up officer will come from another area. In medium or larger agencies, there may be two or more officers assigned to a specific area. In that case the backup officer will probably come from inside that area.
Share Answer: 
-OR-
Login with Facebook (max 20 characters - letters, numbers, and underscores only. Note that your username is private, and you have the option to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
(A valid e-mail address is required. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone.)
(min 5 characters)
By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Jobstr.com’s Terms and Privacy Policy.
-OR-
Register with Facebook(Don't worry: you'll be able to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
Browse Jobs
Host a Q&A
Search
Submit Your Question
Host a Q&A
Last 7
