Yes, so I'm in the process of becoming a cop however I know that within the LE career there's more than just a regular beat cop. I know many agencies such as in Miami, Fort Lauderdale or NYC have many specialized Units, like SWAT, Special Crimes, Financial Fraud, even some of them have units that works with drones. Is there anyone who could explain me a little which career path could be the best ones or more rewarding ones? Thanks
Too real.
This is the way….
Special Agent for the feds.
Normal schedule, holidays and weekends off. Great pay and benefits. After 3 years in you're getting 4 weeks of leave per year. Great job security. Pretty much have to commit a crime to get fired. Relatively insulated from the public. Not getting sent to DVs and bum fights. Relatively safe. Most arrests are preplanned, meaning you get to bring lots of back up and scout out the location first. Opportunity for larger scale, more impactful investigations. Not just dealing with local punks, you can be going after big multi-state conspiracies. Opportunities for mobility. Want to move across the country, you can keep the same job and retirement. Hate your job? Apply for a different fed job and keep the same retirement and benefits.
Main downsides:
Difficulty of getting hired, with some processes taking longer than a year. Unlikelihood with many agency of getting hired to your local office (if you want to stay where you're at) Relative lack of "action." You won't get dispatched to hot calls, won't get into fights, will probably never get into a car chase. It's honestly a lot of office work. As you get older and have family obligations, this becomes a pro.
It really depends what you what you want to do, and what your definition of rewarding is. I liked patrol well enough, I hated white collar crimes, and now I love flying.
Your path depends on you, what you like, what is fulfilling to you, and what you’re willing to do to get there. You don’t have to be NYPD or Miami for specialty units.
Are you a big city boy, or do you like smaller towns or rural areas?
Do you like writing investigative subpoenas and reading financial documents?
Do you want to do SWAT stuff?
What kind of life and where do you want that life?
Being honest with you, just take any opportunity that can come to you with grace and start building from there. I wouldn’t say there’s a certain path to take at first but just get on a roster. I started as a dispatcher for 10 months and now I’m being onboarded as an officer at a college campus. It’s not glorious but it’s an in to gain connections and get established. Take what you can and figure yourself out from there is my suggestion.
USBP. I’ve talked to more than a dozen agents and they all describe it as the best law enforcement agency in our current times. Pay, benefits, equipment, special assignments/details, lots of action and experience , etc.
Law enforcement is an incredible career path, especially now with all the tech advancements. Here’s a smart way to navigate it:
Start as a Patrol Officer: Begin your career by patrolling neighborhoods. This experience is crucial for understanding the job and building community trust.
Keep Learning: Pursue a degree in criminal justice or public administration. Look into certifications like crisis intervention or cybersecurity – they’ll really set you apart.
Aim for Specialized Units:
- Join SWAT for high-stakes situations.
- Special Crimes Unit for investigating serious offenses.
- Cybersecurity Unit to combat digital crimes.
- Financial Fraud Unit to tackle white-collar crimes.
- Learn to operate and manage drones, which are becoming vital tools in policing.
Climb the Ranks:
- Sergeant: Lead a team of officers and manage day-to-day operations.
- Lieutenant: Oversee larger units or specific areas within the department.
- Captain: Take on more administrative and strategic roles, influencing department policies.
Develop Leadership Skills: Find mentors, attend leadership programs, and take on more responsibilities. This will prepare you for higher command roles.
Aim for Command Positions:
- Deputy Chief: Assist the Chief of Police in managing the entire department.
- Chief of Police: Lead the police force, set strategic goals, and ensure the safety and security of the community.
Post-Chief Opportunities:
- Elected Positions: Consider running for positions like Sheriff or other public offices to influence public safety policies.
- Technology Industry Advisor: Use your experience to advise tech companies on developing new tools and solutions for law enforcement.
- Consulting: Work with public safety agencies and private companies to improve their operations and strategies.
Stay Updated and Adaptable: Keep learning about new laws, technologies, and best practices. Being adaptable is key to staying ahead in this field.
The future of law enforcement is super exciting. By starting as a patrol officer, continuing your education, and strategically moving up, you’ll be well-prepared for a successful and rewarding career.
Thanks for your interest in public safety, and good luck!
Beautiful 👏👏👏
Why does it look like ChatGPT wrote this lmao.
Honestly? Changing careers out of LE to tech. I don’t say that tongue in cheek either, it’s what I did and I’m over here living my best life as a SWE making triple what I made before.
I may or may not take a role in reserves just to get out of the house (I work remote) and volunteer, but as far as my actual career that supports my family and I, LE is a poor choice IMHO, because:
At any point in time, you could be put into a position where you react exactly as you’ve been trained to, 100% by the book, and if the incident gets just the right kind of media attention you’re still gonna be ruined. Once they started throwing officers under the bus for using force as they were trained to, that was my cue. I can’t stake my family’s financial wellbeing on that… And I’m still undecided on how much I’m willing to pussy foot around in a volatile situation just to keep the idiotic masses placated.
How do you get into tech and SWE?
The path out of law enforcement
Depending on the size of the agency, you might have to just go with the flow and put in for any specialized job that opens up. I wanted traffic, but a youth crimes position opened up, so I jumped on it. Did that for several years until a traffic position opened up. Did that for a few years. Then got promoted to sergeant and went back to youth crimes as the sergeant, go figure…
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It's what ever interests you. Figure that out and then get disappointed when they pick a slug or a kiss ass instead of you lol