Police and Fireman,advise please.

[Stinky]

I'm not a cop...but I've got some experience in the area. The average cop doesn't shoot off the job or give a rat's tail about guns....unless he is a "Tackleberry." They try to avoid hiring Tackleberrys. So, don't go into an interview being a "Tackleberry" (Police Academy). They'll teach you everything that they think that you need to know about guns and don't give a hoot what you know about guns. IMO whoever gave you that advice...about gun training was a "goober."

Being able to maintain yourself under pressure ain't got nothing to do w/guns.

Taking law classes, at a JC or College does look good.

Look at the feds, ICE-ERO, FPS both have a sizable presence in Denver. Also, CBP has Inspectors (Which is not LE, although that have LE retirement) in Denver. They probably make 80K w/in 3 years.

If you go fed, take the first fed job that you can get and then transfer to a dif agency (meaning hire off the street for a new job).

Also, I haven't much experience around FDs...but I think that it is a better job, w/less turnover and MUCH harder to get hired into.

[Roger]

I am an officer, and I have been one since at least 1980. I currently teach at a POST academy at Pikes Peak Community College, in addition to my LE job.

Agencies do not give a rats ass about your weapons training. If they hire you they will train you. Taking lots of weapons classes may get you denied because you may appear to aggressive. They want people who are mellow, not aggressive. And they do not help with getting on SWAT. SWAT guys are good disciplined officers first. They do their jobs and keep out of the spotlight. They do not go to work dripping in gear, and they don't try to impress people with war stories. Be a good cop first.

Agencies would much rather have you take college courses then weapons courses. Criminal justice, sociology, psychology, and communication skills. Take all the English and composition classes you can. You'll spend most of your career writing stuff down. You may never shoot a gun, but you'll write stuff down.

Determine what area of town or the state you want to work in. Research the agencies you want to work for. If they have their own POST academies, then going to an academy may not help you. And if they train their own, it may be a waste of your time. However, if you are looking at smaller agencies, and or agencies that are more rural, getting certified first is a must. That is why you must research where you want to work.

Get in shape. You need to be able to pass whatever physical agility course they have. And you owe it to yourself and those you work with to be in shape.

If you choose to go to an academy prepare to spend a lot of money and devote a lot of time to study. The classes are not easy, and we routinely wash people out who can't hack it. More are washed out for academics then skills. Going to a POST academy is a full time job.

Getting certified gives you no authority. It means nothing until you get hired. Being certified does not make you a law enforcement officer and it does not allow you to carry a weapon or do anything else. That all comes from your job. It allows you to be employed as an officer. That's it. All your rights and or privileges come from your job, not your certification. Your certification will also expire if you don't get a job within a certain amount of time. If you get certified and don't get hired, you lose the certification and have to re-certify.

So before you jump in to this, have an idea of what you want to do, and where you want to go. You also need to know, that this is not a good time to get hired. A lot of agencies are broke. They are not hiring. They are not replacing people who leave, and some larger agencies are laying off. So it may be better to set your sights on smaller agencies, and or agencies that are more rural.

[OneGuy67]

Great points Roger!

[Irving]

How come you usually ignore these kinds of threads OneGuy?

[OneGuy67]

Over the years, I think I've answered just about every question that could be asked about law enforcement and tend to stay away from the conversation. However, when someone puts out really bad advice or information to someone else who has not done their own research with an agency or two, it hurts that person and I feel a need to keep that person on the right informational path.

The population at large is generally pretty uninformed about law enforcement, the court system, how their local, county, state and federal government work, are funded, or how they interact, what a special district is, or where to go to look up local, county, state or federal statutes that indirectly and directly affect them.

I don't know how to fix that problem...

[Irving]

I don't know how to fix that problem...

I'd say just relax because you can't and you won't. Pick any industry out of a hat and chances are that 99% of the public won't understand or know dick about it, except for what they think they know from what they've seen on tv.

[OneGuy67]

I'd say just relax because you can't and you won't. Pick any industry out of a hat and chances are that 99% of the public won't understand or know dick about it, except for what they think they know from what they've seen on tv.

Hence the reason I try to stay out of the conversation most of the time! There are times when I want to try to get the record or information straight if the conversation is leaning so far to the wrong that it damages perception, reputation or something along those lines.