Police finding it hard to fill vacancies

**Magnum440** · 03-29-06, 08:08 AM

Originally Posted by Retdetsgt

We have good pay and the danger is pretty much the same over. And our retention is alright, it's just getting applicants that are up to their asses in debt and have a reasonably clean background. We were really hurting when we had a bachelor's degree requirement. We eliminated a lot of good potential officers by restricting ourselves too much. Now we only require an associate's degree. Frankly, I'd like to see us go back to just a high school diploma. I've yet to see any advantage to hiring college graduates. When I came on, we had some excellent police officers who had never been inside a college classroom. To me, good work experience is more important.

As to getting acceptable people applying. Retdetsgt hits it head on. For police work, does it matter if the individual is a damn genius? You are looking for common sense, the ability to think fast, make good decisions, etc. When I applied at my department there were 600 people apply. It took a year to weed it down to 30 for the class. Half of the guys in my class had a college education. Guess how many in that group were there after 10 years? Zilch. Nothing at all wrong with college, but don't hinder the search for good people by restricting it. Oh, half the guys in my class were from rural areas. Guess which group had college?

**mxwelch** · 03-29-06, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by LawEnforcementForums

I assume you passed on the USMC idea?

Nope, they made my choice for me. Too old, won't grant a waiver.

**Retdetsgt** · 03-29-06, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by Magnum440

For police work, does it matter if the individual is a damn genius?

A hell of a lot of smart people never go to college. My dad never finished high school, but could add a column of numbers in his head. And looking at police reports, you'd never know that some cops ever finished the 6th grade, much less have a bachelor's degree.

Signal_W · 03-29-06, 11:02 AM

In Memphis we can have either two-years college or two-years military. I met the military requirement. I would say our class was 85% college and 15% military.

On average the military guys/girls performed better and stayed out of the "spot light" more than the college recruits. I would break it down to discipline. The guy who finished first in our class had a law degree and was a genuis. But he makes a horrible police officer. You MUST have common sense on this job.

**danninator** · 03-29-06, 12:25 PM

I wish this was the case around here, i've seen more fucktards get jobs because of their "Hook" than I can possibly tolerate.

I just recently found out a guy who worked the same beat as me got picked up full-time. Honestly a doper could be lighting up a joint right in front of him and he'd just stare and assume it was a cigarette. He had a grand total of one arrest in the six months I worked with him, and that was handed to him just to see if he could actually do a police report, he was afraid to talk on the radio, didn't know squat about those silly little things called "laws" and routinely placed bets and took bets through a bookie while on the clock. No military, no college, and the way he acted I don't even think he got out of elementary school. Yet now he's off in the pension system with a full-time job.

Good guy when you're not working with him and off the clock, terrible cop, but he knew people.

**Iron Man** · 03-29-06, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by Retdetsgt

I've yet to see any advantage to hiring college graduates. When I came on, we had some excellent police officers who had never been inside a college classroom. To me, good work experience is more important.

I agree 100%

**StanSwitek** · 03-29-06, 11:32 PM

As a patrol sergeant (before going to detectives) I was amazed at the retards we hired. The morons were not even capable of filing their time sheets on time so they could get paid. Factor in police work & it was really ugly. I continue to be stunned by the lack of work ethic my the majority of the new hires. Most will never leave patrol & will do nothing more than meet the minimum standards. Most could not even secure a crime scene without supervision. I'd ask them about their future goals in law enforcement. All I'd get was a blank look.

**cntryboy0531** · 03-29-06, 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by Stan Switek

I'd ask them about their future goals in law enforcement. All I'd get was a blank look.

ppffffffffttt, they need to be more like me. 8 weeks on the job, and I have plans to overthrow the Sheriff all ready.

Now that's ambition.

**Retdetsgt** · 03-30-06, 12:37 AM

Originally Posted by Stan Switek

I continue to be stunned by the lack of work ethic my the majority of the new hires.

I think that comes from hiring people right out of college with no other work experience. Think about it, in their first real job they're given a car and told to go out and work on their own. Many I saw thought police work was like school, if they didn't have an assignment then their time was their own. Several guys in my academy who came on straight from school were just like that, if they weren't on a call, they sat around and drank coffee. None seemed to realize that they were being paid to actually go out and work. If they did anything besides take calls, it was just to write some tickets. That's really a pretty brainless task.

**StanSwitek** · 03-30-06, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by cntryboy0531

ppffffffffttt, they need to be more like me. 8 weeks on the job, and I have plans to overthrow the Sheriff all ready.

Now that's ambition.

If you are serious, that is the point in your career you have to start thinking about it & planning your career. It's a long road.

**Retdetsgt** · 03-30-06, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by Stan Switek

If you are serious, that is the point in your career you have to start thinking about it & planning your career. It's a long road.

Yep, and start looking at getting more education. As you climb in rank, the stuff you learned in the academy will be less useful. Take classes in public administration and management now. As you try to rise in rank, those will be what's important.

**Opd400** · 03-31-06, 01:56 PM

Does anyone else out there use objective pre employment interviews as part of thier process? If so, where are you putting your hiring limits in terms of
Past Drug useage
Integrity Issues
Prior employment theft limits

And where in your process do you use the interview?

Thanks

**eMachine** · 04-04-06, 09:15 PM

Public perception keeps a lot of qualified people away from the job. Current TV shows really do harm pretty much giving props to the bad guys and bad police. News reports are generally negative.

Incentive packages would have to include clear cut career paths like the military. Training advantages, mentoring, good leadership, self improvement opportunities, cutting edge equipment, solid pension benefits, stuff like that would lure more qualified people. Something more than money.

Agencies have pretty much killed themselves by being more PC, less hard hitting, and way too political.

**Retdetsgt** · 04-04-06, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by eMachine

Agencies have pretty much killed themselves by being more PC, less hard hitting, and way too political.

Yep, I had a wondeful career and enjoyed it until the day I left. But looking at what it is today, I don't know if I would do it under these conditions. When I was on the front line (read street), it was a lot more free wheeling and forgiving than it is today, by leaps and bounds.

I was fortunate in that I was more or less isolated in detectives from a lot of shit my last 17 years, but listening to my friends at the precincts, it had changed immensely. For a while I thought about transfering to a precinct and finish my last couple of years as a uniform Sgt. However I talked to a couple of my peers and afterwards decided that I was much better off where I was.

**TXCharlie** · 04-04-06, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by Whitewolf

It will be so difficult to find someone to fill in the vacancies. Hey, can someone hire us hearing-impaired (HOH) people?? I'm sure we can join that... <sigh> only in our dreams. I'm still trying to figure out how can Richard became a volunteer patrol officer in San Diego county? He's a lucky deaf fella. His boss said he needs more ppl like him. I wonder if it's just because of our acute visual sense?

Fat people too

I've met a few cops who were fatter than me, but they all got fat AFTER the academy - So I didn't time my M&M consumption very well - sometimes I don't think I'll ever be able to run 3 miles, jump 5-ft ditches, and all that again. I'm told unless I can do that, I may as well not even apply at the academy even as a reservist, so I've been waiting around for about 3 years now kinda spinning my wheels. I messed my knee up and had to have that operated on in the process

**norm** · 05-10-06, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by cntryboy0531

Yeah, it's a wide spread thing here in Florida. my department has openings they can't fill.

I just finished BLET in april.Here in NC the pd treats the new recruits like they are convicts.They don't want to talk to you or they tell you we don't have any openings before they know your name.Then you read in the news paper that they have 100's of new job openings in the state.Whats up with that.

FishTail · 05-10-06, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by norm

I just finished BLET in april.Here in NC the pd treats the new recruits like they are convicts.They don't want to talk to you or they tell you we don't have any openings before they know your name.Then you read in the news paper that they have 100's of new job openings in the state.Whats up with that.

Maybe because you bitch about them?

Seriously, I don't know. Maybe they want you to show initiative?

**Virginian** · 05-10-06, 07:24 PM

Might just be that PD as well... there's no state police in NC. There are LOTS of counties and cities, and highway patrol.

Also you aren't a new recruit if you're looking for a job.

**Iron Man** · 05-10-06, 11:21 PM

If people would keep their nose clean we would have a lot more..

**Sapper_132** · 05-10-06, 11:38 PM

I need to go to a bigger City. I can't make a pot to piss in here in Okla. I'm a former Federal Officer and did the lateral transfer to become certified in this state. Every job I've applied for in this state starts at little under to around ten bucks an hour. But if you have a 4 year degree they will pay you around 35 a yr to start. I think I need to go else where!