Mid-South/TN Officers: Advice?

I'm going full time!!! I just need to decide where.

I don't have all my options laid out before me yet, but i'm looking at anywhere in the Shelby County area, preferably not any farther north than Bartlett, and the Fayette County area, no further east than Somerville.

Currently I reside in Memphis, but we're looking at housing in the collierville/piperton area. I've got three years in with Memphis as a POST certifiable reserve Officer, and if Memphis will honor the three years i've served towards my retirement, I may go with Memphis. At the moment I'm weighing my options and looking for advice.

I'm only considering lateral transfer accepting departments, i've already completed POST training in TN and and would rather try and avoid going in to the academy at the starting point again.

I have 54 credits by semester in college, have completed the needed number of hours and requirements to become POST certified, needing only to be full time to become certified.

Top considerations right now are Memphis, Bartlett, and Germantown. Piperton said they hire from their reserves, so i'd have to be a reserve for them first, and oakland said they have a stack of qualified applicants they are pulling from and are not taking apps.

Would love to work for University of Memphis, but it's very competitive trying to get on there. Christian Brothers is hiring, but is a very new department, and i'm unsure of going with them. Would even consider airport police, but someone has to die or retire to have a position open, and then there are 500 qualified candidates applying.

Would love a take home car, MDT, camera, tuition reimbursement, etc. But i'm not holding my breath.

Memphis is the choice i'm looking closest at, but the city isn't treating us very well right now, denying a 1% pay raise and taking away our tuition support.

Any advice out there from those nearby or who know the area?
I'm a young, about to be married guy, who would love to still have some family time. I'd rather not work midnights forever, would love it if I could have some say in what shift and precinct I go to, but I know that's pushing my luck.

I would love to stay with memphis one way of the other perhaps, enjoy working with some of these guys, would hate to lose them.

I'm an avid follower of Law Enforcement Technology, love being in the know and working with the latest and greatest equipment out there.

Fact is, i'm not sure which direction to turn. I'm calling up to the academy, and my supervisor today, to see what issues I may face going full time, and what Memphis can offer me. It would be nice if I could stay a reserve until I get through lateral training, and graduate, so If I flunked out for whatever reason, I wouldn't be dead in the water.

My long term goals would be to be a bike patrol qualified officer, perhaps even bike patrol instructor, i'm interested in being a dare/great school officer, and would love to spend some time on a tact/swat unit, although not make my bed there. I'd eventually like to move to east tn, maybe knoxville area, but i'm not going for at least 4-5 years, and even then, may never move from the mid-south area, only time will tell.

If you want excitement such as the last bastione to have car chases where they are not banned for violent felonies only, then i'd try West Memphis, Arkansas.:thumb: Their pay sucks:(, but your not covered in agency beauracracy that mandates this before that and only do this in that kind of situation. Small department of 80 officers across the bridge. Even South Haven is a good place to start when coming from Shelby county reserves or whatever.
If you want money and all you do is go from call to call, take your reports, and make 50-70k/yr+, then Memphis PD is what you want.:rain: A good career area with the opportunity to do different things like OCU, traffic, blah blah! They are reactive and mayor Herrington and the administration don't want their folks doing anything that might make a complaint.:censored: In otherwords, you are on your own should it hit da fan!
WMPD Chief stood by his officers when Memphis charged three for negligent homicide in the death of a passenger of a car chase into TN.

Bartlett and German Town PD are great to make lots of money (for cops that is) and get new equipment and nice police cars and stuff, but dont arrest any rich people or their kids. You will be out of the job quick!!!:boink:
I remember an article in the paper where German Town officers responded to a group of kids hangout and one was reported to have a gun on his person. The cops arrived, drew down on the lot of kids, hand-cuffed and serached them only to find no gun. The kids were released after the investigation. In the end, if I recall the news article correctly, there were reprimands and one firing.
When I worked there, we across the bridge looked at each other and said,"We do that everyday????":noidea: If we didn't do a felony stop then not only would your fellow officers feel you are week, but you could find yourself dead with all the shootings, stabbings, and all else that went on there.
So, you gotta figure which is it you want. Are you a young guy who wants to run and gun, or are you a more mature person who wants to work their eight and out the gate so to speak???:yo:

8 in, and out the gate :thumb:

Piperton seems to look promising. It's small now, but definately a blooming area, very good potential for advancement, including take home car. Not to much activity, and plenty of traffic when 385 opens for the days when i feel the urge to median stalk.

Plus, Memphis has already said they'd let me stay a reserve and work ft for another agency. PPD said if it was okay with memphis it was ok with them.
I'm also looking at Christian Brothers, UofM and the like. I like the excitement of memphis, but i'm content to do it as a reserve until the city gets their head out of their ass- if they ever do. I'm not really interested in all the excitement. it's fun, I enjoy it, but I don't think I would want it everyday.

I'm content for a slower dept. If Memphis ever makes a turn around, i'll be there, but I doubt that happens. I had to look at the grand scheme. I want to work for Memphis, I really do, I've got lt's dt pulling for me, but there isn't anything in it. Maybe in a few years. When the City council can't give us a 1/2% raise, but they are concerned about crime, they can't give us more officers and better equipment on the streets except to fill a new station, and we've lost tuition assistance, it just doesn't seem worth it.

I'll stay a reserve for now, and hopefully I can eventually go with memphis, but I'm not thinking that's going to happen. Right now, the potential for advancement, and options and benefits, are looking very promising with piperton.

I need to look into this, I love to Run and Gun. Sound right for me. I wonder if they will take a 680 hour Federal Academy?

Can I have your job in OK? :noidea:

:D

Arkansas does not recognize federal training. :( So its as if you are a rookie all over again.

Memphis....Honestly, you should get some stability with one job and stick to it. If I had a job with another agency, the reserve job must go. I bet in time their lawyers will say with the deep pocket theory that they cant have someone working with them that works for another agency. I ran into that many moons ago and it cost me a job. :doh:

I admit I miss the "excitement." Barring complaint investigations and harassment from administrators...Car chases, foot pursuits, and working the truck stops were aways fun. But, I could not pay for food and rent, nor could I buy my new born son any close or toys by working there. Now I make more than double the money, have a house, blah blah blah, and very little headaches.

If I were you, i'd try to get on with Shelby Sheriff or just get on with Bartlet, Southaven, Germantown, West Memphis (if single), Desoto County, or Olive Branch and live one day to the next.:nod: