Agency Recommendations

[pancake]

Hey All,

I'm a former Marine with a degree and I'm eager to get into law enforcement. I was born and raised in the Bay Area, and right now I'm trying to decide between SJPD and Santa Clara Police (not sheriff).

SJPD is a bigger dept with a bigger city to manage, so I like the variety it would offer, but SCPD pays a ton and it's hard to turn down the money given the cost of living around here.

What do you guys think about these two agencies regarding:

Reputation
Morale
Career progression (I want to move up and do investigations)
Excitement
Etc...

Feel free to throw in any recommendations other than these two as well. Thanks in advance for the help!

[7PointStar]

....I'm trying to decide between SJPD and Santa Clara Police (not sheriff).

SJPD is a bigger dept with a bigger city to manage, so I like the variety it would offer, but SCPD pays a ton and it's hard to turn down the money given the cost of living around here.

What do you guys think about these two agencies regarding:

Reputation
Morale
Career progression (I want to move up and do investigations)
Excitement
Etc...



Why not apply at both agencies? I would have to say SJPD. SJPD would be positive on all of the areas you are concerned with...

Reputation
Morale
Career progression (I want to move up and do investigations)
Excitement
Etc...

[Code Seven]

http://www.officer.com/images/officer.com.jpg

[08duramax]

I reccomend going with the department that hires you. Apply everywhere

[Rottresq]

Marine, please listen. In love with the bay area? Ok, lets talk 25 years from now. What you will be in love with is that retirement check every month. Only go w/an agency that has its retirement with CalPers. Only go with an agency that has a 3%@50 retirement contract with CalPers. I'm deadly serious here. I'm talking about potentailly hundreds of thousands of dollars after retirement or God forbid a disability retirement. I speak from personal experience here. Only go w/an agency that pays an education icentive, you have a degree, that should be worth buks to a potential employer, it was for mine. Also, soon as your vested in CalPers, buy your military time. Prob 15-20K. Do It! It add whatever years you sepent in the service to your retirement. In a CalPers contract of 3%@50 thats 3% more for every year you buy, say four years? 3%X4=12% more in your retirement. You will get the 15-20k back in the first year in retirement. Go with a department that has a deferred compensation 457k (only for govt employees) plan. And then max that plan every year you work. Go with a department that lets you save your sick/vac/holiday/comp leave time as much as you can and then convert it to a RHS, registered health care plan, its all tax free for medical, trust me you will need it.

Ok OK, lecture is over. CA is the golden state for coppers, but you havta work it. I retired in 2005 as an officer from a dept that had all the things I mentioned. 26+ years, @78% of my salary, 250k in deferred comp, 66k in RHS acct. Bought a 40 acre horse ranch in Colorado for cash and never looked back. Went to get my CCW here in CO, I make more every month on retirement than the Sheriff of the county I live in does on the job. Enuf said.

[El_Federal]

well said said, rottresq

[Code Seven]

http://www.officer.com/images/officer.com.jpg

[District B 13]

Rott,

That was the BEST posting I've ever seen regarding this issue!

[Ducatista]

Rott-I am taking notes!
I am applying to Fremont right now and SJPD as well as SCPD. That application is in the mail- yes mail, there is no electronic application and you have to fill it out by hand. Good post
OP: check out Richmond, Newark also they are the other that are hiring and pay you while in the academy. SFPD and OakPD do as well but they are not processing just yet.

[IronBruin]

Rott-I am taking notes!
I am applying to Fremont right now and SJPD as well as SCPD. That application is in the mail- yes mail, there is no electronic application and you have to fill it out by hand. Good post
OP: check out Richmond, Newark also they are the other that are hiring and pay you while in the academy. SFPD and OakPD do as well but they are not processing just yet.

If you're taking notes then scratch off SJPD as they are not CalPERS.

[Code Seven]

http://www.officer.com/images/officer.com.jpg

[Ducatista]

If you're taking notes then scratch off SJPD as they are not CalPERS.

Dang! Yeah I'm going through all of the websites again and looking at the benifits sections again, in more detail this time.

[0341]

pancake,

The candidate pool is too vast and talented to simply apply to one department out here. It's wise to join an agency that offers CalPERS (as was mentioned before in this thread). It's the best retirement going in this state. Once you retire, simply relocate to a location with a lower cost of living...and you'll live like a king on your inflated pension. Santa Clara PD is extremely selective in who they hire. They may have an elitist attitude there, so getting hired on there can be very difficult if not impossible for plain entry level recruits. Even laterals have a difficult time moving over to SCPD. San Jose PD is well funded, but there's a bit of a stigma with them. A large contingent of local San Jose citizens don't really appreciate SJPD that much. Lots of negative headlines on the news recently. Do some research about SJPD and you might have a better idea of what I'm talking about. They don't offer CalPERS either.

I would say you should submit your application to three to five agencies that might work out for you. One out of five will take a serious interest in you and see the process out. If you're lucky, maybe one or two more will take interest too. Don't get fooled into thinking the Corps history and degree mean you'll be at the top of the application stack. Forget that right now. Your test scores and how you present yourself in person will put you into the "A" candidate classification. Maybe the Corps experience and degree will help you in a final tie-breaker. Definitely use your military experience and education to your advantage, but it's not going to give you the absolute resume edge that guarantees you'll be looked at over candidates. How you write, speak, take tests, interact with LEOs, meet deadlines, and display attention to detail will be how you're judged. Physical appearance is critical too. Pressed suit that fits and a fresh Marine medium to high-regulation haircut will do wonders (tapered from 0"-3", remember?) when the guy next to you looks like Shawn White after getting it with a wrinkle grenade.

I'm a former Marine too, which doesn't seem to carry the weight with law enforcement it once did. I think law enforcement agencies are saturated with kids fresh from Iraq & Afghanistan looking for a transition. Problem is, most of them are looking for a gunfight more than non-military candidates. That actually hurts our cause when attempting to get hired. It's best to express how you've had time to decompress from the military (assuming you've been deployed to some area with OPFORs). In my case, I've been out a long time so I look like a lower itchy trigger finger risk on paper. Emphasize situational communication is part of your repertoire. Too many Marines are like robots and speak to everybody in the same manner. That doesn't work in LE. You can't speak to little old Grandma the same as a Parolee who just got out of Folsom after 15 years.

Good luck and let us know how it goes. Send me a PM anytime Leatherneck. ;)

[pancake]

Thanks to everyone for contributing here, especially Rottresq and 0341 for really giving some detail.

I'm probably going to apply to both, and if one takes me and one doesn't it's a pretty easy decision. The problem is I think Santa Clara's hiring will be before SJ (their next academy isn't until Jan '10), so if I'm offered Santa Clara do I accept before hearing anything from SJ???

I guess I'm a little worried Santa Clara may be too quiet of a city for me, and I'll eventually get bored (absolutely NO offense meant!)... Am I way off base here?

Thanks again all, Semper Fi-

[7PointStar]

.....
I'm probably going to apply to both, and if one takes me and one doesn't it's a pretty easy decision. The problem is I think Santa Clara's hiring will be before SJ (their next academy isn't until Jan '10), so if I'm offered Santa Clara do I accept before hearing anything from SJ??...

SJPD always puts their offers out last. So basically you will get the offers from other agencies first and would have to decide if you want to take a chance at SJPD making you an offer.

[0341]

Thanks to everyone for contributing here, especially Rottresq and 0341 for really giving some detail.

I'm probably going to apply to both, and if one takes me and one doesn't it's a pretty easy decision. The problem is I think Santa Clara's hiring will be before SJ (their next academy isn't until Jan '10), so if I'm offered Santa Clara do I accept before hearing anything from SJ???

I guess I'm a little worried Santa Clara may be too quiet of a city for me, and I'll eventually get bored (absolutely NO offense meant!)... Am I way off base here?

Thanks again all, Semper Fi-

You're very welcome sir. Go for both. It's so difficult to get into Santa Clara that it would be foolish to hang your hopes on just that one agency. Do whatever you can to accept a spot in either. Take the first real offer you get and go with it. You can always complete your probationary period (usually 18 months) and then start looking around to lateral out to a different agency if the one you're at isn't to your liking. You're never stuck. There will always be departments taking qualified laterals over recruits, so get on just about anywhere and you'll be fine down the road. ;)

Semper Fi, Do or Die! :eek: