Minnesota to Florida?

[3587]

I'm looking to move to Florida by the end of this year... Wondering what and where a good department would be to start? I'm looking into Lee County and Collier County right now, since they are hiring... I have gone through MN's POST certification program and have been a Detention Deputy for four years... I'm also looking at a security company just to start... Any ideas? Thanks.

[Delta_V]

Are you looking for a position in law enforcement or detention? If you're looking for a LE position, you will have to go through a Florida law enforcement academy. If you're looking for a position in detention, you could probably go through a short crossover class and get Florida certified.

Personally, I think you're looking in the right area of the state. Lee and Collier counties are fast growing, yet are still nice places to be. There is affordable housing available in both places, and both of those sheriff's offices have good reputations. You should also give Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Osceola, and Orange counties a look.

[ftlaudcop]

also keep in mind:

are their step pay increase's or do ya get 3% if they feel

like giving it to ya ?

do they have a senority system ? or are ya placed or assigned

to the very opposite of yer private life ( after probation)

are ya after the money: more overtime in the jail, vs very

little overtime on the road ?

do they have: power trac, com statt, or any other nit picky

things to agitate the deputy ?

do you wanna work: at the pleasure of the sheriff ?

5 county's in fla have job protection:

alachua, brevard, duval, metro dade, broward...that i know of..

[Delta_V]

Originally posted by ftlaudcop
alachua, brevard, duval, metro dade, broward...that i know of..

That's going to be changing since the court ruling that deputies can now use collective bargaining. Unionizing will mean that they will all be under civil service protection.

I know that all the sheriff's offices here in the Bay Area operate under the civil service system. After your one year probationary period, you no longer serve 'at will.' That does change as you move up in the ranks. In Hillsborough County, majors and above are considered 'at-will' positions, while in Pinellas County it's captains and above.

[kirch]

Be prepared for some sticker-shock when it comes to housing.

My brother moved from a Minneapolis suburb to Ft. Lauderdale. After he moved I asked if his home down there cost about the same as what he had paid in MN. He laughed and said, "Let me just say this. When I found out what my mortgage payment was going to be, it made my *** pucker."

[3587]

Well, my home here in Minneapolis ran me $192,500 last year... In Lee and Collier County, it seems like you can find a really nice place for less than that... But of course you can't live in or too close to the city to find that price though... Since Collier starts deputies at $33,000 a year, what can you afford on that? How quickly does the pay jump? Would they start someone out a little higher depending on experience? What I really need to do is get a hold of a deputy that currently works there, one that will tell me the REAL story about that place... I can't stand the ones that LOOK good on the OUTSIDE, but once you get INSIDE, YOU CAN'T STAND IT!