Best Cali. police dept to work at?($$,benefits,etc)

[mas_oyama]

I'm looking to make a career change into law enforcement and also move to California. I like the LA and Orange county area. I was stationed in Irive,El Toro when I was a Marine several years ago and have always wanted to go back. I was wondering what the best place to apply to is. I plan on appying to LAPD, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, and Glendale so far. I was originally going apply to the CA state troopers, but now think that I would rather work for a town, city PD as opposed to patrol the highways. Also, I have a college degree, BA in biz management, a 3.5 gpa, and want to get paid for my education. I don't think the Highway patrol pays extra for people with degrees. I know LAPD will give you 5.5% more or something for having a degree.

Just wonderin if anyone could give me any info. I would like to obviously make the most $$$ I could, and wherever has the best pension benefits too.

Thanks,
mas_oyama

[pkagel]

It's all relative to the housing costs where you want to work and how far you want to drive to be able to afford a place to live. PolicePay.net has all the pay, benifit, ect. info. Check out my site for academy notes, ect. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CABasicPolice/

FWIW, the best in the OC is Santa Ana. High speed, low drag and excellent pay/benifits.

[pkagel]

I really needed to add a few things here. You need to look at more than pay/benifits when picking a department if you can. Different departments have different operational characteristics and you need to go with the dept that most closely matches how you would like to operate. If you go only off of what the pay/benifits are you could end up being very unhappy. Take a vacation out here and schedule some ride alongs with various departments that you are interested in and ask a bunch of questions. Make sure you look at Long Beach, the Inland Emprie departments, ect. The I.E. departments are very good and the pay is comparable to the beach dept's but you have the added benifit of less of a commute which is what it is all about out here. You put your ride on the fwy at the wrong time and you'll be lucky to be going 10mph.

[Welpe]

The CHP offers 5% of your base pay for a Bachelor's. Not to mention their 3% @ 50 pension.

http://www.chp.ca.gov/recruiting/html/osalary.html

[lsmalibu]

The CHP offers 5% of your base pay for a Bachelor's. Not to mention their 3% @ 50 pension.

http://www.chp.ca.gov/recruiting/html/osalary.html

Most CA depts offer 5% for a BA. Some offer 5% for an AA and 10% for a BA. Almost all CA depts offer 3% @ 50, that's a pretty standard pension.

Like pkagel said, worry about pay compared to cost of living, not just pay. Lots of Bay Area depts start at over $60 grand a year, but the costs of living in the Bay are ridiculous.

[mas_oyama]

thanks guys I really appreciate it.

I have a question on the pension. The 3% at 50. What does that mean? I'm assuming that u get 3% of your highest year salary for every year you've been on the force? So, if I hit 50 years old, and been on the force since I was 25, I'd get 25 years x 3% = 75% of my highest salary? Or something to that effect?

Being I'm 31 now, I'd guess I'm working till 56 at least! lol..

Santa Ana. I'll def. look into.

As of now, I'm gonna take the LAPD , Huntington Beach, and Newport Beach, And Glendale tests, as they are in mid Dec. when I plan on making a trip.

I also am assuming that the pension across the board as it's a state pension? Also, isn't there some trouble with Cali's pension system? As in they're broke??


thanks again,

mas_oyama

[Welpe]

malibu, I know 3% @ 50 is pretty standard but I thought I'd mention it anyways. I was just clearing up the fact that the CHP DID offer an educational incentive.

[lsmalibu]

malibu, I know 3% @ 50 is pretty standard but I thought I'd mention it anyways. I was just clearing up the fact that the CHP DID offer an educational incentive.

My bad, the way I read your post, it seemed like you were saying 3% @ 50 was something unique to the CHP.

[Welpe]

My bad, the way I read your post, it seemed like you were saying 3% @ 50 was something unique to the CHP.

Well it WAS a long time ago.... ;)

After re-reading my post, it does seem to imply that only CHP got that pension. Whoops. :o

[Duke]

thanks guys I really appreciate it.

I have a question on the pension. The 3% at 50. What does that mean? I'm assuming that u get 3% of your highest year salary for every year you've been on the force? So, if I hit 50 years old, and been on the force since I was 25, I'd get 25 years x 3% = 75% of my highest salary? Or something to that effect?

Being I'm 31 now, I'd guess I'm working till 56 at least! lol..

Santa Ana. I'll def. look into.

As of now, I'm gonna take the LAPD , Huntington Beach, and Newport Beach, And Glendale tests, as they are in mid Dec. when I plan on making a trip.

I also am assuming that the pension across the board as it's a state pension? Also, isn't there some trouble with Cali's pension system? As in they're broke??


thanks again,

mas_oyama

Pension system (CALPERS) is not broke....though many would like you to believe it is. People are just mad because I can retire at age 50 with 90% of my base pay as pension.

I'd go to Santa Ana PD (http://www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/jobs/default.htm) if you're going to Orange County.

[Duke]

And yes the pension formula was as you stated. (3% times every year worked, using your highest year's salary)

Plus, you have to figure you'll retire making 75-90% of 100k per year. Retire and move somewhere else where your pension will allow you to live in relative economic freedom. :cool:

[Ryans67]

Im not sure on the best, but id pick where I wanted to live and then start from there. Id move local, then apply for all of the local jurisdictions and see what happens. Its gonna be alot easier to go through the app. process if your living in the area. Also, some departments give you an edge for being a local resident. I know Oakland adds 5% to your total score, just because you live in oakland. Good luck, -Ryan

[Powder]

Just as an FYI, if you are concerned about coming to Cailfornia and having your pension pulled out from under you, the San Francisco Police Pension is NOT Calpers, so the guys in Sacramento can't touch it.

The only thing is that SFPD has two lists right now, with around 1400 people waiting to get into the department.

[mas_oyama]

Thanks again everyone.

I'm planning a trip out there in December. I don't finish school here in Philadelphia until June 06'. So I'm trying to go through the phases starting in December, and fly back when I have to for each additional phases. This way, if all goes well, I will be able to graduate in June, and move to Cali, and go right into the academy. Instead of waiting to start the process when I finish school in June. I need to start working!!! School and living expenses add up quickly!! But I'm def. pretty amp'd about the possibility of moving out there and getting into Law Enforcement. LAPD has an expeditied test where I can take the first 9 phases or so in a few days (for out of towners). Not sure exactly how I feel about going into the LAPD, but I guess it can't be much worse than Philly, huh? Philly pretty bad in some areas.

Funny, I went back to school to finish my degree and planned on going back to work on Wall Street and being some hot shot trader. But the past year I've really started to think about how shallow I was thinking, and want to do something more meaningful. A friend mentioned the NJ state Troopers was hiring and I slowly started to realize I'd really enjoy being a 'cop',, or trooper, whatever. Anyway,,,, raining and crappy here in Philly.. The east coast weather really sucks. Would be get to have 70 weather everyday...

Thanks again,,,

mas_oyama

[Hydroshok]

LAPD is good, CHP...but also try Santa ana PD...Beverly hills pays well..good benifits. Take your time and research all the dept's that interest you..don't be afraid to look all over the state. You just have to see what is going to work for you....agency, benifits, pay...where you plan to live..just stay away from the desert....it's depressing.lol Good luck!

[Five-0fromSoCal]

LAPD is good, CHP...but also try Santa ana PD...Beverly hills pays well..good benifits. Take your time and research all the dept's that interest you..don't be afraid to look all over the state. You just have to see what is going to work for you....agency, benifits, pay...where you plan to live..just stay away from the desert....it's depressing.lol Good luck!

I'll throw Torrance, Santa Monica, El Segundo, Burbank, Glendale and Ontario also in there as far as pay and retirement.

[CBPSDJohn]

Good luck with your search. Once you come out here to So Cal (only people from back east use the lame sounding "Cali") you'll find that there are dozens of agencies to pick from. Make sure you find a place where you will be happy living as home prices are crazy and traffic is terrible.

[nobody33]

A lot of agencies don't offer educational incentives- they offer incentives for having an intermediate or advance Post cert. Having a degree helps get those faster but it usually takes several years to get them, while agencies with traditional educational incentives kick in when you start.

There are still some agencies that dont have 3 at 50 either so research that (pasadena is one) AND how much you pay into the retirment system. As far as I know CHP officers pay nothing into pers, while some agencies pay the entire 9% out of their paycheck.

[sgttom]

If you want a high paying job in NO Ca., check Santa Clara PD or San Jose PD, damn near 98K as top step patrolman...



So Cal? I don't know much about it down that way but I understand Beverly Hills or was it Santa Monica.. they pay well.

Down when the CA police olympics was still around, I competed in a few events in So. Cal. Went and visited Beverly Hills PD and DAMN, most high tech, purty and best equipped and best amenities (sp?) in a PD I've ever seen...

[roscoe]

Take it from someone who just left Ventura PD... And CHP? unless all you want to do is write tickets (especially to other cops) dont even think about CHP. I think Simi Valley PD is a really good Dept., so is Oxnard. The thing about Oxnard is all the dirtbag gangbangers you have to deal with. Anyway I think if you looked into Simi Valley (depending how far north of LA you would want to be) you would be really surprized at what they have to offer. Anyway I'm a Colorado Cop now, boy was that a mistake.... Oh well only 20 more years!!!

Peace out

[lsmalibu]

If you want a high paying job in NO Ca., check Santa Clara PD or San Jose PD, damn near 98K as top step patrolman...

Don't forget Milpitas, Los Gatos/Monte Sereno, Campbell, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Mateo, Fremont, Pleasanton, Walnut Creek, Santa Clara SO, San Mateo SO, etc. There are a LOT of dept's that pay good, good money.

I've heard the hassles for working for Santa Clara PD isn't worth the money. I certainly wasn't impressed by their recruiters.

[Welpe]

Just as an aside, I've ridden with an officer from Walnut Creek. He loves working there.

P.S. Hey Malibu, did you get my PM's? I threw a lot of stuff at you. :D

[lsmalibu]

Yeah, I got 'em. Didn't I write back?

[Welpe]

I didn't receive anything, so maybe you did and I didn't get them?

Thanks. :)

[K9 Police]

Anyway I'm a Colorado Cop now, boy was that a mistake....

Not liking Colorado? I hear it is a great place to live.

K9

[lsmalibu]

Not liking Colorado? I hear it is a great place to live.

K9

Yeah, compared to Minnesota, it probably feels like Florida.

[K9 Police]

Yeah, compared to Minnesota, it probably feels like Florida.
:) That was good...

K9

[DOAcop38]

Most CA depts offer 5% for a BA. Some offer 5% for an AA and 10% for a BA. Almost all CA depts offer 3% @ 50, that's a pretty standard pension.

Like pkagel said, worry about pay compared to cost of living, not just pay. Lots of Bay Area depts start at over $60 grand a year, but the costs of living in the Bay are ridiculous.
Also be aware that most CA.Highway Patrol careers end rather quickly due to traffic related injuries ( The CHP has put more names on that tragic Ca. State peace officers memorial wall than any others) As for LAPD, they only hire you at a higher rate,say like step 2 or 3 above entry level, which equals $54 or 56K /yr to start above the $52K/yr base pay top step is about $82K/yr-with your education I'd check for a CA county.dist.Attys office to see if they'll hire you as an entry level investigator ( they'd send you to a basic academy) unless you just feel you MUST start in the uniformed patrol capacity( which can be knuckle draggers central).but if you were a Marine, being a p-2 dog will be up your alley for a few yrs,at least. pkagel is right to warn you about that big pay ads that Nor Calif.,Agencies put out there-plus you need to go on ride alongs when you apply-far too many No.Calif and some So.Calif agencies have become very "PC" and I see a lot of pride swallowing these days.find an area of the state you want to live,and apply for at least (5) local Depts-the pay ranges for the (5) agencies should be more than +/- 5% in difference.that should also tell you if the local economy is good.

[DOAcop38]

The agencies in the Inland empire ( San Bernardino and Riverside Area) pay is mediocre and you'll be dealing with a lot of meth users and L.A. "transplants" (more like invading hordes).san diego PD is "PC",better to go for San Diego Harbor PD. Chula vista,Oceanside or Carlsbad PD.and if its L.A. county, try Glendale PD over LAPD(smaller but pay and work environment is better),Beverly Hills PD (you're a baby sitter with a gun,but they take care of you) Santa Monica PD,Torrance ,CA PD (both are large beach communities with 250-300 officers and decent pay),Newport PD (you have to be a "boy scout" for that place).,L.A. county Sheriffs (cave men,raggedy equipment,but loyal Dept and decent pay),Orange County sheriffs (preppier version of LASD ,decent pay, but scandal plagued Boss),say "no" to the smaller L.A co beach cities,i.e. Hermosa,Hawthorne,Inglewood ,El Segundo ,redondo Bch PDs-with the exception of El Segundo, they all pay LOW and have that nagging "locals only" attitude!Take two weeks to really "look around the cities you wan to work for,decide if you wan to work an agency with (100) or less officers ,(150) or more,(250) or more or (500+) (via the Calif.POST web site).If all else fails ,come on over to LAXPD(airport) Pd, I'll "sort" you out-LOLOL... :D

[Five-0fromSoCal]

The agencies in the Inland empire ( San Bernardino and Riverside Area) pay is mediocre and you'll be dealing with a lot of meth users and L.A. "transplants" (more like invading hordes).san diego PD is "PC",better to go for San Diego Harbor PD. Chula vista,Oceanside or Carlsbad PD.and if its L.A. county, try Glendale PD over LAPD(smaller but pay and work environment is better),Beverly Hills PD (you're a baby sitter with a gun,but they take care of you) Santa Monica PD,Torrance ,CA PD (both are large beach communities with 250-300 officers and decent pay),Newport PD (you have to be a "boy scout" for that place).,L.A. county Sheriffs (cave men,raggedy equipment,but loyal Dept and decent pay),Orange County sheriffs (preppier version of LASD ,decent pay, but scandal plagued Boss),say "no" to the smaller L.A co beach cities,i.e. Hermosa,Hawthorne,Inglewood ,El Segundo ,redondo Bch PDs-with the exception of El Segundo, they all pay LOW and have that nagging "locals only" attitude!Take two weeks to really "look around the cities you wan to work for,decide if you wan to work an agency with (100) or less officers ,(150) or more,(250) or more or (500+) (via the Calif.POST web site).If all else fails ,come on over to LAXPD(airport) Pd, I'll "sort" you out-LOLOL... :D

I like our raggedy equipment.

[willowdared]

You forgot to mention San Diego County Sheriff!

We have 9 contract cities if you like the urban beat...the unicorporated areas, and if you feel old fashioned, the rural beat...gota live there, and be on call, but I heard the pay is really good. :)

[Welpe]

A base salary of $45,000 to $65,000 isn't that great, especially considering COL in the San Diego area.

[nobody33]

A base salary of $45,000 to $65,000 isn't that great, especially considering COL in the San Diego area.


The best agencies in Sd county are Chula Vista PD and Escondido. CVPD is getting a fat raise. Escondido is already the highest paid in the county, and is one of the few so cal departments that has take home rides.

[willowdared]

Yeah - cost of living has really blown the lid off of things.

The money for our rural based deputies is much higher, but as I said, you have to live on your beat, and you are on call when you are on duty, so you earn every dollar.

Still, there is a good variety of assignments available - including air support (the department trains deputies to be pilots for ASTREA) gang details, courts, jails, bomb/arson, SED (out version of SWAT)

Just wanted to make sure the list was complete! :)

[Darth Choke]

Take it from someone who just left Ventura PD... And CHP? unless all you want to do is write tickets (especially to other cops) dont even think about CHP. I think Simi Valley PD is a really good Dept., so is Oxnard. The thing about Oxnard is all the dirtbag gangbangers you have to deal with. Anyway I think if you looked into Simi Valley (depending how far north of LA you would want to be) ........


Dude, don't start that SH** here! Don't insult us like that. I have never and will never write an officer a ticket. I have worked the entire Ventura county area from Ventura to Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley. I stop off-duty officers from 80mph to 100+ mph. They get a "be careful - please slow down" and they are on their way!!

I have written less than 10 tickets in the last 15 days and taken 8-9 people to jail. Last time I checked we do a little more than write tickets.

Let me save you the trouble of a response....

I know there are Chippies that cite anybody and everybody. That is few and far between my friend. There are over 100 chippies in Ventura Co. I have talked to 90-95 of them. None of them would cite an officer.

[mas_oyama]

Thanks guys.

Trying to figure out when I can even get out there to take some tests. School got me by the balls. No time to breath.

I'm actually going on to the 3rd phase for the Pa State Troopers. But I just don't know if I can take the east coast anymore. Too damn cold..

[BaseballBabe]

Don't forget Milpitas, Los Gatos/Monte Sereno, Campbell, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Mateo, Fremont, Pleasanton, Walnut Creek, Santa Clara SO, San Mateo SO, etc. There are a LOT of dept's that pay good, good money.

I've heard the hassles for working for Santa Clara PD isn't worth the money. I certainly wasn't impressed by their recruiters.


I'd like to try for Walnut Creek.

[BaseballBabe]

I am so shocked noone mentioned Alameda Police Department. :rolleyes: :mad: :D

[Welpe]

I'd like to try for Walnut Creek.

Man they pay the $$$ there. I'd seriously consider working there if I were coming back to the Bay Area.

I did a ride along there on a Sunday afternoon, it wasn't too busy but there were things going on. Evidently their bar scene is pretty decent at night so there's some activity then, along with a lot of people coming from Concord, etc.

[pkagel]

Well, if ya make it out to the left coast, here are my study notes from the academy.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CABasicPolice/


Thanks guys.

Trying to figure out when I can even get out there to take some tests. School got me by the balls. No time to breath.

I'm actually going on to the 3rd phase for the Pa State Troopers. But I just don't know if I can take the east coast anymore. Too damn cold..

[cstelz]

You should check out PORAC news for job listings, www.porac.org. Santa Clara PD is offering big $. In the Sacramento area, a lot of PD's are offering some nice incentives to lateral candidates. Ventura PD (Who, by the way Roscoe, I've found to be stand up officers) are recruiting heavily and offer some good incentives. Actually, it seems most agencies are recruiting right now.

While I agree CA is expensive, it's a great place to live and raise your family. I live less than 2 hours from the beach, the mountains and the big city (I live in a small city!) I moved away from the Bay Area because of COL, and I can't stand SoCal (personal preference, no slight intended to anyone) except the beach areas, like Ventura and Santa Barbara, parts of Orange, but then you run into COL problems.

[Ryans67]

Yeah Sac area has some really good departments for laterals. Wouldnt exactly recommend it for a trainee. Roseville PD, Folsom (excellent pay), Rocklin, El dorado Hills. Really a ton of options. For recruits I know Sac county sheriffs are trying to get em, although I turned away after the written. I want the bay area. -Ryan

[sgttom]

Yeah Sac area has some really good departments for laterals. Wouldnt exactly recommend it for a trainee. Roseville PD, Folsom (excellent pay), Rocklin, El dorado Hills. Really a ton of options. For recruits I know Sac county sheriffs are trying to get em, although I turned away after the written. I want the bay area. -Ryan


We are taking app's now (SFPD) until November 30. Other larger area PD's are: Alameda SO, CoCo SO, Fremont PD, Hayward PD, Redwood City PD, San Mateo PD...

[Ryans67]

Yeah I should have applied for alot of departments in the bay, but I just cant afford too right now. Its hard to take off every other saturday to go do a test for Oakland. They are who I'd like to work for, and if not I'll finish my BA and apply again in a year when im not in school. -Ryan

[bkema]

don't forget about Northern Cali also...great place to live, close to fishing, hunting, etc (if your into that stuff) and they have some of the best paid agencies around. I live 30 miles north of Sacramento and there are some great agencies looking to hire.

[TNguyen32]

I have 2 friends that one went to Santa Ana PD in Orange County and the other went to Glendale PD in LA County. BOTH GREAT PDs!!! Lots of money flow in the dept, therefore, a lot of opportunites and salary. Just to let you know how much money. I work for a dept in Orange County, and our officers after about 5 yrs on the job makes LESS than the base pay of new graduates from Santa ANa or Glendale. Both Santa Ana and Glendale are fastpaced environments. VERY BUSY! If you are more into the smaller PDs but thatll keep you busy in Orange County... Garden Grove, Tustin, and Huntington Beach are pretty good departments. Every dept has its ups and downs. I would not go for LAPD just bc I dont like big depts. Hope this helps.

[DOAcop38]

It's all relative to the housing costs where you want to work and how far you want to drive to be able to afford a place to live. PolicePay.net has all the pay, benifit, ect. info. Check out my site for academy notes, ect. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CABasicPolice/

FWIW, the best in the OC is Santa Ana. High speed, low drag and excellent pay/benifits.


..and the best in northern California is San Jose ( actually Northen Central California-LOLOL!) And don't believe the hype- LAPD only pays you on the "step" level- steps #1-7,before you hit the 10 yr mark and start getting longevity pay-avg officer with 10 yrs on is $82K/yr.Instead of starting at $52K/yr ,you'd make about$55K/yr to start ,which is only avg in the starting pay to almost every So.Calif agency-if you get thru the myriad B.S of processing,you would work for one of the hardest working PDs in the nation-expect lots of broken equipment,old dirty stations,long hours,intense violence,lots of second guessing by mgm't and burn out by yr "5"-unless you smooch some butt and are an extremely aggressive officer as far as making arrests( LAPD has tons of "whiz" kids with degrees,but they FAVOR "clean cut" street fighters or ruthless cutthroats-if you've seen "L.A. confidential" only the "Bud whites" and "Edmund Exley" types promote!)-the good thing,you CAN work over 250 assignments if you want to move around ,as well as over 21 different Divs within a city almost 480 sq miles,whereas if you go to a smaller ,tawny city and screw up, your career will die like a "road kill" on the side of a rural hwy. Look at the agencies hiring on CA.POST web site (ca.post.gov)-apply for at least (5) area agencies- for you that would be -OC County Sheriffs,Irvine PD,Costa Mesa,Huntington Bch PD,Anaheim(good dept) + one ( Santa Ana )- In L.A county? LA. co.sheriffs,Glendale PD,Santa Monica PD,Torrance PD ,Long Beach PD(lower paid but good), and lastly ,GO south ,as in San diego County-PDS there to Apply for ,Carlsbad PD,Oceanside PD,San diego Port Police,Chula vista PD,UC San diego PD.

[DOAcop38]

Yeah I should have applied for alot of departments in the bay, but I just cant afford too right now. Its hard to take off every other saturday to go do a test for Oakland. They are who I'd like to work for, and if not I'll finish my BA and apply again in a year when im not in school. -Ryan


No offense ,Bro- but OAK TOWN is the "gutter"- checked it out back in '93 when everybody here in L.A. I knew was fed up-heard about the action and the pay,but the cost is HIGH to live there and the city is crackhead central ( if i wanted that misery,i'd transfer back to LAPD and leave my cushy spot).After seeing what I've seen for 15+ yrs- I'd advise any current applicant to go to a med. sized city(btwn 75-150K populations) with good economic base,strong officer union and a place where you wouldn't feel bad living in its "worst" neighborhood. The days of running down the "bad guy" and "crime fighting" is OVER, and although I hate the lazy "gen-x" types that only want to come to the job to "look cool", I like those who want to be seen as moderate professionals.If you work hard and find a med sized city,like Alameda or Berkeley PD ,in about 5 yrs or so ,you could be in a specialized unit,be a Det ,or even a Sgt.right in your own "backyard" is the new Dept of Citrus Heights PD 1 (citrus heights,CA)-Try there ,you can "make a name for yourself" in a BRAND new organization,you probably know the area , and I'd doubt if you'd get the "burn out" a place like Oakland or San Franscisco would put on you .Contrary to popular cop "myths",every Dept in California deals with the same problems-gangsters,dope,guns,robberies,parolees,burglars,ve h.pursuits,etc- its just that in some locales you don't get it everyday."Action" gets old PDQ! but good working conditions,equipment that works,clean cars to use,decent wages, and dispatchers/RTOs that aren't overworked and care about you , is what keeps you happy and healthy on the job....... :D

[SwissMizz]

Keep in mind if you want opportunity to move up in the department, you may also want to consider the Sheriff's department. Depending on what county you would work in, they offer various types of assignments. I know San Bernardino County offers 3% at 50 for retirement. Also to supplement your retirement you can put money into deferred comp.

I know the PDs pay more per hour, however the Sheriff's Department also has other valueable qualities depending on what you are looking for. I joined the Sheriff's Department because of the opportunity and variety amongst other reasons. I also hear that many of the local PDs end up laterally transferring to the Sheriff's Department. Although working in the jail is not very attractive, you can get extra pay depending on your qualifications.

Good luck in your search!

[pdizzle]

..apply for at least (5) area agencies- for you that would be -OC County Sheriffs,Irvine PD,Costa Mesa,Huntington Bch PD,Anaheim(good dept) + one ( Santa Ana )- .

These are totally different departments. It is important to know what kind and how much activity you want in a department. OCSD- very large department, you will work in the jail for at least 6 years (no matter what they tell you). Irvine PD- small department, good pay, but a SLOW city. Most of the senior officers have left the department, leaving a very young PD. Costa Mesa - small/med sized dept, good activity level, but the pay/benefits are not up to par with other OC agencies. Huntington Bch- small/med size dept, decent activity level, "get the job done" attitude, good pay. Anaheim PD- large, busy department, large hispanic population (speaking Spanish helps), good pay and benefits. Santa Ana PD- Large dept, very busy (busiest agency in OC), large hispanic pop. (spanish speakers only), great pay.

[DOAcop38]

[QUOTE

I know there are Chippies that cite anybody and everybody. That is few and far between my friend. There are over 100 chippies in Ventura Co. I have talked to 90-95 of them. None of them would cite an officer.[/QUOTE]


I've tossed out "blanket" opinions also on some agencies,most of it based not always on prior experiences- Many times I've run across CHP officers (on duty and off ) they were cool and quite,if not OVERLY, helpful-pretty much "cheery folks" that rarely b*tch about their jobs,except during the Holidays, when DUIs, pursuits,and T/Cs go up!Only trouble I've ever had in 15+ yrs with the "road dogs" was some unneeded gun pointing and smart mouthed attitudes from 2 very "YOUNG" CHP officers who stopped me once- the issue was quickly "settled" when a Sgt from the West L.A. station happened to stop by the stop-I Think the Chippies go out of their way sometimes to be polite to the rest of the law enforcement community,as I have friends in LASD that love to f*ck with CHP officers,then think whipping out their "stars" will make the matter. Even LAPD has that "we're better than you " attitude with other PDs and the CHP( but they NEVER pull that B.S.with LASD) , and that gives them a bad rep-and it also goes a long way when it comes down to recruiting and ties with other Depts. P.S. I even take back what I said about San Diego PD! they took care of me on an issue with a "local" that got "fresh" with my lady friend on "E" street this weekend-I guess every agency has its own problems....

[aggienut]

Santa Rosa PD in Sonoma County seems to have a really good pay scale. Start at 65,000 base up to 80,000 base. I live in the Sacramento area but have looked at them seriously because their starting pay is close to the top step for Sac departments. Cost of living is still an issue in Sonoma County, but you can commute from areas like Lake County (about an hour out) and own a nice home.

[ask80]

lol you resurrected a super old post.

[marty33]

"Cavemen" and "Knuckle Draggers" ?? Wow,Must be nice to be such a holier than thou White Knight like DOAcop38. I take pride in being a Knuckle Dragger and a Caveman, WHEN I HAVE TO BE. It is a shame that fewer and fewer of the new police officers who come on do not realize that force is part of being a cop. That's why not everyone can make it as a cop, you have to have that side to your personality or you will not make it. Force, used judiciously, will keep you safe. It's cops with attitudes like DOA's that I don't want anywhere near me when the S**t hits the fan.

I bet you didnt mind when a couple of "Knucle Draggers" showed up to help you out in a fight, did you DOA??

[DOAcop38]

"Cavemen" and "Knuckle Draggers" ?? Wow,Must be nice to be such a holier than thou White Knight like DOAcop38. I take pride in being a Knuckle Dragger and a Caveman, WHEN I HAVE TO BE. It is a shame that fewer and fewer of the new police officers who come on do not realize that force is part of being a cop. That's why not everyone can make it as a cop, you have to have that side to your personality or you will not make it. Force, used judiciously, will keep you safe. It's cops with attitudes like DOA's that I don't want anywhere near me when the S**t hits the fan.

I bet you didnt mind when a couple of "Knuckle Draggers" showed up to help you out in a fight, did you DOA??



where'd that COME FROM ????????????!!!! White knight??? who me?I'D appreciate a FEW knuckledraggers where i work right now,considering ALL the "PC" oommpah luummmpahs i work with(some can't even hold the standard beretta 92 FS cause their hands are soo small).B4 you trash me,are you sure you read everything right? besides -this blog is OLD by almost a yr and half ( as ask80 said) now go chill somewhere,dude....

[SgtCHP]

My bad, the way I read your post, it seemed like you were saying 3% @ 50 was something unique to the CHP.

Some agencies with their own retirement packages are 3% at 50. Not all of those that are tied to CalPERS (CHP retirement) are at 3% at 50. It all depends on how much of a contribution their city wants to make. For example, Upland PD is still at the old rate 2%at 50.

Those that are tied to the CalPERS get a 2% raise annually after retirement with 3P (purchasing power provision) adjustments later on. LAPD, LASD and some other independant systems have their retirements tied into the regular pay raises their department gets.

Always something to evaluate for your future. Additionally, if one department is the top paid this year, they may fall behind next year. It all washes in the end.

Good luck to you.

[ask80]

La Palma Police finally raised their retirement to 3% @ 50. but i'm sure no one has even heard of the city or agency. lol

[Berlioz]

Heard of La Palma, been to La Palma, knew an officer from there who lateralled to Orange PD....and I live off a street called La Palma :p