West Palm Beach questions

[FordMustang]

Can anyone give me any info on the West Palm Beach Police department? How often do they hire? How hard is it to get on? Was also looking into the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Department.

Not going to go through all the civil service **** in mass...I like warm weather and beautiful women anyway.

What do you think my chances are on getting on such a department? I have an associates in Criminal Justice and about 20 credits at a State College. Trying to atleast get Boylston Reserve Academy done to add that to the application.

Also, How does the academies work in Florida? Can you self sponsor yourself? Do you just apply for the job and if they accept you do they send you?

Thanks,
Jay

[shaund44]

Ha man i was justlike you. You will probably have to put yourself through the academy. Its like 7,000.00 if you are a out of state resident. If you live there for over a year its like 2500.00 I looked in central florida and just didn;t like the area. Its a nice place to visit but i personally would not like to live there. The cost of living is going up fast, and its hot a hell in the summer. But i dont blame you for giving up on the civil service in Mass.What a joke it is.Most of the community colleges have a certification program and i know there is one in West Palm Beach. It also get exspensive missing work and traveling to florida for a few days at a time. Wish ya luck any more questions IM me.

[FordMustang]

Ha man i was justlike you. You will probably have to put yourself through the academy. Its like 7,000.00 if you are a out of state resident. If you live there for over a year its like 2500.00 I looked in central florida and just didn;t like the area. Its a nice place to visit but i personally would not like to live there. The cost of living is going up fast, and its hot a hell in the summer. But i dont blame you for giving up on the civil service in Mass.What a joke it is.Most of the community colleges have a certification program and i know there is one in West Palm Beach. It also get exspensive missing work and traveling to florida for a few days at a time. Wish ya luck any more questions IM me.

$7,000? Damn didn't know it was that much. If you get hired beforehand the department will sponsor and send you correct? (I'm guessing thats not common)

I'm not to worried about the cost of living in South Florida. Two other friends will be moving down with me so we will be splitting the rent, one's already a cop up here and ones a veteran from the Marine Corp...we are all looking for Law Enforcement Jobs down there and we are all in our early 20's.

[shaund44]

If time is on your side then i think that you should just go to the academy, which takes 6 full months or 9 at night. Or if you are accepted into the academy then you can apply to agencies that will work too. They will hire you if you are accepted into a academy usually not always. You will also need benefits also so ya got to get a job with bennies. The bottom line is that all agencies basically want you to be certified. Tons of jobs also in the state unlike Mass.

[igneous]

The humidity would kill me if I lived down there. Its like a sauna every time you step outside for atleast half of the year.

[normy0]

Here are a few websites to check out...

http://69.2.201.111/rc-police.html

http://www.wpbpolice.org/

http://www.pbso.org/

First one is City of Palm Beach - they will put you through the academy
Second is West Palm Beach - you have to be certified to be hired
Third is Palm Beach County Sheriff - they will put you through the academy

I looked into moving to Florida several years ago and it seems like the Sheriff's office and the City of Palm Beach are generally hiring all the time.

Hope that helps.

[manstown]

Ha man i was justlike you. You will probably have to put yourself through the academy. Its like 7,000.00 if you are a out of state resident. If you live there for over a year its like 2500.00 I looked in central florida and just didn;t like the area. Its a nice place to visit but i personally would not like to live there. The cost of living is going up fast, and its hot a hell in the summer. But i dont blame you for giving up on the civil service in Mass.What a joke it is.Most of the community colleges have a certification program and i know there is one in West Palm Beach. It also get exspensive missing work and traveling to florida for a few days at a time. Wish ya luck any more questions IM me.

You didn't look into it that much. If you apply for the departments, you won't have to pay out of pocket for the academy. Now for the living arrangements.....that will be out of pocket. I know a couple people that live there, that have said that if I were to go to a FL department, any in that area would be great.

[FedIG]

Baca Raton will also send you to the academy, however it will be in Broward County. They are hiring now.

[FordMustang]

Thanks for the info guys. I prob wont be moving down for atleast a year to a year and a half....hopefully departments are still hiring then.

...currently working on Part time/intermitment academy here in Mass, don't know if any of it will transfer over to a Florida Full Time Academy.

What kind of jurisdiction does the Palm Beach County Sheriff Office have? Do they also patrol say West Palm Beach city areas along with the West Palm Beach Police Department?

Thanks.

[Gibbmusic]

I've heard some very good comments about the Palm Beach Gardens PD and even spoke to a recruiter there. They were hiring at the time but I've heard the dept. is very selective. The cost of living in that particular jurisdiction appears to be through the roof, I'm sure most of the officers there live out of town.

Gibbmusic

[sflcop]

Palm Beach Gardens, Boca, and PBSO are all great agencies. PBSO is VERY VERY selective about whom they sponser for the academy. They prefer to hire certified officers. Boca will put you through the academy, but they require a 4 year degree.

[johnnyR]

Palm Beach Gardens, Boca, and PBSO are all great agencies. PBSO is VERY VERY selective about whom they sponser for the academy. They prefer to hire certified officers. Boca will put you through the academy, but they require a 4 year degree.


Do you have an idea as to how many pbso will sponsor through the academy per class?

say there are 40 recruits in a given class at pbcc, would say at least 15 are from the SO? or not even that many?

Just trying to get an idea, as I'm nearing the end of the process for an upcoming class.

[FedIG]

Palm Beach Gardens, Boca, and PBSO are all great agencies. PBSO is VERY VERY selective about whom they sponser for the academy. They prefer to hire certified officers. Boca will put you through the academy, but they require a 4 year degree.

Actually, Boca does not require a 4 year degree. Requirements are a minimum of 60 credits from an accredited college OR two (2) years active duty military with an honorable discharge, OR, three (3) years certified law enforcement experience as a police officer. (Not correctional officer)

[sflcop]

Boca must have just changed this, as they did require a 4 year degree under Chief Scott. I know they are hurting for people, which is why this could have changed.

[allamerican]

I worked PBSO close to 4 years. Unless you like dealing with politics and a climate were the deputy is guilty until you can prove yourself innocent I would not recomend PBSO. I would recommend Boca Raton or Palm Beach P.D. These are both very nice low crime areas. PBSO also patrols city of West Palm Beach. District-3 is a mix of incorporated and unincorporated West Palm Beach. District-3 also has Palm Beach Gardens, Lake Park, Riviera Beach. These cities have their own departments but their are unincorporated sections of the city that PBSO works. PBSO also has jurisdiction through-out the county so if you want to Poach an arrest in the cities you can. I worked District-3 when I was employed in PBSO and you will be going from call to call. This was good for experiance but it will burn you out. District-3 is also high-violance. I have worked in other S.O. since I left PBSO and I can tell you, you do not normally hustle for your pay as much as you will at PBSO. By the way cost for a home in Palm Beach County is currently averageing 400K, you will be starting under 40K a year so you will be renting unless the housing market crashes. I would not reccomend moving to Palm Beach because the above but what ever you decided, good luck.

[sflcop]

I worked PBSO close to 4 years. Unless you like dealing with politics and a climate were the deputy is guilty until you can prove yourself innocent I would not recomend PBSO. I would recommend Boca Raton or Palm Beach P.D. These are both very nice low crime areas. PBSO also patrols city of West Palm Beach. District-3 is a mix of incorporated and unincorporated West Palm Beach. District-3 also has Palm Beach Gardens, Lake Park, Riviera Beach. These cities have their own departments but their are unincorporated sections of the city that PBSO works. PBSO also has jurisdiction through-out the county so if you want to Poach an arrest in the cities you can. I worked District-3 when I was employed in PBSO and you will be going from call to call. This was good for experiance but it will burn you out. District-3 is also high-violance. I have worked in other S.O. since I left PBSO and I can tell you, you do not normally hustle for your pay as much as you will at PBSO. By the way cost for a home in Palm Beach County is currently averageing 400K, you will be starting under 40K a year so you will be renting unless the housing market crashes. I would not reccomend moving to Palm Beach because the above but what ever you decided, good luck.

Have to disagree with a lot of what you say. The agency has changed a lot under the current administration, as well as the one previous. Not sure when you worked here. PBSO does NOT patrol the city of West Palm Beach. That would be the West Palm Beach Police Department. D-3 is quite busy, but some people enjoy that. There are times that I love going from call to call, but I also love being able to self initiate activity. Hence why I work nights. The housing cost comments are correct, it is insane down here. PBSO starts at about $41 now... going up to about $45 in the next year. Just my .02

[allamerican]

sflcop in district-3 you could be working on the south side of okeechobee blvd and the north side would be city of west palm beach. This occurs from I-95 west to the acreage. The city of west palm beach even has a canal that goes all the way out past seminole-pratt whitney road. So yes you are working the City of west palm. I don't know anything about the new sheriff as I left before him but I was there for the two previous clowns.

[jerrymaccauley]

I have yet to see a PBSO deputy handle a call in the city. We do work well together, but they don't patrol here. Saying that the boundaries touch is a little misleading.

[sflcop]

sflcop in district-3 you could be working on the south side of okeechobee blvd and the north side would be city of west palm beach. This occurs from I-95 west to the acreage. The city of west palm beach even has a canal that goes all the way out past seminole-pratt whitney road. So yes you are working the City of west palm. I don't know anything about the new sheriff as I left before him but I was there for the two previous clowns.


Agian, that would not be working the City of West Palm Beach. That would be working unincorporated Palm Beach County. PBSO deputies do not respond to calls in the actual city of WPB unless all hell breaks lose and they are called for.

[FordMustang]

I'll be applying everywhere when I move down...just finishing off my degree and the reserve/part time academy here in Mass to add that to my resume.


I plan on applying at PBSO, West Palm, Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton etc etc

[allamerican]

Actually I have been dispatched to calls in the city. Upon arrival and verification that it was city jurisdiction city was contacted call TOT 10-8. Unincorporated west palm sounds like its country, which it isn't (just an extention of the city that has not been annexed due to low tax base).

[sco0437]

Whats all the big deal about entering the City of West Palm? PBSO handles rougher areas than the City anyway... Go walk around Westgate around 2am and see whats going down. Many of the Unincorp. areas of Palm Beach County have more action than the cities. West Palm is a good department.. but if you need help you WILL call the s.o..

PBSO is a good agency.. but be prepared to run call to call.. you will get experience..

[allamerican]

Exactly I use to work Westgate or if it was the acreage we use to go out with three deputys for 40k resisdents. A51, A52, A61, A62 I worked all those when I was their. Good experiance but no where you want to work your whole career.