So does everyone really like AZ Policing?

[e-man]

I know this is a weird question and hard to answer but after reading all the posts about Phx and all the Valley here, it seems most everyone is happy to work in AZ.
Just a quick reply would be great. I am still torn about staying in PA and going to AZ, my wife would find a great teaching job there too, I think. Not so easy in PA.

[Blatant]

I don't have a lot of experience, but I suspect policing is policing -- at least in some regards. The people who stay in AZ truly love it here. I'm from Maryland and couldn't imagine moving back there.
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[hemicop]

Compared to "East Coast" policing I don't think it's as pro-active as back there & MUCH more P.R. minded (at least in Phx). Oh the work is there, & I think about the same. Where I think Az. LE excels is in training.

[cityblusuit]

Policing in AZ is most desirable especially between November and March....least desirable June thru August. How many mornings in PA have you gone outside, started your car, scraped off the ice and turned up the heat, locked the car with your spare key and then gone into your house in order to sh**, shower, and shave. Policing here is certainly a little more concerned with kissing it as opposed to kicking it. WHen I left my large midwestern agency of 14,000 I was dumbfounded by how much policing is just a job here. Back East policing was almost its own ethnic group, policing was a lifestyle, a way of life, a cop, was a cop, was a cop. And a cop who lived to retire was respected.

Very different here, its a job here. Dont get me wrong, people take pride in their job. Here, many decisions are clearly black and white, and little room is left for the gray. Back east you as an individual made decisions and accepted responsibility for those decisions. Here, there is a reluctance to make decisions at the street level. Decisons made by you your partner and another beat car while back east require a SWAT team here.

The climate and weather here inspire a different was of thinking down here. It causes people to take advantage of the outdoors, embrace family and treat self a little better here, it is a job but people make sure they do it right the first time. Accountability and credibility is vitally important here. You want an example, find a 20 or 30 year cop in Arizona, Physically compare him to a cop in PA, I guarantee he will be fitter, healthier, and he would never look old enuff to have been a 20 or 30 year cop. chances are he will also have a degree but he likely will not have the same streets smarts as you.

Its MAY, spring is coming, the snow is going away and you are saying its not so bad now. Winter will soon be upon you again and you will be wishing you made that move as you shovel your sidewalk or driveway and again get ready to scrape the ice off of your windshield. Every major department now accepts the Waiver process and is hurting for bodies. Believe me there is nothing like sittin by the pool on thanksgiving. Make that move!!!!!

[e-man]

^^cityblu^6 thats what i was looking for. Thanks to all who posted but Cityblu kinda read my mind. I guess with my experience and mucho training, I would probably be a lock to get hired some place good.
Weather wise, ha today was sunny as heck all day maybe 60 but when the sun went down, got actually chilly. Just last week it was 65 or so in the day and got below freezing at night. That wa a tough DUI standing out there in 32 or so weather in short sleeves. It does bite the big one here in Oh Nov, Dec. and maybe Jan and feb and march and even april. This yr is actually very nice. Working an accident at 0300 when its 25* out and snowing or even just driving in the steep hills of Pittsburgh, we get accidents all the time, cars running off the road, people slipping and falling all over.
BUT the general consensus and its not scientific here but theres not the same brotherhood out west as the east coast. But I lost all that when I left the city for a small dept. of 30 guys.
Hmm something to think AGAIN...

[AzInv]

Its not too bad,,I will support alot of what Hemi Cop says,,especially for certain agencies out here....There is not the brotherhood the East Coast has for sure..Police work is alot easier to do and the criminals are not as bright as the ones back East...two things you will miss are the people and food...

[IC74]

Ok here it goes. I'm new to the whole forum and thread thing but I've been reading this for the past few months and found them most informative. I work for a Department in the Atlanta metro area, prior to that I worked for several Departments in western PA, around Pittsburgh. I sent a lateral application into Phoenix and go out there in June for processing. Any tips, advice, comment, etc? Where to stay in town, close to HQ? Anything will help. Thanx in advance.

[n0mad]

Everyone wants to jump into a big pond and be a little fishy with the rest. In the larger departments, Phoenix and surrounding communities, its like cityblusuit said.. they don't like a lot of decisions being made on the street level; anywhere from a traffic stop, to arresting someone. I work for a smaller department, and they don't restrict us at all, we make our own decisions. We have a SWAT team, but most are on patrol and we won't call them out for small crap. We clear our own buildings with a two man team. We get to actually do police work, even if it involves danger. But go ahead and join a big city department so you can feel cool because it says "Phoenix" on your sleeve; you'll be missing out I think. And I'm not saying Phoenix isn't a good department, you just lose some benefits of the job, but you also gain some benefits like a good budget. Try a Sheriff's department, then you're really on your own for the most part, but hell, you get an AR-15, and you do everything yourself.

Again like cityblusuit said, its just a job out here. I hate that aspect, but everywhere I go, I'm scared to get involved with anything off-duty, because if someone wants to **** with me, I better just walk away. If I flash a badge, even to stop from having to fight, I may have to answer to an IA investigation for acting outside agency policy. So if a violent felony isn't being committed in your presence, you better just stay low and not get involved.

oh, and Mesa is hurting. They are low on cops, and low on budget. They are super busy all the time it seems, and I think morale is a little low. Definetly try to talk to some Mesa cops before applying there.

[hemicop]

Nomad & blusuit are right in many ways. As a recently (5/14/06) retired Phx cop I can tell you a few things about Phx.-- It's VERY political, more re-active than pro-active, very PR minded (they all are out here), and everyone's hurting for manpower. So why join Phx PD? The pay,variety,retirement, size of the city & upcoming changes look real promising. I grew up back East & can tell you first hand the comraderie & esprit-de-corps doesn't exist here. This area isn't as old or traditional as back East so you really can't expect the EXACT same sort of things. My advice is come out here on vaction, do a few ride-alongs with a PD or two, look around & ask questions, then decide.