Is "wannabe" such a bad thing?

[BlueLineWalker]

For a few years now I have volunteered for LEO fundraisers, attended and "passed" though a Citizen's Police Academy. I am a member of NLEOMF,
OfficerDown, and other various associations. I have been on ride-alongs,
enthusiastically read "Police" and "American Police Beat", and recently enlisted for online Criminal Justice college courses.
Now my question: Why do I feel like I get kicked in the crotch when I read or hear sworn Officers refer to "Blue Line Buddies", like me, as a WANNABE?
Of course I am a wannabe! And I am going to do whatever it takes to help any or all LEOs! Am I really kidding myself? Do sworn Officers actually want me to "go away" ? Please let me down easy. Thank you, Officers!

[1UNDER1]

For a few years now I have volunteered for LEO fundraisers, attended and "passed" though a Citizen's Police Academy. I am a member of NLEOMF,
OfficerDown, and other various associations. I have been on ride-alongs,
enthusiastically read "Police" and "American Police Beat", and recently enlisted for online Criminal Justice college courses.
Now my question: Why do I feel like I get kicked in the crotch when I read or hear sworn Officers refer to "Blue Line Buddies", like me, as a WANNABE?
Of course I am a wannabe! And I am going to do whatever it takes to help any or all LEOs! Am I really kidding myself? Do sworn Officers actually want me to "go away" ? Please let me down easy. Thank you, Officers!


Brother I back you 100%, the hell what others say, you are helping in your own way, and I THANK YOU SINCERLY, keep doing what you are doing to back up the boys in blue. :D

[LA Cop]

I certainly don't have a problem with people who are enthusiastic about cop stuff -- reading police mags, listening to the scanner, etc. I think it's the few bad apples that spoil the whole barrel...

It's the people who walk around with a scanner and an earpiece at the mall trying to look like some kind of undercover cop. Or the people who pull their car over behind me when I'm on a traffic stop and tell me that they were just "backing me up". When you start causing problems playing cop, that's when being a wannabe is a bad thing.

Other than that, I think it's great. Most cops started out being a "wannabe" because having the enthusiasm and dedication necessary to pursue this career is usually a prerequisite to getting the job!

[t150vsuptpr]

For a few years now I have volunteered for LEO fundraisers, attended and "passed" though a Citizen's Police Academy. I am a member of NLEOMF,
OfficerDown, and other various associations. I have been on ride-alongs,
enthusiastically read "Police" and "American Police Beat", and recently enlisted for online Criminal Justice college courses.
Now my question: Why do I feel like I get kicked in the crotch when I read or hear sworn Officers refer to "Blue Line Buddies", like me, as a WANNABE?
Of course I am a wannabe! And I am going to do whatever it takes to help any or all LEOs! Am I really kidding myself? Do sworn Officers actually want me to "go away" ? Please let me down easy. Thank you, Officers!

Most were "wannabes" for some time before they got on. I first started wanting to be a trooper when I was 6 or so years old, got on when I was 24. That's about 18 years as a "wannabe". :)

It was either this or driving a truck. :D

[lionheart45]

I feel that some guys got VERY lucky and were hired young and got right in, they have no clue how hard it is for others to get a job in LE.

They don't realize most of the "wanna be's" and "aux" cops would love to be cops but never had the luck/connections/opportunity they did.

For a few years now I have volunteered for LEO fundraisers, attended and "passed" though a Citizen's Police Academy. I am a member of NLEOMF,
OfficerDown, and other various associations. I have been on ride-alongs,
enthusiastically read "Police" and "American Police Beat", and recently enlisted for online Criminal Justice college courses.
Now my question: Why do I feel like I get kicked in the crotch when I read or hear sworn Officers refer to "Blue Line Buddies", like me, as a WANNABE?
Of course I am a wannabe! And I am going to do whatever it takes to help any or all LEOs! Am I really kidding myself? Do sworn Officers actually want me to "go away" ? Please let me down easy. Thank you, Officers!

[1UNDER1]

Amen Brother :d

[Mirrain]

Exactly as "LACOP" posted.

I happily enjoy someone who respects and appreciates the type of work we do vs those who hate us yet have no idea why.

[keith758]

My definition of a "wannabe" is someone that buys an old Crown Vic, outfits it with a police radio/scanner, wears a semi-uniform, and wants people to think they are a cop.

Just because a person volunteers time to learn the role of a Police Officer and supports Police Officers, doesn't make them a "wannabe."

[LHPCop]

I'm a former wannabe.

We were ALL former wannabes.

Some cops forget that.

Keep doin what u do!

[Guitar Cop]

For a few years now I have volunteered for LEO fundraisers, attended and "passed" though a Citizen's Police Academy. I am a member of NLEOMF,
OfficerDown, and other various associations. I have been on ride-alongs,
enthusiastically read "Police" and "American Police Beat", and recently enlisted for online Criminal Justice college courses.
Now my question: Why do I feel like I get kicked in the crotch when I read or hear sworn Officers refer to "Blue Line Buddies", like me, as a WANNABE?
Of course I am a wannabe! And I am going to do whatever it takes to help any or all LEOs! Am I really kidding myself? Do sworn Officers actually want me to "go away" ? Please let me down easy. Thank you, Officers!

Some guys don;t like ridealongs because they don;t want some civilian in the car with them watching them catting around on their wives, ducking calls and goofing off. A cop comes to work for a particular shift with several non-job related plans in the back of his mind. He may be house hunting, looking for a dependable used car, triyng to meet with his mistress, needing to do a 45 minute metamucil mambo with the Sunday paper.....or maybe he is one of those cops who may be a bit "unorthodox" and he does not want some civilian watching him.
Sometimes a ridealong will make a formal complaint on a cop after a ridealong. I had some fat woman tell my LT that I was mean and insensitive to domestic violence victims
So when you show up for the ridealong and the Sgt says "who wants to take the ridealong" and the guys start arguing "I had the last one-it's you turn...." don;t take it personally

[Blackdog F4i]

I have no problems with anyone who supports us in what we do. As was previously posted. It's the ones who CAUSE problems that I dislike. When you cross the line from listening to scanner traffic at home to riding around in your car and showing up at runs (we have had that before) or getting out on my traffic stop, we have problems.

I am not talking about assisting an officer who is obviously in need.

I do think it's kind of odd though. The people who listen to scanners 24/7. I actually had a lady come up to me in a gas station and ask what my radio callsign was. She said she listens to the scanner all the time and keeps track of what officers are what. I don't even have a scanner, and when I go home the radio goes off.

[Guitar Cop]

Most were "wannabes" for some time before they got on. I first started wanting to be a trooper when I was 6 or so years old, got on when I was 24. That's about 18 years as a "wannabe". :)

It was either this or driving a truck. :D

You wanted to be a trooper since you were 6 ???????

Isnt that a little young?

When you and your cop buddies played cops and robbers on your big wheels, did you write the other Big Wheel cops tickets?

The seeds of me wanting to be a cop were planted in me when I was a senior in high school. I had a part time job in this dirty ghetto supermarket that hired off duty cops to work security.

I would stand there bagging for hours and have to clean the floors and toilets while I would watch the off-duty cop leaning on a register DOING NOTHING. Every once in while, they would arrest somebody or throw out a drunk, but the majority of time they did nothing. I said to myself "I can do that"

[SoCalFed]

My definition of a "wannabe" is someone that buys an old Crown Vic, outfits it with a police radio/scanner, wears a semi-uniform, and wants people to think they are a cop.

Just because a person volunteers time to learn the role of a Police Officer and supports Police Officers, doesn't make them a "wannabe."

Amen! The "wanna be" down the street from me (who definitely fits the criteria) just added two more fake antennas to his Crown Victoria. It already has two cell phone antennas, a push bumper, and dark tinted windows. To the public, it is a "undercover" car, but to the rest of us it is a wanna be....

[1UNDER1]

So pretty soon w/ all the antennas it will look like sputnick? :D

[mainman_3]

You wanted to be a trooper since you were 6 ???????

Isnt that a little young?

When you and your cop buddies played cops and robbers on your big wheels, did you write the other Big Wheel cops tickets?

The seeds of me wanting to be a cop were planted in me when I was a senior in high school. I had a part time job in this dirty ghetto supermarket that hired off duty cops to work security.

I would stand there bagging for hours and have to clean the floors and toilets while I would watch the off-duty cop leaning on a register DOING NOTHING. Every once in while, they would arrest somebody or throw out a drunk, but the majority of time they did nothing. I said to myself "I can do that"




Only about 2,555 more days until im old enough to become "a man in blue" :(

[Cptdragn]

It was either this or driving a truck. :D

Wait a second, What's wrong with a truck? :)

I went the long way around. From truck into police work.
though some that went from LEO to truck keep telling me I've lost my mind ;)

[stangfather]

i dont know if there is something wrong with being a "wannabe" per se but i do know its a tad creepy to drive a Crown Vic made up like a RAID car or to walk around dressed like a douchbag from DOG The Bounty Hunter.
i see guys like that all the time, ranging in age from 16 to 50...i t never ceases to amaze me.

ive seen all of the "wannabe" offenses, its hilarious, i had a family member ask if i was training to be a Officer, why wasnt i a Security guard someplace??

i laughed my *** off.

last year i was working at a dept store as a security camera operator, working with two of my buddies who are municipal officers, just doing part time work, it was fun, i was there a year and racked up more arrests for more money (stolen items) per apprehension, than in the 4 years before i was hired combined...and got to hang with my buddies as well, thats as close as im getting to being a rent-a-cop. :D

sure im a wannabe/in training, but i dont roll around letting peole think im a officer when im not, that attitude is dangerous.

i have been asked by officers if i was "on the job" before tho..i tend to keep my back to the walls and scan my area, but thats due to some vacation time in the sandbox, not cause im paranoid...

:)

[Frank Booth]

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