Need some Career Advice from VA LEO's

[Thin Blue Line]

I am graduating college in the summer and live in NC close to the VA border. I've always heard great things about the Virginia State Police, and was wondering what its like working with them (pay/benefits, opportunity for OT, day-in-the-life, etc.).

Here in N.C. our Highway Patrol works traffic exclusively, and I am assuming that since VA has State Police, that is not the case. Do road troopers work general LE, or mostly just traffic.

I would appreciate any help!

[chaser266]

Hey, buddy. Try running a search, there's already a wealth of information on VSP available here. VSP's roles vary greatly depending on the area. In urban areas, they tend to be almost exclusively traffic enforcement. In more rural areas, they tend to be involved in a better blend of traffic and criminal. Of course there are some specialized units out there that would be exceptions to the rule.

My recommendation is that you shop around a great deal. Check out the salaries, retirements, benefits, and job protections with different agencies. Many Virginia agencies have little or virtually no job protection, partly because it's a "right to work" state. Most Virginia agencies have plenty of room for improvement on their retirement systems.

Keep in mind that if you do go with VSP, you could be sent anywhere in the state. If you know what area you want to work in, definitely check out the local agencies there -- if there are any big agencies in that area, you might find that they offer a better variety of specialized units -- which might allow for more flexibility in your career options.