worst agencies in CA to work for?

[noname]

Everybody talked about the best agencies in CA to work, what are the worst? Feel free to break it down by region. I'll start with San Diego PD. Great department, horrible pay and benefits. The city did its own pay survey and SDPD placed last in the region. Any thoughts?

[DOAcop38]

everybody-sooner or later is in the "dumps"(just like they ride a crest of good times) ,in terms of Depts.its all cyclical -politics and economy wise-San diego has had a longer history of it for their area,but they'll recover, and you'll hear about somebody else catching crap- maybe an oceanside,or ventura or redondo Bch PD, or Pacifica ,or Marin county Sheriffs,etc....

[nobody33]

I'm SDPD. I worked non sworn with 2 other so cal agencies before coming here, and did a ton of research before I got hired on, including ride alongs. SDPD has bad pay. Hands down there are very few agencies that have worse pay... SD school police, SDSU police, are the only 2 with in SD county. That being said, aside from the pay and benefits issue (and subsequent staffing crisis) this is a great agency. I have good supervisors, good partners (which makes it hurt more when the city forces them to leave), I can carry the gun I want, the gear I want, and use it. I can work a diverse (in geography and culture) area. Plus there is a lot of oppurtunity. But the pay is so bad even I might sell out and leave.

The worst are the agencies that don't get 3 at 50... even SDPD gets that... LASO doesn't, Pasadena doesn't, Upland doesn't, SFPD, among others. Some are close though... but I don't want to work even until I'm 55.

Hawthorne PD, Baldwin Park, Palm Springs, Colton, Corona, Ontario, lots of the small agencies pay poorly. I don't know where they find people. Coronado PD pays bad, and it's a rich city.

Maywood seems like a crummy place to be right now... read up on that. San Bernardino PD is paid well, but is scandal plagued and micromanaged... money ain't everything. Rialto PD was a hell hole but is making a comeback. I've heard unconfirmed bad things about Riverside PD.. they sold their people out after the Tyisha Miller shooting worse than even LAPD would.

Then you have the sheriff agencies that haven't gone the SDSO route and hired seperate Corrections Deputies... LASO OCSO SBSO.. and you are looking at anywhere from 1-8 years in the jail. I was speaking to an OCSO recruiter some time back that made patrol seem harder to get than a special detail job. Being in corrections is no easy job I'm sure... but it's not police work. If you can suck up the jail time, I've heard good things about the patrol side of each.

The south bay agencies in the LA area are historically low paid. Long beach PD until recently was losing people at a high rate, but they got a small raise to appease them. They still seem paid low compared to 2 miles away HBPD making 100k.

CHP has really fallen behind in their pay... and they still work 8 hour shifts.

I've heard horrible things about Fresno PD.

Of all I think pay wise Fish and Game wardens and State park cops have it the worst. There was a study showing they were underpaid as oppsed to SDPD.. now that's bad.

So what I learned in my search was that no where is perfect. The perfect department doesn't exist. And everyone is different as to what meets their wants/needs the most. I figured that since money isn't that important to me right now.. I'd go for where I wanted to be if that wasn't a factor.

[hbliam]

Hawthorne PD, Baldwin Park, Palm Springs, Colton, Corona, Ontario, lots of the small agencies pay poorly. I don't know where they find people. Coronado PD pays bad, and it's a rich city.

The south bay agencies in the LA area are historically low paid. Long beach PD until recently was losing people at a high rate, but they got a small raise to appease them. They still seem paid low compared to 2 miles away HBPD making 100k.




I don't know about the others you lumped with them but Palm Springs is right in there with most surronding agencies, pays your PERS, and has longevity pay.

Long Beach got more then a "small raise" and most guys with 10-15 years on will be in the 95-100K range now with the new longevity pay. They also gave an across the board raise for all Officers on top of the already negotiated 20%+ raise.

Edit...and CHP supposedly just got a raise and are testing 3/12's in some stations. Westminster being one of them.

[ask80]

LASO don't have 3% @ 50? what do they have?

I had a SDPD instructor and he likes SDPD a lot. he can carry any handgun, any shotgun, and any ar? but i'm sure SDPD will recover eventually.

i definitely wouldn't go near Maywood with everything going on in the news and being taken over by Feds.

[nobody33]

I don't know about the others you lumped with them but Palm Springs is right in there with most surronding agencies, pays your PERS, and has longevity pay.

Long Beach got more then a "small raise" and most guys with 10-15 years on will be in the 95-100K range now with the new longevity pay. They also gave an across the board raise for all Officers on top of the already negotiated 20%+ raise.

Edit...and CHP supposedly just got a raise and are testing 3/12's in some stations. Westminster being one of them.


I'm not very impressed with longevity pay. Especially when there are agencies that pay a lot a whole career.. not just the last 5-10 years. I looked at LBPD's current website, I'm not sure if that's the new raise... but I'm not impressed, maybe they haven't updated it yet. CHP's new contract wasn't very good and will not bring them on par with the top earners from what I read in their new mou.. or the average in the bay area (they make bank in the sticks though, and as SDPD gets a raise this year their raise will be higher next). As for Palm springs- Hemet, Banning, and RSO make more. You can chalk up Cathedral city to the list of 2 at 50 retirement, but they make more too. Desert hot springs pays dirt last time I checked, but that's a real small agency. Palm springs cops do get take homes... but then so does cat city and hemet if you like that.

Pay is all ways up and down though... 5 years ago SDPD was the it spot, so was Ontario PD, and several others (and where are they now?-- bottomed out). The best places (moneywise) are cities/departments with a healthy sales tax base. That's a recipie for more stability. (See Glendale/HBPD/Burbank/Santa Ana/Anaheim/Riverside). Having a good POA helps too.

[hbliam]

I'm not very impressed with longevity pay. Especially when there are agencies that pay a lot a whole career.. not just the last 5-10 years. I looked at LBPD's current website, I'm not sure if that's the new raise... but I'm not impressed, maybe they haven't updated it yet. CHP's new contract wasn't very good and will not bring them on par with the top earners from what I read in their new mou.. or the average in the bay area (they make bank in the sticks though, and as SDPD gets a raise this year their raise will be higher next). As for Palm springs- Hemet, Banning, and RSO make more. You can chalk up Cathedral city to the list of 2 at 50 retirement, but they make more too. Desert hot springs pays dirt last time I checked, but that's a real small agency. Palm springs cops do get take homes... but then so does cat city and hemet if you like that.

Pay is all ways up and down though... 5 years ago SDPD was the it spot, so was Ontario PD, and several others (and where are they now?-- bottomed out). The best places (moneywise) are cities/departments with a healthy sales tax base. That's a recipie for more stability. (See Glendale/HBPD/Burbank/Santa Ana/Anaheim/Riverside). Having a good POA helps too.

LBPD's website is not updated. It doesn't reflect the new agreements or longevity pay. It also doesn't reflect education pay of $4200/year for a BA or $5400 for a MA/JD. Or the countless other special detail stuff like motor pay, helicopter, K9, etc.

The officers that have put 10/15/20 years in are impressed with the longevity pay. 3@50 means 25-30 year careers. They are getting the extra $$$ for the last 15-20 years..not 5-10. Bottom line for guys that want a job is to apply at every City that you would like to work for and go where you get hired.

[Welpe]

You hit it regarding Fish & Game, State Parks pay. I actually looked at both of those but what they pay is simply ridiculous. I didn't want to do the job that much, especially when there are so many agencies paying decent money.

[ElDiabloJoe]

LASO don't have 3% @ 50? what do they have?

I had a SDPD instructor and he likes SDPD a lot. he can carry any handgun, any shotgun, and any ar? but i'm sure SDPD will recover eventually.

i definitely wouldn't go near Maywood with everything going on in the news and being taken over by Feds.
Per a member of the LACERA board (L.A.County Employees' Retirement Assoc), the formulaic equivalent of LASD's retirement is 2.62@55. HOWEVER, they have fully paid medical por vida, and their retirment is almost fully funded. That means that if every single member were to retire tomorrow, they would have enough money to pay them all their retirements. Many retirement associations aren't *any*where near fully funded and use the Social Security model of having the new people pay in so they have money to pay the retiring people.

EDJ

[nobody33]

LBPD's website is not updated. It doesn't reflect the new agreements or longevity pay. It also doesn't reflect education pay of $4200/year for a BA or $5400 for a MA/JD. Or the countless other special detail stuff like motor pay, helicopter, K9, etc.
.


I found the updated numbers in their MOU. It actually looks pretty good. The educational pay is fairly good too. Special detail pays are the standard... the one they had that was intresting was 10% for working a solo car during graves. As for the longevity pay they count time at other agencies also, so that's a good deal for laterals.

[hbliam]

I found the updated numbers in their MOU. It actually looks pretty good. The educational pay is fairly good too. Special detail pays are the standard... the one they had that was intresting was 10% for working a solo car during graves. As for the longevity pay they count time at other agencies also, so that's a good deal for laterals.

You actually get the one man car pay for working most of the swing shift as well. 8.5 out of 10 hours at 10% more.

[mbmx13]

Everybody talked about the best agencies in CA to work, what are the worst? Feel free to break it down by region. I'll start with San Diego PD. Great department, horrible pay and benefits. The city did its own pay survey and SDPD placed last in the region. Any thoughts?
Speaking from personal experience, stay away from the Coachella Valley (Indio, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, etc.) They tend to be very cliquish. With there being departments needing people so bad, there is a very high turnover per department there. Your best bet is to stick with a bigger department. A department close to the size of Riverside Police Department (300 something officers) and the siize of other area departments that have 150 or more officers.

Remember, that while you are on probation, you can be terminated at any time for any reason and there is nothing you can do about it!

I have been there and it is not a good place to be. The Sheriff's departments are your best bet because you work the jail first and don't have to worry about getting axed for something that you won't ever find out why because they are too afraid of being sued.

Just my opinion though,

Reserve Cop stuckinsecurity

[23109]

Actually, with CHP's new contract it brought us up to parity with the 5 agencies we compare with. Unfortunately one of those agencies is San Diego PD, which hurt when they took a pay cut. But LASO is another and their increase in pay helped us.

We're also in a trial phase for the 3/12 system which at this point in time seems to be working very well. It is a one year test phase with a 90 day data compilation at the end, so if we were to switch over it probably would be in mid 2008.

[Five-0fromSoCal]

[QUOTE=nobody33]I'm SDPD. The worst are the agencies that don't get 3 at 50... even SDPD gets that... LASO doesn't, Pasadena doesn't, Upland doesn't, SFPD, among others. Some are close though... but I don't want to work even until I'm 55.

Like DiabloJoe said, LASD gets basically 3@55 with the longevity pay. Also 100 percent medical for your spouse and you for the rest of your life. Very few depts get 100 medical.

[Rogerthump]

[QUOTE=nobody33] Also 100 percent medical for your spouse and you for the rest of your life. Very few depts get 100 medical.

With foot to arse related ankle injuries of deputies on the rise, it is badly needed. ;)

[GB0610]

You hit it regarding Fish & Game, State Parks pay. I actually looked at both of those but what they pay is simply ridiculous. I didn't want to do the job that much, especially when there are so many agencies paying decent money.

There pay may not be great, but they have one of the most sought after jobs for the type of work they do and the freedom they get. I work with these guys a lot. Its great do be fresh out of the acedamy and be able to do undercover buys and get involved in large scale dope garden raids. I wouldn't discount them if that is the kind of work you are into.

[DOAcop38]

So what I learned in my search was that no where is perfect. The perfect department doesn't exist. And everyone is different as to what meets their wants/needs the most. I figured that since money isn't that important to me right now.. I'd go for where I wanted to be if that wasn't a factor.

Actually,Sierra Madre PD is the LOWEST paid I know of ($39K to $48K/yr) then Richy -rich South Pasadena PD ($46K to 52K/yr)-funny but like Coronado PD( which supposedly has had their pay raised) Rich folks just don't like to have to pay for service that keeps them safe and happy!!!.and Not everybody that has 3%@50/55 pay full medical after retirement-LASD (2.65%@ 50 yrs and LAPD,2.7% @55) do!Like you said, go to an agency you want to work for and provides you the career and lifestyle you want .I recommend LAXPD to alot of people, but often get laughed at,becuase I meet people who want to do "Real" policing at such "hard hitting Depts" like Covina PD, Arcadia PD, La Palma PD, Glendora Pd ("yawwnnn").Then you have the add'l low paying Peace officer positions like State hospital Police ($32K to $42K/yr)-funny,but I don't know of ONE CA. L.E. agency that doesn't deal with crime and violent FELONS-not one ! And thanks to our "liberal inpublic" ,conservative "at home" citizens- we all deal with politics,and watchdogs.but as long as police work pays more than flipping Hamburgers or mopping floors for the avg person with a H.S. diploma,it will be an "opportunity"..........

[Rogerthump]

Rich folks just don't like to have to pay for service that keeps them safe and happy!!!

Ah, you forgot Beverly Hills Police Department. They pay well and have great retirement! Granted not all of BH is rich. Too bad I don't have a masters degree.

[DOAcop38]

Ah, you forgot Beverly Hills Police Department. They pay well and have great retirement! Granted not all of BH is rich. Too bad I don't have a masters degree.


considering 2/3 of the city of L.A surrounds B.H.,they have to pay ( or else the Bev hills would be "stripped bare" by the roving "angelenos" that make the city of L.A. the lovely "dump" it is. Santa monica- a trendy Westside suburb,pays well also,so you are right-shouldn't judge all richy towns like that,as PDs are an expensive thing to have( but still -Palos Verdes estates Pd? San Marino PD? south Pasadena PD? you'd think they'd have FAT contracts)

[jdlong]

Any of our 58 county Probation Departments!! :eek: We (Probation Officers) are extremely under paid. Four year degree required and I started at $15/hr. Ouch. I'm just bitching and moaning...6 years later and I'm doing just fine. My S.O. and PD bros always give me shi+ though..."my five years of college sure did pay off didn't it?" :D :(

[Big Shot]

Pleasanton PD has got to be the worst I've heard of.
They hired that the snitch from the Riders case, knowing that he was going to flunk his probation with Oakland PD and that is the only reason that he reported the Riders.

They play both sides of the card, they are full of officers who are misfits from other departments and they always act like they hire choir boys, (not so).

[willpolice4food]

So the former Oakland PD guy who now works for Pleasanton, he was in a band of corrupt officers and also committed crimes with them? Then he testified against them in order to get immunity?

Pleasanton PD has got to be the worst I've heard of.
They hired that the snitch from the Riders case, knowing that he was going to flunk his probation with Oakland PD and that is the only reason that he reported the Riders.

They play both sides of the card, they are full of officers who are misfits from other departments and they always act like they hire choir boys, (not so).

[ateamer]

The so-called "Riders" were not corrupt. They might have been a little rough, but they work in one of the worst areas in the country. If you learn the facts about the trial, you will see that Oakland PD's investigation was shoddy and biased from the get-go. The officers were never given a fair chance by their department. Their attorneys brought out all the BS the department had stuffed the case with. The officers were innocent.

[Ranger Hoot]

considering 2/3 of the city of L.A surrounds B.H.,they have to pay ( or else the Bev hills would be "stripped bare" by the roving "angelenos" that make the city of L.A. the lovely "dump" it is. Santa monica- a trendy Westside suburb,pays well also,so you are right-shouldn't judge all richy towns like that,as PDs are an expensive thing to have( but still -Palos Verdes estates Pd? San Marino PD? south Pasadena PD? you'd think they'd have FAT contracts)

I grew up in So. Pas and I always thought if I were to become an LEO there, I would be able to catch just about anyone....provided I knew their direction after the incident. There are only so many ways out of there with only a couple major streets. The PD does a pretty good job (at least they did back in the 90's) of maintaining the borders of So Pas. They are really the only PD I would consider leaving my current post for.....sometime down the road.

The city has changed a fair amount from when I was a kid (pre high school), but there is still that great small town feeling there. Unfortunately, I could never afford to own a house there....unless, the fam. decides to give it to me :D .....hey, people can dream.

[Blue Leader]

San Diego as a POLICE DEPARTMENT is just fine. We are paid lower than comparable agencies. That can't be denied but to say we are paid "poorly" might be a stretch. I make about $80K before OT, can retire at age 50 and get my medical paid upon retirement. I can't think of many other jobs where I can go make this money, working (if you can call it that) as little as I do...just waiting for the next big call.

I can also tell you from experience that $$$ is far from everything. I worked for Newport Beach as a civilian (many years ago) and then did a brief stint with Irvine PD. I thought that was going to be the dream job because of the pay & benefits. Pretty much a nightmare compared to SDPD. They babysit their guys and micro-manage the heck out of them. Guys were literally SCARED to hang out and talk for more than (5) minutes if there were more than (2) units present. They took reports just to fill their time. I saw guys fired for offenses that would get you maybe a written reprimand (no days off) down here.

[SV Goodguy]

You say you want some action? Kern County Sheriffs may be your answer....http://www.thegunzone.com/gagpix/kern-rmp.html

[ten-ninetyseven]

Any of our 58 county Probation Departments!! :eek: We (Probation Officers) are extremely under paid. Four year degree required and I started at $15/hr. Ouch. I'm just bitching and moaning...6 years later and I'm doing just fine. My S.O. and PD bros always give me shi+ though..."my five years of college sure did pay off didn't it?" :D :(

Geez, jdlong you know I'm lookin' to get in with probation & I've been going to school for five years and by the time I graduate six!! What in the world am I gonna do.....what about that investment? :(

Oh well, I already told myself I won't be (hopefully) doing it for the money!! LOL

[jdlong]

Geez, jdlong you know I'm lookin' to get in with probation & I've been going to school for five years and by the time I graduate six!! What in the world am I gonna do.....what about that investment? :(

Oh well, I already told myself I won't be (hopefully) doing it for the money!! LOL

Yeah, you'll never get rich as a Probation Officer. However, the four 10's schedule and 3% @ 50 retirement is pretty damn nice! I can't imagine giving up my three day weekends and going back to a five day work week. No graveyard or swing-shift in Probation work as well (unless we're working dope with our SO and PD bros at night and on the weekends). Plain clothes duty wear is nice as well....tough to beat 5.11 Tacticals, T-shirt, boots, and duty belt. Very comfortable. We get to dress real slummy and comfortable when we're working dope as well.

So...the four (I mean 5 or 6) year degree pays off in some ways! ;) Well, sort of!! :eek: :D

[ten-ninetyseven]

Yeah, you'll never get rich as a Probation Officer. However, the four 10's schedule and 3% @ 50 retirement is pretty damn nice! I can't imagine giving up my three day weekends and going back to a five day work week. No graveyard or swing-shift in Probation work as well (unless we're working dope with our SO and PD bros at night and on the weekends). Plain clothes duty wear is nice as well....tough to beat 5.11 Tacticals, T-shirt, boots, and duty belt. Very comfortable. We get to dress real slummy and comfortable when we're working dope as well.

So...the four (I mean 5 or 6) year degree pays off in some ways! ;) Well, sort of!! :eek: :D

Yeah, big time, after all of this studying over the years at least I want to actually "use" my degree :) . I've been at it really since the fall of 2001, and I can't wait to get back to work!! :cool:

The hours are definitely a plus,and I pretty much want to keep certain aspects of my family life undisturbed. I'm all for comfortable clothes!! The job just seems like it would really be a good fit for me, and I'm really looking forward to finishing school. Fall semester starts on the 27th.

[beachcop05]

Yeah, you'll never get rich as a Probation Officer. However, the four 10's schedule and 3% @ 50 retirement is pretty damn nice! I can't imagine giving up my three day weekends and going back to a five day work week. No graveyard or swing-shift in Probation work as well (unless we're working dope with our SO and PD bros at night and on the weekends). Plain clothes duty wear is nice as well....tough to beat 5.11 Tacticals, T-shirt, boots, and duty belt. Very comfortable. We get to dress real slummy and comfortable when we're working dope as well.

So...the four (I mean 5 or 6) year degree pays off in some ways! ;) Well, sort of!! :eek: :D

Dude you guys have it made! 5.11 tacticals, t-shirt and gun belt, I would love that! and you're armed too right?

[SoCalFed]

Yeah, you'll never get rich as a Probation Officer. However, the four 10's schedule and 3% @ 50 retirement is pretty damn nice! I can't imagine giving up my three day weekends and going back to a five day work week. No graveyard or swing-shift in Probation work as well (unless we're working dope with our SO and PD bros at night and on the weekends). Plain clothes duty wear is nice as well....tough to beat 5.11 Tacticals, T-shirt, boots, and duty belt. Very comfortable. We get to dress real slummy and comfortable when we're working dope as well.

So...the four (I mean 5 or 6) year degree pays off in some ways! ;) Well, sort of!! :eek: :D


My friends over at LA County Probation can only dream of that! The folks I work with are part of the DISARM team, which actually is armed. But the rest of the PO's with LA County are *unarmed*. Yes, over 95% are unarmed in LA. And a certain county supervisor in LA wants to keep it that way. And no one gets safety retirement! The folks from LA County Probation deserve the 3%/50 retirement...and to be armed. Sad to say, but until something happens, the policy may never change...

[jdlong]

My friends over at LA County Probation can only dream of that! The folks I work with are part of the DISARM team, which actually is armed. But the rest of the PO's with LA County are *unarmed*. Yes, over 95% are unarmed in LA. And a certain county supervisor in LA wants to keep it that way. And no one gets safety retirement! The folks from LA County Probation deserve the 3%/50 retirement...and to be armed. Sad to say, but until something happens, the policy may never change...

Yeah, I was absolutely amazed when I found out that the majority of LA County Probation Officers are unarmed. As I've said in past posts, you couldn't pay me enough to do what we do unarmed. Thank God I work for a Chief that takes an aggressive law enforcement approach and doesn't have the "hug a thug" mentality. Does the LA County Probation Administration NOT understand who their officers deal with? What the heck is their reasoning? Shoud their POs "talk" a felon out of killing them while at gun point on a probation search?

It's quite simple. Every contact we make or "call" we go on means dealing with convicted felons...whether it's in the office or in their dirtbag homes. Our officer safety risk is as high as any other LE position. How many cops would go on patrol unarmed? How many NARC units would hit a dope house unarmed? How many officers would make entry into a dirtbag's home to serve a warrant unarmed? NONE....and that's what we do everyday (well, at least in my county).

God bless those POs that are out there unarmed. I hope they AT LEAST have OC, vest, radio, and cuffs!! As you can tell...this issue really TICKS ME OFF!! :mad: :D

[jdlong]

Dude you guys have it made! 5.11 tacticals, t-shirt and gun belt, I would love that! and you're armed too right?

Yeah, I can't imagine being unarmed as a PO. As discussed in this thread, it sounds like there are a few county probation departments remaining that are still living in the "hug a thug" world and not arming their POs. Ridiculous. We're armed on and off-duty. My Chief supports us 100% when it comes to necessary training and tools of the trade. We're very fortunate to partner with our SO and local PDs as well. They (and we) understand the value and effectiveness of the Law Enforcement/Probation partnership. Works great.

[jdlong]

Yeah, big time, after all of this studying over the years at least I want to actually "use" my degree :) . I've been at it really since the fall of 2001, and I can't wait to get back to work!! :cool:

The hours are definitely a plus,and I pretty much want to keep certain aspects of my family life undisturbed. I'm all for comfortable clothes!! The job just seems like it would really be a good fit for me, and I'm really looking forward to finishing school. Fall semester starts on the 27th.

Yep, it allows for a nice family life. No crazy shifts and long hours...unless you end up working in a county task force unit...or conduct weekend sweeps with local law enofrcement. You'll love the job!! Select a Probation Department that takes a realistic approach to what we do and equips and trains it's POs appropriately. Sounds like you're doing exactly that. The degree will pay off in many ways. The ability to communicate effectively, write well, and articulate your actions in Court is huge. As you know from jail work, treating our felons with respect and the ability to use brains before braun is critical. Nothing worse than the gung-ho, cowboy Probation Officer, Cop, or CO that takes a code 4 situation and jacks everyone up for no reason...an officer safety risk for all.

[ten-ninetyseven]

Yep, it allows for a nice family life. No crazy shifts and long hours...unless you end up working in a county task force unit...or conduct weekend sweeps with local law enofrcement. You'll love the job!! Select a Probation Department that takes a realistic approach to what we do and equips and trains it's POs appropriately. Sounds like you're doing exactly that. The degree will pay off in many ways. The ability to communicate effectively, write well, and articulate your actions in Court is huge. As you know from jail work, treating our felons with respect and the ability to use brains before braun is critical. Nothing worse than the gung-ho, cowboy Probation Officer, Cop, or CO that takes a code 4 situation and jacks everyone up for no reason...an officer safety risk for all.

Oh yes the jail taught me much, and I have testfied in court before for a variety cases. Right now I am considering L.A. County simply because they are closer to my home, albeit the drawbacks of most of the P.O.s not being armed. That may change in the next year or so. I actually live in the OC, but that agency is not accepting entry level PO's at this time.

I am still attempting to find out more about L.A. County Probation, but there is not much info about the agency online, so I will just have to bite the bullet and apply when the time comes. They don't have a recruitment unit as far as I can tell, but perhaps I will make a trip in the near future to discuss with someone about the opportunities within the department. I am also considering Riverside as well.

Written communication will be no problem whatsoever, while I don't enjoy writing that much, I can articulate myself very clearly and probably go overboard with my writing!! As a student at 41 years of age I am very amazed that my professors consistently have to explain to my classmates as to how to write an essay. And I am also incredulous to how it is that many of my classmates even make it to these upper division courses with the way they write. Often I have to critique my classmates essays and I'm really wondering how they scooted through English 101. :confused:

[jdlong]

Oh yes the jail taught me much, and I have testfied in court before for a variety cases. Right now I am considering L.A. County simply because they are closer to my home, albeit the drawbacks of most of the P.O.s not being armed. That may change in the next year or so. I actually live in the OC, but that agency is not accepting entry level PO's at this time, and accordingly only accept laterals or someone can apply for DJCO & eventually transfer to DPO. I really don't want to do that LOL!

I am still attempting to find out more about L.A. County Probation, but there is not much info about the agency online, so I will just have to bite the bullet and apply when the time comes. They don't have a recruitment unit as far as I can tell, but perhaps I will make a trip in the near future to discuss with someone about the opportunities within the department. I am also considering Riverside as well.

Written communication will be no problem whatsoever, while I don't enjoy writing that much, I can articulate myself very clearly and probably go overboard with my writing!! As a student at 41 years of age I am very amazed that my professors consistently have to explain to my classmates as to how to write an essay. And I am also incredulous to how it is that many of my classmates even make it to these upper division courses with the way they write. Often I have to critique my classmates essays and I'm really wondering how they scooted through English 101. :confused:

Excellent, sounds like you're on the right track. Yeah, from the input DOAcop gave, it sounds like LA County Probation has a new Chief that comes from a law enforcement background. Hopefully he or she can work towards arming all POs. Sounds like arming is currently limited to specialized units.

I agree with your take on writing at the college level. Hell, you should see some of the writing that is submitted to the Court from our Deputy District Attorneys!! The assumption that all of us "edumucated" :D folks can write is certainly false. You can never go overboard in your writing. Details, articulation, and description are critical...particularly when you're writing a VOP report on an arrest you made that is sending your felon to prison!! The Judge and DA always appreciate a well written report.

[eagleI]

The so-called "Riders" were not corrupt. They might have been a little rough, but they work in one of the worst areas in the country. If you learn the facts about the trial, you will see that Oakland PD's investigation was shoddy and biased from the get-go. The officers were never given a fair chance by their department. Their attorneys brought out all the BS the department had stuffed the case with. The officers were innocent.

Thank you ateamer!
Don't believe everything you read in the papers. Except for the officer who fled to Mexico, the 3 who stood trial were outstanding officers. They stood trial twice and were either aquitted or had the charges dropped. Based on Oaklands treatment of these officers, elevating "Officer Rat" to hero staus, & other issues with Admin, I don't think very highly of Oakland PD. (Admin only, officers are great.)

[Code Seven]

http://www.officer.com/images/officer.com.jpg

[Code Seven]

http://www.officer.com/images/officer.com.jpg

[wildlife97]

I would have to put Department of Fish & Game Wardens at the top. They have statewide authority (and some federal comissions, I know NOAA for sure and I think they have USFWS), must have at least an AA, and natural resources law enforcement is widely known as the most dangerous law enforcement out there (tied with DEA).

But yet they are drastically underpaid.

Soem good things is the take home ride and you can make your own schedule.

[IronBruin]

Back from the dead!

[pulicords]

Vernon PD (I think they still have new officers sign a contract promising they won't leave for "X" number of years, after being hired. It's always a good sign when you legally promise not to quit, under penalty of being sued! :rolleyes: )

[IronBruin]

Vernon PD (I think they still have new officers sign a contract promising they won't leave for "X" number of years, after being hired. It's always a good sign when you legally promise not to quit, under penalty of being sued! :rolleyes: )

á la LAPD

[Code Seven]

http://www.officer.com/images/officer.com.jpg

[Ninja1234]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How times have changed!! You dont see threads like this anymore.

[hbliam]

and natural resources law enforcement is widely known as the most dangerous law enforcement out there (tied with DEA).



Hmmm, widely known? Not so much. I'm sure the argument of not having much backup can be made but a quick search of the ODMP shows it's more dangerous to work for the CHP then it is to work for Fish and Game or the DEA.

[ateamer]

I would have to put Department of Fish & Game Wardens at the top. They have statewide authority (and some federal comissions, I know NOAA for sure and I think they have USFWS), must have at least an AA, and natural resources law enforcement is widely known as the most dangerous law enforcement out there (tied with DEA).

But yet they are drastically underpaid.

Soem good things is the take home ride and you can make your own schedule.

-All peace officers in California have statewide jurisdiction.
-Do you honestely believe that being a game warden is more dangerous than, say, Oakland PD or LASD?

[wildlife97]

Hmmm, widely known? Not so much. I'm sure the argument of not having much backup can be made but a quick search of the ODMP shows it's more dangerous to work for the CHP then it is to work for Fish and Game or the DEA.

That is true that more CHP officers have died on the job but you have to remember that there are many times more CHP officers then DFG Wardens. I am looking to find the statistics that prove that natural resources (statewide not just Cali) and the DEA are the most dangerous, I'm not just talking killed in the line of duty but overall assaults on the officer while on the job.

[wildlife97]

Found it!

"Federal statistics show that game wardens and Drug Enforcement Administration agents have the highest risk of death on the job. The game warden is three times more likely to be killed by gunfire in the line of duty than the California Highway Patrol officer."

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/hunting/columns/story?columnist=swan_james&page=g_col_swan_endangered_game-wardens

[wildlife97]

Another good site:

"Even though the majority of crimes committed by poachers are misdemeanors, Fish and Game laws are some of the most dangerous laws to enforce. Some poachers are willing to kill to continue their pursuit of killing wildlife that violates only misdemeanor laws. The illicit trade in selling wildlife parts in “black markets” is second only to the illegal drug trade, involving hundreds of millions of dollars in the unlawful sale of wild animal parts.

This has led to two additional disturbing statistics:

-Statistics show Game Wardens at much higher risk to be assaulted or killed in the line of duty more often than officers of other agencies

-Wardens are most likely to be assaulted during their careers

Wardens patrol behind locked gates on large land holdings where there is a restriction on the access for EMS help or backup from other agencies that don’t have the same access, yet those areas must be patrolled to protect wildlife. Wardens patrol county, state, federal, and private lands.

http://www.californiafishandgamewardens.com/inland.htm

[LAschoolCop]

Consent decree...................................

[LA DEP]

Here is the link to the CADFG spot on the ODMP...

http://www.odmp.org/agency/500-california-department-of-fish-and-game-california

They have lost 12 officers in the entire history of the agency.....8 through gunfire (which makes it 66% of the total)......BUT, their last LODD was in 1984...and the last LODD from gunfire was 30 years ago (Warden Jones on May 14, 1979)

LASD has lost 25 Deputies since I started in 1988.....15 to gunfire......LAPD has lost 31 Officers.....16 to gunfire.......CHP has lost 42 Officers.....7 to gunfire......those are only the three largest agencies.....add around 75-100 Officers/Deputies to that number for all of the other agencies here in SoCal.....we have a memorial wall at STARS Center....there are far too many names on it.

Being a Game Warden IS a dangerous gig, but it is nowhere nearly the same as working a radio car in an urban area anywhere in CA.......

[bp574]

If I may put in my two cents about Ca DFG from inside the Dept. I did a research paper in college about this subject of how dangerous being a warden is. The US Fish and Wildlife did a study and found that wardens were X% more likely to be assaulted, X% more likely to be assaulted with a weapon, X% more likely to be alone at the time of an assault (I'm in the process of a move and don't know where I put this study, otherwise I would be able to give those percentages.) We can go back and forth on this subject all day but the fact is being a cop, any type of cop, is dangerous enough.

As far as the worst agency to work for...We are required to take our two furlough days a month (~10% pay cut until next year), our agency is drastically underfunded (we have no spending authority right now so some patrol vehicles are sitting in need of repairs, some officers driving on 4 used tires that they had to scrounge up, etc) Our radio system is outdated with more dead spots in the state than areas were the radio works. There were times I was told I couldn't patrol by boat (I was the primary marine enforcement officer at the time) because we couldn't afford to buy fuel. There is no differential pay except to our Special Operations Unit officers who get an additional 5% and FTOs who get 5% for training time only (K-9, Air Services officers who fly AND maintain the aircraft, marine, etc officers get nothing) AND in 6 years our officer have received "Surplus" (layoff) notices twice, this last time it was 98 officers they were threatening to layoff, almost half of our field staff.

The good...take home 4X4 ride, work out of my home, set my own shift, and like was said before in just a short time I've been able to patrol WAY offshore, by 4wheeler, snow mobile, and aircraft. I've done undercover work, currently have a K-9, and have had the chance to fly with the Air National Guard in a Blackhawk on marijuana eradication details.

All in all the goods outway the bads, as long as you love the job.

[SBSO_DISPATCHER]

any agency is better no agency :(