POST certified college

[travel_light]

I'm getting out of the Navy in July and I was thinking of having uncle sam pay for me to go through the POST course they have at Valley College in San Bernedino. I've been reading and found out that some agencies would still send me to their academy if picked up. I would like to work for a department in the Inland Empire but will think about LAPD. My question for you guys is should I pay my way through or just start testing with these departments? I don't want to spend the time sending myself through an academy if I'll have to go through another one. Give me some info please.
thanks.

[nobody33]

Get hired and get paid to do it. You can still get your GI bill money too on top of your pay. (or atleast the military vets in my academy and several others in CA do). Everyone is hiring recruits right now. If you can't get hired and get paid, you won't get hired with the basic academy done. The extended academy is almost a year long. I knew a guy who was in the Valley college academy, made it to week 32 and broke his arm. He was going to have to start all over. Get it done in 6 months.

There is a recent thread on good IE agencies too.

[hbliam]

He can do the 6 month class at that college so that is an option.

That being said. Just get hired. Get paid 4K+ a month to attend the academy, already have a job when you are done, and start your retirement now. Go to school with your GI $$ after probation.

Regarding the recent thread on "good IE" agencies. It's all opinion based. The only department I would avoid in that area is Upland simply because of their poor retirement.

[SOCALCOP]

The SB Valley College Academy is the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Academy. You get about 15 college credits through that college weather you pay for the "college" class yourself or if you get hired and are paid to go to the Sheriff's Academy. You will not attend at the college campus at all. All of your training is done with other Pre-Service trainees and trainees already hired by PD's and SD's at the Sheriff's Academy. You will not have to attend any other California Academy (for the most part, there are some that want you to go through theirs) once you graduate. But my opinion is the same as others. Get hired at let them pay for the academy and earn a pay check at the same time. Stay away from San Bernardino PD. It is a career ender.

[ask80]

agreed. get hired and get paid and guarantee a job. everyone is hiring.

[pkagel]

Hey fellow Squid, thanks for your service.

Here are my academy notes and a lot of other info of interest to you. I have a lot of buds working out in the IE and they all love it.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CABasicPolice/

[travel_light]

thanks for the replys.... it looks like the best thing I should do is test and get hired. Thanks for all input, if you have any other input for a testing indivdual like study material etc... let me know.

[travel_light]

The SB Valley College Academy is the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Academy. You get about 15 college credits through that college weather you pay for the "college" class yourself or if you get hired and are paid to go to the Sheriff's Academy. You will not attend at the college campus at all. All of your training is done with other Pre-Service trainees and trainees already hired by PD's and SD's at the Sheriff's Academy. You will not have to attend any other California Academy (for the most part, there are some that want you to go through theirs) once you graduate. But my opinion is the same as others. Get hired at let them pay for the academy and earn a pay check at the same time. Stay away from San Bernardino PD. It is a career ender.

I'm interested in putting myself through because they have a class starting in July, right when I get out of the Navy. I have a buddy who tested for one of these departments in the IE about a year ago and he's still waiting on a interview. I thought it might be quicker if I sent myself through the six month academy and apply from there. what do you guys think about that idea?

[DOAcop38]

look for depts with accelerated hiring-like LASD,LADP,CHP- and apply on line the agencies of the I.E. ( inland empire) are all hiring so you can apply for Depts in either riverside county or San Berdoo/My take apply for San Berdardino Sheriffs,Ontario ,fontana PD,Redlands PD, and to the west,Pomona Pd.In riverside Co.Is Riverside SD,Riverside,Corona PD,UC Riverside PD.While you are on the internet asking "questions",you should be reading each depts website,tehn applying on line- wait for the calls.......save your GI bill $$$

[SOCALCOP]

Going Pre-Service is not a bad idea if you can afford it. Departments will go to the Academy and interview pre-service trainees and a lot of times they will hire you while you are in the academy. You will take off the pre-service patches and put that departments patches on and upon graduation you will have a job. Beware though, do not just take the first job thrown your way. Be selective, you have that luxury.

[ask80]

Going Pre-Service is not a bad idea if you can afford it. Departments will go to the Academy and interview pre-service trainees and a lot of times they will hire you while you are in the academy. You will take off the pre-service patches and put that departments patches on and upon graduation you will have a job. Beware though, do not just take the first job thrown your way. Be selective, you have that luxury.

lol. i've always been given the advice to take the first job offered.

anywanys i sent myself to an academy. i was fortunate to get hired and sponsored through the academy. and i also got paid too... it took only about 3 months to get hired. although i did a lot of driving from san diego to OC to do the interview, BI, poly, chiefs, med, psych.

[mbmx13]

I sent myself to an academy also. I attended the College of the Desert in Palm Desert. They have a program that is modular and you could finish it in 2 semesters while working at a full-time job.

I was hired for the last 2/3 of the academy and they paid for my ammunition and other items. There are a lot of departments that will hire reserves and then hire you full-time. Most of the departments in Riverside County will help you offset the cost.

I loved going to College of the Desert, having been a Marine for 9 years. The thing with modular academies is that you have to have the desire to work a full-time job, deal with personal and family issues, and still attend class while ensuring that you study all the time the required material for each class.

I loved it so much that I returned there as an instructor and still teach there on an intermittent basis.

It is like they say, "it is what you make of it!" I had background issues and I felt that if I put myself through an academy that it would give me the upper hand when applying for departments and it did.

My suggestion is, if you have a clean background, let them pay you to go through the academy but if you have issues in your background, check with different background investigators for different departments and let them know what your issues are, they will usually tell you whether it would be a problem or not.

Hope that helps

[hbliam]

What class # at COD?

[mbmx13]

What class # at COD?
I graduated class #5, Why?

[hbliam]

I graduated class #5, Why?

I did my Level I in Class #4.

[ask80]

agreed. if you have some small background issues, like i did, then send yourself. otherwise if you're clean then get sponsored. i think agencies in imperial county will hire if you have small background issues.