Other suggestions for SOCAL?

[phxsundevil19]

can anyone tell me about burbank, glendale, torrance, santa ana, chula vista and escondido? good departments? high morale? whats the scoop?thanks

[ElDiabloJoe]

Torrance: Good agency, well funded. Thinks of itself as a 'little LAPD', same way Newport Beach thinks. (Personally I don't think that is a benefit, but some do. IMHO it's a negative to pattern yourself on LAPD, FWIW). Has some very good people working there, enjoys a good reputation for the skill of its officers. Tends to fire probationers who aren't fitting in.

Glendale: Another good agency.

Burbank: Another good agency, perhaps not as well regarded as Glendale, IMHO.

Santa Ana: Pays VERY well. As a result picks from the cream of the crop. Has a good high-crime area to work. A couple laterals I know however said the place isn't all its cracked up to be though. Usually requires ONLY bilingual officers, however recently dropped that requirement temporarily to fill a large number of openings. Requirement may still be down, or may be back up again.

YMMV,

EDJ

[ask80]

chula vista : large growing area and dept. lots of money and brand new dept. nice contract and pay. lots of hispanics since it's next to the border. lots of crime in the old chula vista. not as much in the new chula vista where the nice houses are.

escondido is a small agency with take home cars i believe. good pay.

[nobody33]

can anyone tell me about burbank, glendale, torrance, santa ana, chula vista and escondido? good departments? high morale? whats the scoop?thanks


Add anahiem and Huntington beach to your list and you basically listed the top medium sized agencies in so cal in terms of pay and rep. All have around 150-400 officers.

So you must be well qualified to be looking at those agencies. Go on ride a longs and see where you fit in. Ask a lot of questions about what is important to you.

Some questions I always asked on ride a longs:
-Does an officer need supervisor approval to roll code 3... (I don't really care about driving, but this shows how micromanaged they are, and how much they trust their cops)
-What's the pursuit policy? (If I'm going to be the police, I figured I'd go to an agency where they let cops be cops)
-Can patrol officers carry rifles (show how progressive the agency is)
-How are reports written (my handwriting sucks, so having a computer is important to me)
-What's the culture like (hard core dog eat dog, or everyones a big family)
-Benefits-- Family and retiree medical is huge if you get that... and do you have to pay for your retirement?

Everyone is different though.

[GB0610]

Chula Vista is where all of the SDPD officers are going. Brand new station house, great pay (actually one of the best retirement/pays sysyems in the county).
Escondido has take home cars and is pretty sought after as well.

[madchiken]

Are you planning on applying to every dept in the country? Just browsing and I've noticed you ask about agencies in South Florida, LA, San Diego, the Border Patrol, Tucson, CHP...?

[hbliam]

-Benefits-- Family and retiree medical is huge if you get that... and do you have to pay for your retirement?




And you picked SD?

[nobody33]

And you picked SD?


I get medical for life. (new hires don't) I also get extra money back from benefits for being single (about 2k a year). So the benefit situation right now actually works in my favor. And everything else was perfect except for the low pay. But I wouldn't be a cop if I wanted to be rich...

Everyone's situation is different... for someone with a wife, or kids, it would be undo able.

I did get burned on the retirement contributions. Not much I can do about it now. It was in line with other agencies when I started at about 8%. Now it's about 13%. Many agencies pick up the employee contributions all together...

[hbliam]

I get medical for life. (new hires don't)

That's a major issue that they don't want you guys to think about right now. New hires aren't going to be contributing anything to pay for your lifetime medical. You will be lucky to actually see that. Any system that gives different benefit plans to guys doing the same job is bound to have problems. Like when they all have 15 years on and sue to keep THEIR money from going to someone else's better benefit package.


Anyway. Glad you like it there.

[ask80]

you should also ask if Sgts need to give you premission to make arrests in the field. talk about micromanaging... sheesh.

hey devil, i'm assuming you only want to apply to the highest paying departments?

[DOAcop38]

That's a major issue that they don't want you guys to think about right now. New hires aren't going to be contributing anything to pay for your lifetime medical. You will be lucky to actually see that. Any system that gives different benefit plans to guys doing the same job is bound to have problems. Like when they all have 15 years on and sue to keep THEIR money from going to someone else's better benefit package.


Anyway. Glad you like it there.


"liam- seems that SDPD mgm't is playing a seriously DUMB game-jamming up the benefits and lowering the pay out of the attitude that there'll be plenty of people who want the job anyway is wrong and sends the wrong message.In a time where everyone is demanding TOP recruits and "quality applicants",paying them the equivalent of a McDonalds mgr is pitiful and unfair.I think that the local gov't has itself to blame solely and when public safety suffers ( San diego has a rough and rowdy history just like L.A. county too),it won't be the coppers fault.Tough decision ,but local business(big and small) are going to have to be leaned on again to pay their due for all that good safe days ,weeks,months of being able to do business without a shotgun stuck in their employees or customers faces,or have their shops and bldgs burglarized.I just hope that this doesn't become a "Trend" for many local gov'ts to go after coppers/firefighters pay and benies everytime a city gets in a pickle(locally tiny Gardena ,CA PD had some serious City money problems,but they gutted it out slowed the hiring and spending and turned it around WITHOUT cutting employess pay or frindges).Simple plan- contract out yout trash services ,contract out your clerks and maint. employees,but FIND the $$$ to pay your blue suiters- they hold the city together and DESERVE BETTER.

[nobody33]

That's a major issue that they don't want you guys to think about right now. New hires aren't going to be contributing anything to pay for your lifetime medical. You will be lucky to actually see that. Any system that gives different benefit plans to guys doing the same job is bound to have problems. Like when they all have 15 years on and sue to keep THEIR money from going to someone else's better benefit package.


Anyway. Glad you like it there.


No one contributes to lifetime medical here. It comes straight from the general fund as far as I know. I believe the county is different though. The only way they can take it away is to negotiate with the POA, and the POA will never give it up. They are trying to take away DROP... we will see what happens with that. POA is going to fight it tooth and nail. Both will probably be decided on in court, and so far we are winning those battles.

[hbliam]

No one contributes to lifetime medical here. It comes straight from the general fund as far as I know. .

Wow. That's even scarier then I thought.

ANyway. I'm sure they will start paying more soon. What other choice do they have? SDSD?

[nobody33]

Wow. That's even scarier then I thought.

ANyway. I'm sure they will start paying more soon. What other choice do they have? SDSD?


They can't contract out police or fire services... it's against the city charter. I don't think SDSO could handle it anyways. They are larger in total workforce and budget than SDPD, but patrol wise they handle 500k less people than SDPD, and have about 800 less sworn (budgeted positions) when you take away the jail deps.

[hbliam]

They can't contract out police or fire services... it's against the city charter. I don't think SDSO could handle it anyways. They are larger in total workforce and budget than SDPD, but patrol wise they handle 500k less people than SDPD, and have about 800 less sworn (budgeted positions) when you take away the jail deps.

Last I checked the City Charter can be changed by the same guys that are screwing you guys right now. Your other reasoning is more valid.

[Berlioz]

(Personally I don't think that is a benefit, but some do. IMHO it's a negative to pattern yourself on LAPD, FWIW).

Why is this?

[phxsundevil19]

well i am from socal, so i have thought of going back, i live in phoenix, so obviously i have ann interest here. i love south florida(not sure about living there). i looked at border patrol because i could start right away (im not 21 yet)I simply want to find the best fit for me... and not i am not looking for the highest pay, i want to go somewhere where the ret is good, benefits is good, pay is good, and a well respected dept...

[ElDiabloJoe]

IMHO it's a negative to pattern yourself on LAPD, FWIW).
Why is this?Because they are incestual (they rarely train with other County agencies), they require you have a Sergeant bless any arrest you want to make (they micromanage), they were developed under a City Charter system that was fed by a political machine, and that has resulted in an agency not free to be itself- it must have every move blessed by the Feds under the Consent Decree. They enjoy poor morale, poor public support, poor equipment, and a poor reputation.

Why would anyone want to be like LAPD?

Of course, YMMV, IMHO, My .02, FWIW, Etc.

EDJ

[Fuzz]

Chula Vista, or should I say chulajuana, is where all of the SDPD officers are going. Brand new station house, great pay (actually one of the best retirement/pays sysyems in the county).
Escondido has take home cars and is pretty sought after as well.


Chula Vista has 4/10's, full medical,3 @50 retirement no officer contribution,three years remaining on a good contract, lots of specialty assignment, growing city, very busy,good public support, lots of freedom to work. If you have any specific questions send me a private message.

[DOAcop38]

Because they are incestual (they rarely train with other County agencies), they require you have a Sergeant bless any arrest you want to make (they micromanage), they were developed under a City Charter system that was fed by a political machine, and that has resulted in an agency not free to be itself- it must have every move blessed by the Feds under the Consent Decree. They enjoy poor morale, poor public support, poor equipment, and a poor reputation.

Why would anyone want to be like LAPD?

Of course, YMMV, IMHO, My .02, FWIW, Etc.

EDJ


'DJ" you swung hard that time! Bare in mind that the last poster,Berlioz,is currently in LAPD academy as a recruit officer.It was funny but when I- a "lowly" airport cop,said the same things a while back I had lots of LAPD-philes and even a few LASD types tell me I didn't know squat.I remember alot of my "LAPD indoctrination" while in their academy about how "superior" their training was ( we actually practiced radio usage with wood blocks cut to simulate radios then and our MDT system trng had older machines that usd chewing gum wads to replace lost or broken keys) .That is one fault that LAPD has always had- they don't cross train with other local agencies the way the Sheriff does( I should say sheriffs,as the 5 local counties all assist or allow local agencies to participate in triaing and regional issues).Currently Bratton ****ed and moaned to until he got Airport PD to return to trng at LAPD academy under the guise of "uniformity"( he didn't like the fact that SEB trained our current SRT team!),yet LAPD is STILL failing to keep up its part of the bargain with us-a signed MOA- in terms of agreed upon crime info dissemination,inter agency task force networking,Adv. officer training days-unless its some less than desireable course they can't force their guys thru,and general communication. True that LAPD is a world unto itself and it can suport itself,but as we know crime in L.A. county is often interrelated and what goes down in one are can often have efects on another 20 miles away.

but you also must realize that LAPD grew up almost in the same way that the LASD grew up as a local agency(both have parallel histories).Being the largest police dept in the state,it has had to develop its own culture,and has been protective of that culture from "outsiders"-even other city affiliated depts that work within their system like mine are considered" outsiders".LAPd is very regimented and are notorious for destroying rainforests-due to all the paperwork and forms they use.Their quest for perfection ,spirited by police legends such as August Vollmer and Wm .H Parker ,has been in response to their darker side- the corruption and brutality that has oft risen its head with them. I think LAPD is a very good police dept-full of checks and balances,but their policies have also insulated them to their sister L.E. depts locally,as well as bred contempt for them and their contempt for others.When I once argued with a few LAPD officers I know that the LASD was the primary L.E. for the ALL of the county of L.A.,man,did I get chewed on about how the LASD" is only responsible for the jails",how they have NO jurisdiction in the city proper( my reply was that sheriff Baca regularly reports to L.A.city council on both L.A. county and L.A. city related crime issues ,just like Bratton),and about how few resources and ability the Sheriff have to do "business" in L.A.-many forget that the S.F. valley nearly went independent and would have become the stomping grounds for LASD!

Having worked with both in situations -I like their dissimilar style.LASD shows up no matter what and will either organize the show or provide uniforms to help-no ego,just lets get to "butt kicking". LAPD wants to run everything when you ask for them,but they empty out their entire "toy box" to get the job done.If you follow their lead ,they'll always return to help,but if you cross them you get cold shoulders.I have only heard a few neg. opinions of depts from LASD personnel( county police,etc) about other depts,but regualrly hear LAPD beefs about other locals,i.e. culver city PD,santa Monica ,Bev Hills,UCLA,CSUPDS,Inglewood,etc-and I equate that to LAPDs rigid operating stance.Equally serious is the fact that LAPD,unlike LASD and other local Depts,has until now been very weak in accepting the fault for the mistakes it has made.Many times I've seen the late Sheriff Block and current Sheriff Baca make what amounted to public apologies for screw ups,but LAPD has always had that "its an internal issue,don't ask questions,we'll deal with it" attitude that has often alienated them from the citizens they serve.but in all fairness the LAPD I knew as a kid ,and the LAPD I was trained under, has changed dramatically.They are still a powerful force to be reckoned with ,as well as deadly efficient and professional.working the #1 city dept(LAPD) in the nation or the #1 county Dept(LASD) in the nation should be a thrill to any applicant.

[ElDiabloJoe]

Very good insight into the LAP-Dog perspective. I appreciate your taking the time to pen that missive.

I apologize if I was vague, I wasn't faulting young Berlioz, and I knew he was at the end of his processing with LAPD. He simply asked why I think that smaller agencies patterning themselves as "Lil LAPDs" is not a positive in an agency when one is looking to apply with the smaller agencies.

I did do my best to caveat my post, as I do all that are simply my opinion, with lots of Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV), My. 02 cents, In My Humble Opinion (IMHO, For What It's Worth (FWIW), Etc.

And my opinion is just that, and worth what you paid for it.

Thanks again for the insight, that does seem to reflect the reality of my experiences with Rapid LAPiD.

EDJ

[DOAcop38]

.... He simply asked why I think that smaller agencies patterning themselves as "Lil LAPDs" is not a positive in an agency when one is looking to apply with the smaller agencies.


the agencies you qouted as being "mini LAPD" in mindset have had LAPD leadership and personnel transfer to them, as well as set their tone of operation.At one time in the past ,LAPD trained Newport Bch PD officers and field supervisors ,so I guess that never wore off(LAPD only rarely trains outside agencies,and only those that usually have some affiliation with the city of L.A.,unless its a CA. POST generic course)LASD under the County sheriff actually has a responsiblity to local L.E. to train and assist in deploying them, but never pushes its command and control style on anyone from what I've seen.......