Wyoming Highway Patrol

[IAmJeff]

sorry if this was already asked, but do the years brought over as a lateral count towards retirement?

[TGM]

sorry if this was already asked, but do the years brought over as a lateral count towards retirement?

Retirement is completely funded by the state - you don't have to pay anything into it at all. If you are a lateral, the state will allow you to buy up to 5 years.

[IAmJeff]

how do you "buy" years?

[TGM]

Question from private email came in concerning location pay...

Yes - Some areas get free housing (state provides house & pays utilities). Other areas, like Jackson, do not have free state housing, but pay you a monthly location allowance. Last I heard, the average was an extra $600 month depending on the location. All this does is help put some extra money in your pocket for the high tourist areas that jack up the prices. Remember, among all the national forests and parks in Wyoming, we are home to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks.

Again - if your question is not "private" - please post here instead of email so all can see and enjoy.

[TGM]

how do you "buy" years?

That's a real good question...
I am going to "buy" 5 years from my county time in Houston, Texas - but there is no time limit on that so I have kept my Harris County retirement intact to grow there until I need it.

Basically, from what I understand, you transfer money for equal years from your old city/county/state retirement into the Wyoming retirement plan. So if you were a cop in smalltown, USA for 5 years - you can transfer that money from that retirement into the Wyoming retirment and get 5 years credit here - just like if you put in an extra 5 years here.

Now that the question has been asked - I'll call the retirement office in Cheyenne and ask more about that and let you know.

[IAmJeff]

hey, thanks a ton! everyone is right, you should be a recruiter. caught my interest.

[sniper13]

TGM, you should be a recruiter. Base on a lot of what you have said I sent my initial application in last week but the wife gave me a bit of a reality check so it may have been a bit premature. We plan on doing it but have to 1st see what our house will appraise for and put it on the market before we can do anything (housing market in the Atlanta metro area sucks right now). Once thats done were free and clear so maybe awhile before I can do it (1 or 2 yrs). Hopefully ya'll will still be hiring then.

[want2BTrooper]

TGM- I work for The Woodlands Fire Department, and I am an EMT-Intermediate.

[Sprague911]

WOW. You are getting hammered with questions. Let me add one. What does the employee contribute to health insurance premiums for a spouse and dependants? Does the insurance cover a lot or are you still left with a big bill after seeing a doctor?

[1042 Trooper]

Your doin' fine, TGM. DO you guys know he gets a commission award for every one of you he signs up? It's true!

Three more and he gets a NOX injection system in his squad.

Go get 'm TGM! Sammy aughta give you a promotion!

[nebraska_deputy]

Hey TGM,

One of the other deputies I work with is originally from the Sheridan area, his wife recently got a Physical Therapist job back in the area there. He was talking about getting out of law enforcement and I showed him your post on here about the Wyoming Patrol. He wanted me to ask you if there are any positions open in the Johnson or Sheridan area?

He also wanted me to ask you what he as Nebraska Certified officer would have to do to complete your training program there if he were hired. From what I understand from talking with him he has already found a house there and gave his notice here and is moving there in April or May. Any information you can give me would be helpful and I will pass it along to him.

Thanks

[TGM]

He wanted me to ask you if there are any positions open in the Johnson or Sheridan area?

I inquired about this and found that we do have one open position in Sheridan right now. We are about to graduate a big recruit class in a couple of weeks, but non of them are filling the Sheridan slot.

POST questions: If he is a NE POST certified sworn officer, he may take a 2 week challenge course and then take the Wyoming POST challenge exam. This is what I did coming from Texas, and the exam is very easy after the 2 week course if you have a little experience and common sense.

What they will do with him is put him in the next WHP academy (all the advanced stuff) and upon graduation he would go out into the field with his FTO and attend the next available challenge course. If he completes the FTO program (will be shorter for an experienced officer). He can be employed for up to a year before he has to take the challenge course.

[TGM]

WOW. You are getting hammered with questions. Let me add one. What does the employee contribute to health insurance premiums for a spouse and dependants? Does the insurance cover a lot or are you still left with a big bill after seeing a doctor?

The insurance is very cheap - I pay under $150 a month for me, my wife, and three little girls... The state pays about $1500 a month toward your health care. The plan is not as good as what I had in Harris County, Texas, however I paid $480 a month for coverage there.... so I'll take the $150 a month and pay a little more anytime!

You have co-payments for dr visits, and an annual family deductable that I will find out what it is and update this answer.

[nebraska_deputy]

Sounds good I will pass it along to him and more than likely I ask him if he wants to maybe chat with you personally about this. From what he was showing about the area lastnight at work on the net about the area it looks like it would be a great place to live and work.

Thanks

[wyostud96]

I concur.....Wyoming is a great place to live.

[mrvwbug]

Yes Wyoming is a great place to live.

I will miss it, but I still love my job even it is taking me to the hottest part of Arizona.

Going from Cheyenne to Yuma is definately a huge change.

[1042 Trooper]

Yes Wyoming is a great place to live.

I will miss it, but I still love my job even it is taking me to the hottest part of Arizona.

Going from Cheyenne to Yuma is definately a huge change.

Actually, Yuma sounds delicious riht now. We've had the coldest, snowiest wnter here in over 10 years. I'm about sick of it.

Mrs Trooper and I plan to keep this place in Rock Springs for summer, and winter down south. We've had just about enough snow.

After 20 years of working wrecks and road closures, I'm over it.

[mrvwbug]

I get to hear about the snow all the time from my wife, shes up in Cheyenne until I finish up here at FLETC. Im done with the basic academy, just in the spanish training program now which finishes up the first week of march. Then its off to Arizona for me.

[1042 Trooper]

I get to hear about the snow all the time from my wife, shes up in Cheyenne until I finish up here at FLETC. Im done with the basic academy, just in the spanish training program now which finishes up the first week of march. Then its off to Arizona for me.

ICE? Border Patrol? DEA? Homeland Security? Which one?

[mrvwbug]

USBP, Yuma Sector

[GroundPounder01]

Wow.. well MRVWbug, Your wife is enjoying a blissful 8 degrees right now.. so enjoy the warmth there, LOL! Hope all goes well!

[mrvwbug]

I get to hear about the cold every night when I talk to my wife. Maybe I will get lucky during the summer in Yuma and pull mostly swing and midnight shifts.

[gloriavoxdei]

I got my letter back about the test. I was wondering what the test is like, in Colorado it's just a high school equivelency test to make sure you can do the basic stuff, is that what I'll be doing in Cheyenne? Also, what does the interview look like, is it a board style or just 1 or 2 members of brass? At the test will there be people from all over testing for various departments or will it just be WHP? Is the hiring based off of a total score from the test/oral/physical or are the test and physical pass/fail? I know I have a lot of questions so take your time and thanks for the help, any other useful info reguarding the weekend would be great

[want2BTrooper]

What is WHP's policy on tattoos? I have a USMC unit tattoo on my forearm that is not offensive in nature. I'm scheduled to be at the next testing, but I would hate to spend about $500 to fly out there if I'm just going to be turned down for a tattoo. Thanks!

[1042 Trooper]

They used to have a "no unsightly" policy but we had guys with some mighty bad ones, including that spider web white supremcy thing on the elbow. Of course, nobody in our command at the time knew what it meant.

Don't sweat it unless it says "Cops Suck" or some such.