I'm interested in a new career in LE. Need some advice.

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  • THE BIG SITT

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    So my current job sucks, and its time for a change. My wife is kinda pushing me to pursue a career in LE like I have talked about with her since we've been married (7 years now). I have no idea where to begin. Based off of nothing, I'd assume I'd want to work for the Johnson County Sheriff's office, or Greenwood/Bargersville PD, but I have no real clue.

    With how unstandardized everything seems to be nationwide, and even statewide, I don't know where to begin to look for information like hiring process, starting pay, training and academy requirements, academy pass rates, benefits, etc.

    I'm sure there is a member or two who can lend a helping hand, right?

    Thanks all!
     

    THE BIG SITT

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    Man I haven't been on here in a long time. I need to update that profile picture. I've got twice as many kids now!

    Also, is 28 (almost 29) too old to be considering something like this?
     

    VUPDblue

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    Check out the websites of every agency you are interested in, and they should have hiring information along with salary and benefit info. You’ll have to go to ILEA unless you get on with IMPD because we have our own academy. At ILEA you live there all week and go home on weekends. At IMPD it’s like a day job and you go home every night. You can go to ILEA’s website to see the physical fitness requirements, and I’d start training yesterday if I were you. I don’t think 29 is too old, as I went through the academy at that age (actually a little older). As far as graduation rates, I have no idea what they are at the state level, but at IMPD we generally graduate about 80% of those who start the academy. You’ll find pay rates vary widely by agency and generally the larger agencies pay better. You’ll also have to be your own judge of what kind of police you want to be. If you like non stop action and staying busy, avoid small or rural departments. If you want to write a billion tickets and take crash reports, look at ISP.

    Good luck.
     

    Dead Duck

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    You'll need some new boots too. :rolleyes:

    Also start training at home now while your waiting.
    Practice by kicking in your doors, breaking out your car windows and taze your wife a few times a week while yelling "STOP RESISTING". These can also be stress relievers after you get the job.

    (there are videos online you can follow along to)
     
    Last edited:

    KokomoDave

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    Purdue University Police Department used to be the high threshold for pay when I still was a po-po (& hard as hell to get hired @). Bottom were usually small communities or broke cities. Start running to get your cardio up. Basic military type calisthenics is recommended also.
     

    Skullglide

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    You are not too old. I just accepted a law enforcement position yesterday. I start in a couple weeks. I am 43, I have been a FF/Paramedic for 11.5 yrs. don’t give up on what you want.
     

    jsharmon7

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    I’m glad to see someone is still interested in this career. Pay will vary greatly by agency, like up to $30k difference in some areas. ILEA is pretty easy in terms of academic requirements. The physical part isn’t too strenuous if you’re in decent shape. The hard part for you would be leaving a wife and 4 kids for a week at a time. We lost a few people the first week who never should have been there to begin with. We lost a few at the end for failing the exit PT requirements, and we didn’t lose any to academics. If it’s what you want to do, you’ll get through it.
     

    Route 45

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    You might want to see about getting on as a reserve officer/deputy at a small to medium size department to get a feel for the job and see if it is right for you. If you are just absolutely miserable at your current job and want to at least get into something LE related quickly, it should be fairly easy to get a full time position as a jailer/corrections officer. You'll still be miserable, but at least you'll get the feel for wearing a uniform, using the radio, and training similar to a police officer. You also might get to know people in LE and develop contacts/relationships that will help you later. Most hiring processes for police or sheriff jobs are fairly long (months, not weeks). Getting a CO job gets you into a related field a lot quicker.

    You are not too old at 28. In fact, that's probably about the perfect age to start a career in LE. I know that some departments will hire at 21, but I personally don't think one has enough life experience to be a police officer until at least 25.
     

    Kutnupe14

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    You are not too old. I just accepted a law enforcement position yesterday. I start in a couple weeks. I am 43, I have been a FF/Paramedic for 11.5 yrs. don’t give up on what you want.

    Sucker! You know you can't tow a grill behind your squad right?
     

    Kutnupe14

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    I’m glad to see someone is still interested in this career. Pay will vary greatly by agency, like up to $30k difference in some areas. ILEA is pretty easy in terms of academic requirements. The physical part isn’t too strenuous if you’re in decent shape. The hard part for you would be leaving a wife and 4 kids for a week at a time. We lost a few people the first week who never should have been there to begin with. We lost a few at the end for failing the exit PT requirements, and we didn’t lose any to academics. If it’s what you want to do, you’ll get through it.

    From my understanding ILEA now allows people to go home at the end of day if they live reasonably close. I hated sleeping in the place, it was like a 1970s hotel.
     

    THE BIG SITT

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    Check out the websites of every agency you are interested in, and they should have hiring information along with salary and benefit info. You’ll have to go to ILEA unless you get on with IMPD because we have our own academy. At ILEA you live there all week and go home on weekends. At IMPD it’s like a day job and you go home every night. You can go to ILEA’s website to see the physical fitness requirements, and I’d start training yesterday if I were you. I don’t think 29 is too old, as I went through the academy at that age (actually a little older). As far as graduation rates, I have no idea what they are at the state level, but at IMPD we generally graduate about 80% of those who start the academy. You’ll find pay rates vary widely by agency and generally the larger agencies pay better. You’ll also have to be your own judge of what kind of police you want to be. If you like non stop action and staying busy, avoid small or rural departments. If you want to write a billion tickets and take crash reports, look at ISP.

    Good luck.

    Thanks for the well thought out reply. If selected and all of that, my biggest concern would be physical requirements, mainly the 1.5 mile run. Distance was never my forte!


    I’m glad to see someone is still interested in this career. Pay will vary greatly by agency, like up to $30k difference in some areas. ILEA is pretty easy in terms of academic requirements. The physical part isn’t too strenuous if you’re in decent shape. The hard part for you would be leaving a wife and 4 kids for a week at a time. We lost a few people the first week who never should have been there to begin with. We lost a few at the end for failing the exit PT requirements, and we didn’t lose any to academics. If it’s what you want to do, you’ll get through it.

    This will sound super conceded, but I'm not overly conceded with my ability to pass an academic course. I went through the FAA's air traffic control academy last year and passed, and I would assume this would be similar from an academic standpoint. My biggest concern would be leaving everyone at home. While I was in the ATC academy, I had to live in OKC and my wife and kids stayed home. That was miserable and I said I wouldn't do something like that again. Well, here we are...

    Does the ILEA allow visitors in the evenings? Like could my wife drive the kids up and we could hang out for a little while?
     

    THE BIG SITT

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    Aug 14, 2012
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    You might want to see about getting on as a reserve officer/deputy at a small to medium size department to get a feel for the job and see if it is right for you. If you are just absolutely miserable at your current job and want to at least get into something LE related quickly, it should be fairly easy to get a full time position as a jailer/corrections officer. You'll still be miserable, but at least you'll get the feel for wearing a uniform, using the radio, and training similar to a police officer. You also might get to know people in LE and develop contacts/relationships that will help you later. Most hiring processes for police or sheriff jobs are fairly long (months, not weeks). Getting a CO job gets you into a related field a lot quicker.

    You are not too old at 28. In fact, that's probably about the perfect age to start a career in LE. I know that some departments will hire at 21, but I personally don't think one has enough life experience to be a police officer until at least 25.

    Is the reserve option something that would allow me to continue working my current job? I've got standard office hours now. I was recently an air traffic controller, and that process took almost a year from applying to the time I started training. I'm not so much concerned with the length of the hiring process, I just would need to limit any time without a paycheck. Kids are expensive :rolleyes:

    From my understanding ILEA now allows people to go home at the end of day if they live reasonably close. I hated sleeping in the place, it was like a 1970s hotel.

    That would be a really good thing if true. Even if I didn't go home every night, having the option to get home and see the wife and kids would make things much easier on the home front.
     

    Expat

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    This will sound super conceded, but I'm not overly conceded with my ability to pass an academic course. I went through the FAA's air traffic control academy last year and passed, and I would assume this would be similar from an academic standpoint. My biggest concern would be leaving everyone at home. While I was in the ATC academy, I had to live in OKC and my wife and kids stayed home. That was miserable and I said I wouldn't do something like that again. Well, here we are...

    Does the ILEA allow visitors in the evenings? Like could my wife drive the kids up and we could hang out for a little while?

    Not to be a dick but there is some real irony since it is conceited and not conceded.
     
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