Can they still be an officer or it’s an immediate termination?

Just fostering discussion. What do you carry at your local agency? Do you love it? Hate it? Are you allowed to mod it yourself, or is there a bunch of red tape around the simplest thing? Let’s hear it!

I was just watching Fridays with Frank (cop YouTube guy) and he said his cutoff for stopping a speeder is 15 over. This got me thinking, what are other cop’s cutoffs? Im not a cop but I personally drive 7/8 over and feel safe (so like 72 in a 65).

I'm starting the process of getting hired at my local Sheriff's Office, and I think it's starting to set in to my partner's head that I'll really be doing this. She sees the news, the body cam footage, and as much as I try and explain that what she sees is the 1/10,000 cases, she's still terrified that everyday might be my last. So how do you guys ease their minds?

I regularly watch police body-cam footage (as do most non-LEOs on this sub) and I always stumble across intense footage where an officer is forced to draw their firearm. However, I’ve spoken with a few officers I know personally and they cannot stress enough how uncommon it is for them.

I know it depends on the location, so I’m more directing this towards officers who work in highly populated areas, major cities, etc.

Bonus question: what is the process like if you are forced to draw your firearm? Assume you don’t fire any shots. Do you have to file a separate report for drawing your pistol?

Thank you guys for ur service 🙏

I’ve only applied at two departments one of them being my hometown department. This is because I mainly I want to work at a good department not just any. Well…the second department I applied was the next city over… I had my interview two weeks ago and today I go in so I can sign the paperwork to get my background started.
Here’s some of my concerns…
Every single officer I tell “hey i think I may work here” they all kinda makes a face/have something negative to say. “That’s a bad department”, “they are always hiring” “shit city” and now I’m kinda overwhelmed? I mean not a single positive thing… I wish I was exaggerating.

I want to start my career but I also want to stay with my first department for a long time.

Pros-
It’s my first police interview
Sargent seemed nice

Cons
- Nothing but negative feedback back from experienced officers
- 1hr and 12min drive from me… being the rookie I know I’ll have shorty shifts. And winter starts very soon…
- I will have to move… it will be difficult for the first year until I save enough money to move.

Ultimately I just want the hassle of the drive and long days to be worth it.

Would you take it?

I’m looking for a pair of “thin” gloves that have good dexterity, while also being insulated and good for patrol in the winter months. I know it’s not easy to combine dexterity/insulation/thickness, but with all the gear out there, I didn’t know if there’s been anything good and new put out I’m not aware of yet.

I have always used an older and discontinued pair of tactical pair of Mechanix insulated winter gloves for reference. I’d give the dexterity a 6/10…not perfect, could still use all my gear, but could definitely be better.

Any LEO have any recommendations? Thanks in advance!

I’ve been watching a lot of police chases and bodycam videos online, and one thing I noticed is that during some chases, especially when officers attempt to PIT, some parts of the car fall off and go onto the road, and I’ve always seen the 2-3 lead cruisers obviously drive past as they are chasing the suspect, but I’ve never seen footage of the debris being cleaned up. Do other pursuing officers that are slightly behind in the chase stop and clear the debris? Or do they radio in another agency or group that comes in and picks up the debris. There’s also the case where suspects throw items out of the vehicle onto the roadway. How does the clearing up and gathering of these items work, considering they could be evidence? Another question is that as a civilian, what am I supposed to do in this scenario, especially if there’s some big debris that is blocking the road? Should I pull over and get it off the road if I can?

I have always wanted to serve and protect. I originally planned on enlisting when I turned 18, but I was disqualified during the health screening due to an issue with one of my heart valves.

I am now looking into local, state, and federal law enforcement. When I ask about my medical history, I am consistently told to "just start the application process." While I understand this, I am hesitant to leave my current job and pay for the academy without knowing if my condition will ultimately disqualify me.

Does anyone have advice on how to navigate this? For context, I have Pulmonic Valve Regurgitation, but my cardiologist has fully cleared me for strenuous physical activity.

I’m currently in the police academy and trying to decide between two agencies.

Agency A has given me a start date in about a week. It pays around $5 more per hour, but the commute would be approximately 45 minutes to an hour each way. I would get a take-home vehicle after completing FTO.

Agency B is located in the county where I live, so the commute would be much shorter. However, I only have a conditional offer and still need to complete the background investigation, psychological evaluation, and other steps before receiving a final offer.

Given the circumstances, which agency would you choose? Would you take the higher pay and guaranteed start date with Agency A, or wait for Agency B, knowing there’s still a chance the offer could fall through? (I don’t expect it too but anything could happen)

Is an hour each way too much of a drive??

I’d appreciate any advice, especially from anyone who has been in a similar situation.

Hello all, I am looking to join the reserves as an armour soldier, but also want to become a civilian police officer in Ontario, I currently work as a mechanic and am close to my red seal, which career should I pursue first? I would assume it would be easier to start with the reserves as it would be easier to get time off from to do whatever I need for policing, than the other way around. If there is anyone in here who does both, how did you do it? Any tips about either career, and just what to expect, thanks.

I’m a new cop working night shift, looking for recommendations on a good body worn light, primarily for searching vehicles for drugs during nighttime traffic stops.

I’m looking for your recommendations on something with a high lumen output that allows me to keep both hands free. Ideally, something compact, durable, and easy to attach to my uniform or outer carrier.

I already carry handheld flashlights, but I’d prefer something hands free for searches or when my hands need to be both free. I’m currently using the Olight Oclip Ultra 2, but last night the battery didn’t last long enough and died mid search. I ended up having to use my handheld flashlight in my non dominant hand while continuing the search with just one hand.

Thank you in advance.

Hi all!

I, 20 yo female, am becoming increasingly more interested in a career in policing. For a long time, I wanted to be a lawyer, but recently I’ve discovered it just isn’t for me. I’m wanting to know if you think I have a solid foundation to potentially get hired and sent to an academy and any advice you have! Also any pros and cons. For reference, I’m near Ottawa, ON and ideally would like to police in or near here. Here are my qualifications:

- Almost done a Bachelor’s degree in law with a concentration in criminal law and social order

- Volunteered within court houses and other law related fields

- Professional administration experience with a government non-profit

Any and all advice is appreciated:) thank you!

I’m almost done with securing my POST I’m unsure as to which agency is better has anyone ever been employed by either if so how was it ? which has the better retirement as well?

I’m looking to apply for the Houston police department. My only concern is I have POM arrest when I was 17 and 21. No convictions and cases were dismissed but I’m worried it could be an issue in the process. Any advice?

Currently a three-year Deputy in Texas thinking about transitioning into going federal more so leaning towards HSI. Basically just looking for some opinions/guidance.

I am currently filling out a personal history statement and they want all my past roommates listed. I honestly do not know the names of any of my roommates from my first apartment let alone have contact with them to get their address or phone number. is it ok to omit this? should I put the names of those I can remember even if I don’t have contact numbers for them?

Edit: This is also a more broad question of what is ok to omit if I genuinely don’t know? Another example is my past coworkers that it asks for, should I leave it blank? Should I list names if i dont have numbers? Should I write something along the lines of “I don’t remember”?

Hello. Today was my first commissioner's meeting after a promotion. Our county is over budget and our LEC is in a retention and pay slump because we have larger cities so close by who pay more. I guess I'm looking for fundraiser ideas, or if anyone has had a similar experience and figured out a successful way to bring in more money. I know raising taxes is the obvious way, but I thought maybe reaching out to others with years behind the belt could be a good idea too.

I’m currently starting to take police tests in the LI/NYC area. I am hoping to get called by a department like NCPD, SCPD, MTA, or PAPD, but knowing how competitive it is and how hard it is to get called, should I join NYPD while hoping to eventually get called elsewhere? Is the QOL worth it for those few years until you can go somewhere else?

Hello all, I’ve been debating the CHP or Kern County Sheriff for quite some time now. I applied and did tests for both already. I passed the pellet B for the Sheriff but not for the CHP I was off about 4 points. I still have a valid score report for the sheriff but I’m wondering about actual salary, over time (if any available), shifts, and all the good stuff. I only wonder because they have different tiers listed like “POST basic certification, POST intermediate certification, and POST Advanced certification.” As one would assume each one pays more than the other, so I guess my question is, how does one achieve “POST Advanced Certification”? CHP offers $128,000 right out the gate so that’s a bit hard to look past, however sheriff does have you at home right out the gate.

Let me know all of your thoughts, thanks you all.

I was hired by a police agency in Washington state in 2006. I had just graduated from University with a degree in Criminal Justice. I went to the academy right after graduation. I was 21 when I was hired. I grew up in a small town and I had a pretty sheltered life. I graduated from the academy and started FTO with the agency. It was apparent after phase two that I was struggling.

I poured everything I had into trying to succeed, but it seemed like nothing improved. I did find out that I was diagnosed with anxiety during this time, but kept it to myself due to the stigma attached to it. This agency also had a very high washout rate. For every three trainees, one would wash. This agency also had several civil cases against its officers for excessive use of force. My FTO sergeant took me aside and told me if I wanted to succeed I needed to change my personality and be more aggressive. I was offered an extension, but I decided to resign because I felt like it didn’t matter what I did, I would never meet their expectations. I was also felt like I was being coerced into doing something I didn’t feel comfortable doing.

After I resigned I I felt like my whole world came crashing down. I had studied four years in college and put everything I had into succeeding in this field. I took me years to finally get over feeling like a failure. I retrained as a CDL driver and have held several different jobs in trucking and heavy equipment operators. I have vastly more life experience under my belt, I have been married and divorced and married again. Lived abroad in Canada for almost 10 years. I moved back to the U.S. in 2024. I have a job with a county as a heavy equipment operator. It’s pays pretty well and good benefits. However I feel bored in my job and I don’t feel like I am working to my full potential. I am considering trying to law enforcement again. Obviously lots has changed in twenty years. I have been going to the gym and getting back in shape. Do you think it’s worth trying to get back into law enforcement in your forties?