Author Topic: Any Kentucky Policemen? (Read 2845 times)

XD9 · « **on:** November 24, 2007, 04:15:50 PM »

Just wondering if there are any Kentucky policemen in here. I'm an accountant considering a change of profession and I'm looking at my local police department. I would eventually want to try for the State Police but I figured I should get experience in my local PD. If I hadn't been married when I graduated college, I would have gone straight into the FBI with my accounting degree. However, my wife did not want to relocate so I gave up that dream. However, now I'm wanting something different than my desk job. It's a good job but I just don't get any rewarding experiences from it. I would think that being a police officer is a rewarding job?? Although it's not the FBI, this would at least get me into the line of duty. Just wondering if there are any KY boys out there that my share their feelings on being a police officer. Do you like it? Is it rewarding? Do you feel that your life is in danger each day? (big one for my wife)

Just hoping to start a discussion with someone and ask a few questions. Thanks.

Graybeard · « **Reply #1 on:** November 24, 2007, 05:43:47 PM »

Dunno what your idea of "rewarding" is but if it has any relationship to the money you take home to pay the bills you better stick with what you have. Unless you can afford to have your pay cut in half I can't imagine moving from being an accountant to a police officer. Another thing to consider is how old are you? Most folks start out in law enforcement as fairly young men. If you've already reached your 30s and have no LEO experience I'd think it would be hard to find anyone interested in you and you might be more of a danger to yourself and your fellow officers than you or them would want.

I think you need to ask yourself honestly just what it is you're looking for such a career to do for you and you for it.

XD9 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 25, 2007, 08:44:36 AM »

Everything you said is the struggle I'm going through right now. I know it wouldn't be as good of pay...I just don't want to be doing what I'm doing right now for the rest of my life. I own one rental property and I plan on getting into more in the near future. I would like for the rental income to be my main income and then be able to take a job that I really enjoy doing and can look forward to every day...no matter what the pay is.

Anyway, like I said, these are just thoughts that I've been having lately. Thanks for the input.

Graybeard · « **Reply #3 on:** November 25, 2007, 12:06:50 PM »

We have a lot of LEOs and retired LEOs on this site. Dunno how many if any on this forum tho. You'll find them in the handgun forums, rifle forums like the Bolt Action Rifle Forum and on the self defense forums. I have no clue how many LEOs are here but plenty of them are.

You really should talk to several about this before you make the choice. They have the experience to give you first hand info to help you make the decision. Depending on your age it may not even be a viable option for you. It's not a job to begin at mid life.

XD9 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 25, 2007, 03:36:59 PM »

Thanks for the advice. I'm 24 and I know I have a lot of life left ahead of me...(Lord willing). I've been doing accounting for about four years now and I like it but I just do not want to be at a desk much longer. It gets boring.

I've got a few things in the works with a detail shop that I own and some rental property (I'm kind of an entrepreneur). I'm hoping in the near future that these will combine to be more than my current salary and that will leave me with some options as far as how I want to spend my time during the day.

I know a guy who works part time on the police station. He works a couple nights a week and Saturdays. If I could do that, that would definitely be an option to get some experience and see if I like it before I jump in. Anyway, this and the previous posts are more or less "thinking out loud" for me.

Graybeard · « **Reply #5 on:** November 25, 2007, 06:49:42 PM »

Age wise I'd say you're OK then at least you're not over the hill like me.

My degree is in accounting and while I didn't work as an accountant that long I did spent my career behind a desk for the most part. I admit the urge to become an LEO sure never struck me but it takes all kinds of folks to make the world go round. Best of luck whatever you decide.

LEO · « **Reply #6 on:** November 28, 2007, 05:15:58 AM »

I have been a law enforcement officer for over 20 years and I don't think I would be happy doing anything else (at least not that I could realistically earn a living at). It is both rewarding and frustrating depending on the day. I can honestly say that there are people alive today that would not have been were it not for my direct intervention and that is something that few professions offer. But by the same token, I have 6 friends whose names are carved on a wall in Washington because they were klled at work, 4 of them were murdered, not many professions offer that either. It is not the gllitz and glamor portrayed on tv however. It is odd shifts, long hours, often under harsh environmental conditions, it is missed holidays and special occasions, it is interrupted plans, I guess what I am saying is that it becomes more of a life style than just a job. It is not for everyone and those who only do it for the money usually don't last long or don't do a good job. Also it will change you as a person, you can not deal with types of things you have to deal with and it not affect you, so you have to be on guard to deal with that. Also since you are already married, it will be an adjustment for your wife as well, it takes a special kind of lady to be a cops wife.

Now as far as feeling like my life is in danger daily, I really don't, I accept the fact that any contact I make may go bad, but you just have to accept that use good tactics and go on otherwise you will go crazy. I am not saying you wont get into situations where you experience fear because you will, you just have to work with the fear and drive on, you can't let it rule you. As a police officer you can't just walk away from a bad situation, you may have to fall back and wait for help but you eventually have to deal with it.

If you want to work for the KSP now is an excellent time in that there are a lot of vacancies, go take the test and see how you fair. As far as the FBI goes, I don't know if they are hiring many now or not but if you choose to work for them plan on moving every few years for the rest of your career.

My comments were not meant to discourage you because I absolutely love working in law enforcement everyday is different, I have worked patrol, drugs, special operations, and K-9 where else can you get that kind of variety in your job. If you have questions I will be glad to answer them if I can.

XD9 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 28, 2007, 08:37:37 AM »

I greatly appreciate the comments. I sure don't want anyone to sugar coat it for me and lead me into something I wasn't prepared for. I've been doing a lot of reading on the KSP site as well as my local police and learning as much as I can. Everything now is basically a personal struggle with myself of whether or not I want to give up the security that I have in my current job. It's a great job and pays well...I just don't know if I want to do it the rest of my life. While I don't want to do "grunt" work, I do enjoy working with my hands and having that sense of accomplishment. There's a kind of freedom that comes along with it. I don't want to be breaking my back either though. Anyway, thanks for the info. I'll definitely post back if I have any questions.

LEO · « **Reply #8 on:** November 28, 2007, 10:19:14 AM »

As far as what you want to do for the rest of your life, I don't know you and can't speak for you but personally, I look forward to going to work. The only time I don't is when I know I am going to have to sit in meetings all day but you get that anywhere. It certainly means a lot to enjoy what you are doing and would make for a happier life. Good luck

KYBOY · « **Reply #9 on:** December 04, 2007, 01:28:05 PM »

Im retired law enforcement but its not police work. Im retired from the bureau of prisons. I did the S.O.R.T and DCT thing for a while and it got kinda old as the years went by but its definitely cool and I got play with all kinds of goodies. Being a federal entity we had an armory any police dpet would be envious of and an all most limitless budget. Law enforcement can be hard on your health and hard on your marriage though.

ncsurveyor · « **Reply #10 on:** December 04, 2007, 03:08:27 PM »

Quote from: KYBOY on December 04, 2007, 01:28:05 PM

. Law enforcement can be hard on your health and hard on your marriage though.

No lie there.

I worked in public service (police, fire and EMS - mostly EMS) for 10 years. Married for 4 of those. It almost wrecked the marriage. I went back to school and completed a degree in surveying. Certainly not as exciting as P, F, & E, but my personal life is worth way more.

To be honest, I could only handle so many life and death situations, interactions with the dark side, and abuse of the system before I got really cynical.

I could be pursuaded to get back into it, but it would have to be conservation officer or forest ranger.

Surveying - poison ivy, ticks, snakes. I know what to expect from them. An occasional bootlegger/dope farm/meth-lab during a rural survey is as exciting as it gets for me now, but I have my old L.E. experience to guide me there.

Choose wisely grasshopper. But remember your wife - (and kids) before you jump.

XD9 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 05, 2007, 03:14:08 AM »

I'm not going to be doing anything rash. Still working my day job. I enjoy it a lot of the time...just go through spells where I would give anything to be anywhere else!

Don't worry, my wife and child come way ahead of anything else and I would never do anything that I didn't think would work for them. Thanks for everyone's feedback though. It's fun to entertain that dream again every once in a while but I know it will never come to be.

Graybeard · « **Reply #12 on:** December 05, 2007, 04:08:12 AM »

Quote

I enjoy it a lot of the time...just go through spells where I would give anything to be anywhere else!

Take it from an old fart long since retired who has worked many different jobs over my working career that's the way it is no matter what job you have. Some days you're gonna love it and some days you're gonna hate it. Don't expect that changing jobs is gonna change that. It won't.

XD9 · « **Reply #13 on:** December 05, 2007, 04:10:42 AM »

It is nice having a job that gives me the freedom to be on here reading and posting during the day! haha.

Graybeard · « **Reply #14 on:** December 05, 2007, 04:30:09 AM »

That's one thing you sure wouldn't be doing if you were in law enforcement.

KYBOY · « **Reply #15 on:** December 11, 2007, 11:47:32 AM »

No, thats for sure

KYJoe · « **Reply #16 on:** February 05, 2008, 01:54:48 PM »

The City of Allen Ky. has been looking for a police officer. I think it pays $10 hr. They have had it listed for some time. Not a very big force, You may be the only one. Can walk across it in about 15-20 min. May be what your looking for.

KYBOY · « **Reply #17 on:** February 14, 2008, 05:37:36 PM »

I live about 7 minutes from Allen. For some reason they have never been able to keep a P.O for long.

LEO · « **Reply #18 on:** February 15, 2008, 02:46:33 AM »

I know nothing about Allen, but from the information posted I bet the 10 dollar an hour wage has a lot to do with it. The officer gets the academy behind them and a little experience and then another agency offers them more money and there they go. As I said there may be other factors but that is just a guess.

KYBOY · « **Reply #19 on:** February 16, 2008, 01:23:29 PM »

Bingo on that assessment. that and Allen only offers about 15-20 hours a week.

Lots of small town politics involved too.