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::Peeps61308::
I have a few PO questions for you!
I'm getting ready to get out the Army soon and I want to join the MD poilce department. But I have a few questions for you......
1.) Is it hard being a PO and a SP?
2.) Are the hours soo bad that it interfers with being a SP?
3.) I have my BA in Criminal Justice does that give me a leg up on being an entry level PO?
4.) I saw the minimum standards for pushups/situps/1.5 mile run. And I can easily do, but is there other physical aspects I need to consider?
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Re: ::Peeps61308::
First off Congrats!! Being a police officer is definitely something that is either in your blood or not. Personally I love every minute of it (mostly) lol
1.) Is it hard being a PO and a SP? I think this answer depends on the situation. I know that I feel differently about certain situations than I did before (delaing with domestic violence and child abuse cases). I also have way less tolerance for people who cannot parent their children.
2.) Are the hours soo bad that it interfers with being a SP? For me, yes. When I was pregnant I was taken off of the road and put into an office...and I am still here. Our patrol shifts are 12 hours and switch from days to nights every 2 weeks (5 to 5) . I did not want to make anyone else responsible for putting DD to bed at night, getting her up and to school in the morning or feeding her dinner in the evening. Also I didn't want someone to have her every other weekend. I keep saying that if her dad was involved and she was with him EOW I would go back on the road in a heartbeat. I am 99% sure that will never happen, so I am planning on making some sort of decison in the future. I am NOT cut out to be in an office, but it is a small sacrifice for DD.
3.) I have my BA in Criminal Justice does that give me a leg up on being an entry level PO? Most definitely!! I was chosen over 4 men because I was the only one with a degree. Some departments give officers with a degree a higher starting pay.
4.) I saw the minimum standards for pushups/situps/1.5 mile run. And I can easily do, but is there other physical aspects I need to consider? While the academy does focus on the PT part of things, it is more of a mental workout. You do a lot of physical things that you would never think yourself capable, but they are usually group activities with classmates (we had to get everyone over this 8 foot wall. We had to use our brain and body to do this. We had a few REALLY BIG guys in that class, but together we were able to make it happen). The timed things we did were at the very beginning and the very end of the class. BTW, their biggest thing at the academy I went to was that everyone give 100% and never say they couldn't do anything. We had some big guys that ran their butts off. They were always in the back but they never quit, that is what they are looking for.
Sorry that got long, but I could talk about my experiences for days. Graduating the Police Academy was by far one of my proudest moments. I have never worked so hard for anything and the rewards have been tremendous. I wish you tons of luck and if you ever need anything feel free to ask!! Keep me updated!!
WOW, thank you PEEPS. You gave me a lot of information to digest. Honestly this part scares me a bit...
Our patrol shifts are 12 hours and switch from days to nights every 2 weeks (5 to 5) . I did not want to make anyone else responsible for putting DD to bed at night, getting her up and to school in the morning or feeding her dinner in the evening. Also I didn't want someone to have her every other weekend. I keep saying that if her dad was involved and she was with him EOW I would go back on the road in a heartbeat.
I want to do the same thing with my son! He is only 6 months so I'm a little scared that this might not be the perfect time for me to follow my dreams! I kind of work a 10 to 11 hour shift already but I its flexible, and its not like that everyday.
**butting in**
I am a 911 dispatcher and was getting ready for the academy when I got pregnant. I love doing what I do and happy to see there are other SP in the same work field as me. I work over nights and struggle with it but I also love what I do and the pay along with benefits are great. I am lucky to have a great friend that watches my daughter but still tough. I am hoping here soon I will move to day shift before she is old enough to remember..she is only 6 months old.
**butting out**
I love it! I think working night shifts would actually be better because the child is sleeping through the night so your not missing anything! And you can butt into the post anytime you want.
I used to work a rotating shift including nights but luckily could get switched to days only, I was worried that it would be tough to need sleep during the day while A was awake.