Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

Hello again,

This is for a California based story. How hard is it to change locations, if a Deputy Sheriff in one county wants to move to another county? Can he just move into a vacated or open spot with no further delay or does he have to go through any sort of training thing, jump through some sort of hoops?
The LEO in my story has 5 years in Sacramento Police Department and 6 years in a county sheriff's department. He's in his mid to late thirties, an investigator and the county's only CSI go-to guy.
How about if he wants to go from Sheriff's Department to a city's PD?

What I really need is a timeline to get him from one area to another. Same state, just eighty miles south. Hopefully he'd be able to stay a deputy, but...he's willing to switch to be where he wants to be.

He will have to take all the entrance exams just like any other candidate for the job. If he passes and scores high enough, he will be hired, probably as a lateral with a higher starting pay. The time line will depend on who's hiring and how long their process is. Unless it's a patronage type department, you don't just walk in and get hired.

Usually a year to a year and a half to get hired by another agency.

Hello again,

This is for a California based story. How hard is it to change locations, if a Deputy Sheriff in one county wants to move to another county? Can he just move into a vacated or open spot with no further delay or does he have to go through any sort of training thing, jump through some sort of hoops?
The LEO in my story has 5 years in Sacramento Police Department and 6 years in a county sheriff's department. He's in his mid to late thirties, an investigator and the county's only CSI go-to guy.
How about if he wants to go from Sheriff's Department to a city's PD?

What I really need is a timeline to get him from one area to another. Same state, just eighty miles south. Hopefully he'd be able to stay a deputy, but...he's willing to switch to be where he wants to be.

It's your story so you can dictate how easy/difficult, long/short your character's process will be. IMO, if he's a "nobody" and going to a big agency, lateralling will take longer - if he's a "somebody" and going to a smaller agency, lateralling will take less time. Lateral transition training can be as extensive as going through another full academy, to a few weeks of specific training, to just a short period of mentorship. The new agency may or may not require your character to start from the bottom (working basic Custody or Patrol) again or might allow him to take a detective/CSI position or with regards to whatever specialized abilities/training he has (then again, the agency he's going to may not have a specialized position for what he currently does). It's all up to you...

Thank you for answering my questions, I appreciate you all taking the time to help me and the other writers.
I know I can write my stories any way I want to, they are fiction, after all. The thing is...I'm not writing fantasy and I really want my police procedures as close as I can get them to the real deal. That's where you come in, thanks!