To be or not to be...a cop

[coobs]

Hello everyone,

Ive been checking out posts for about a month or two now and i'm sure I may repeat someone..somewhere, but please answer with any/all feedback.

I live in NY.
I have always had a job since HS, graduated with a B.S in Business Management and have had over 7 years of computer experience. I am a consultant making approx. 65k a year, but STILL (after most jobs I've had) do not have a feeling of accomplishment or satisfaction.
My personal/religious background gives me hope and joy in my life...but in terms of a career, Im looking for something satisfying.

Im recently married and would love to have kids shortly.

With all that said, i have 2 stages left to complete before I go into the NYPD academy.

Do you nypd cops feel satisfied with your jobs...as to say when you come home do you feel good about what you've done at the end of the day?

Also, starting pay is 30-35k....how hard it is to move around? If i wanted to get into computer forensics or something?
How many hours a week does a PO work in order to bring home some decent money?
Is it REALLY hard on your family working nights, or is it bearable?
How many years does it take to move up in rank if you pass tests?
What is the pay scale really like for the average cop and not what they post on the nypd recruitment website?

Thanks for your answers and feedback, I appreciate it!

[md123]

My story matches yours almost verbatim (different depts., but almost everything else is the same). You are not alone. The salary drop will be a reality check, but if your wife works too that will help. Have you figured out what you will need to make in order to cover your minimum expenses?

[coobs]

Yes, I could get away with 30-35k a year, but that is really tight. My wife is finishing school and will be able to make approx. 60k a year + once she starts working as a speach pathologist (within the next 2 years), but we had planned on her not being the breadwinner so she can raise kids and homeschool.

[Zohar]

I was originally planning to be a high school teacher but I think that after my degree I will become a police officer. Strangely, almost everywhere in Connecticut, the starting pay for a police officer is around 50k and the average pay for a teacher is 30k! To be a teacher, I need a master's degree (within 5-10 years of graduation) and also I need to pass the B.E.S.T. program in three years or I cannot get my licsence. Although it's not the reason I've decided to become a police officer eventually, it makes you look at how hard it is to become a teacher for measly pay.

[dragonspider]

I wanted to be a pimp, but the local community college didn't offer any classes in entrepreneuralism.... Darn it...

[K9 Police]

Check out this forum www.911jobforums.com/vB

It has the most information that I have seen about NYPD than anywhere else. Just hit the search button and you'll get a ton of information that you are looking for. Believe it or not, NYPD is losing big time in the war to retain and recruit cops.

K9

[md123]

the starting pay for a police officer is around 50k and the average pay for a teacher is 30k!

Well, you also have to consider that Teachers get more money if they teach summer school, etc. otherwise they have summers off. With all that time off it is proportional I think. Plus you are guaranteed to work sane hours as a teacher. True you do not get out at 3:00 with the kids, but you are not working the graveyard shift either.

[Zohar]

Summer school does not provide that much extra fundage but I will agree totally on the work hour issue.

[coobs]

You guys think the NYPD job is worth the investment and gives you the satisfaction that will overcome the downfall of low pay (at least in the beginning 3-5 years)?

[md123]

Well, I am not an NYPD cop, nor am I a cop at all so I can not say. Plus, even if I was I would imagine that it would depend upon the individual.

My dad was an NYPD cop for 22 years. This still does not qualify me to answer this, but I did notice a few things: 1) money was tight growing up. We always got what we needed, but did not eat out a lot, or go on fancy vacations. I never felt like money was an issue, and knew kids that had it worse, so it was not bad as far as I can tell. It depends on what you are used to. 2) The hours were weird sometimes. BUT, 3) My dad always seemed very happy, and still speaks fondly of his time on the force. He really liked it. Some details were more boring than others (although I never knew that at the time), and some schedules were tougher than others, but after a few years of doing one thing he was able to transfer. If you get promoted you transfer, and with promotions come more money too. Plus, there are many different details (assignments) if you are lucky enough to get into them. There is narcotics, organized crime, joint task forces with the FBI, and a whole bunch of interesting things out there.

You never really know unless you try. But, if if doesn't work out what will you do? If it does work out and you love it then great. Me, I am pretty much where you are at. I am not expecting to love every aspect of the job, but I have worked in several different fields. I know there is good and bad everywhere, and at this point in my life I think police work will be the most fulfilling for me. I base this on my experience in various fields, and volunteer work I've done, and what I've found fulfilling/disappointing about all these different things I've done.

[coobs]

seems like we def. are on the same page with this decision. Are you married? Cause i know my wife doesnt love the idea of this at all...but shes trying to accept where I'm coming from.

[md123]

I am married. Have been for over 2 years now. Luckily my wife is very supportive. She says that she would worry about me on the job, but at the same time realizes it is not necessarily much more dangerous than my current commute. (I see bad accidents all the time on my commute.)

I am a computer programmer right now. It was real interesting when it was all new, and a challenge. Now, even if I am writing new code (which is the fun stuff to do) as opposed to fixing bugs or working with someone elses code, it all seems like the same old sh**. Nothing is new, its the same old routine, and I am bored. Plus, I look at where this industry is headed: overseas, being phased out by tools which make coding almost obsolete, being phased out by recent grads who demand a lot less money, and I don't like the image of where I see myself if I stay in this industry. I have no desire to go back to school or keep current with any emerging technologies either: I am just not interested.

Now, I started volunteering with the local EMS squad where I live. Got some basic certifications, and respond with them when we get calls. I love the fact that you never know what you are going to find until you get to the scene. I like the comraderie, and I like the feeling that i am helping people out. I like the feeling that I am working for the public a lot more than I like the idea of making someone else rich. It is fulfilling. I do not expect police work to be the exact same thing, but it is a profession I truely believe in, and think there will be some parallels. Even if it means being yelled at and called a pig every once in a while, there will be people that appreciate you and let you know it. I am sure of that.

You might ask why I don't become a professional EMT. The truth is I would not be able to pay my bills. Also, I am not sure if I would want to start out on an NYPD salary either right now (only because of my current financial responsibilities) but the pay does get better if you can tough it out. And think of it this way: if you went back to school you would be left with debt (student loans), no guarantee of a better paying job (which would be offset by the loans anyway), and with the police you get a pension, stability, benefits. Not a bad deal if you can make it through the first few years.

[md123]

Why dont you look into other departments nearby too? Nassau County cops make real good money. You missed the NYS Trooper exam.

[coobs]

im married 1.5 years now and am a programmer myself, more of a web developer then most other things, but have been into networking, unix admin, etc.
I agree with all you said and feel the same way about the industry as a whole. I'd like to possibly do computer forensics down the road.

So, are you going through the nypd or something similiar?

I took the suffok test and was away on my honeymoon for the nassau 2003 test.
So, we'll see =)

[md123]

ha ha. we could be brothers. I started off with just HTML and javascript, etc. 6 or so years ago. Then it was PHP, ASP, etc. then Oracle. Now I code 90% Oracle PL/SQL and the rest is front end web stuff: HTML, etc.

I took the Trooper test. I used to live in Queens (grew up there), but now I live upstate. I may take another test, but I am hoping this works out.