Question for Rural Officers

[Hawkmoon269]

I'm moving along with two departments (both sheriff's) that are largely rural that include a few towns of 10,000-40,000 but nothing bigger. Lots and lots of open space and quiet communities. They roll the streets up after dark.

Question is if you're bored to death on your shifts. Do you find enough to do, do you prefer it because it leaves you time for initiating your own work?

The department's themselves are big and modern. Any comments are appreciated. Particularly those in California.

[txinvestigator1]

There was another post in ask a cop or General topics I about self -iniitated activity and what to do when the calls slow down.

It was interesting and informative

[scott715us]

It definitely gets slow with my dept some times, but I am really active on patrol (when I get it). I always find something to do in the car. If you pull over enough folks, you can get DUI's/Revoked DL's/Warrants/Drugs, etc.

When the airport terminal gets slow, that's when I have to really search for something to do. ;)

[jarobins]

I'm moving along with two departments (both sheriff's) that are largely rural that include a few towns of 10,000-40,000 but nothing bigger. Lots and lots of open space and quiet communities. They roll the streets up after dark.

Question is if you're bored to death on your shifts. Do you find enough to do, do you prefer it because it leaves you time for initiating your own work?

The department's themselves are big and modern. Any comments are appreciated. Particularly those in California.

I thought 40,000 was a big city. :confused:

I think that small counties/cities allow you more time to be proactive in criminal work as you are not running from call to call. I used to work an area with a population of about 500k and now work an area of about 35k people. It is a lot slower paced but I enjoy it. It took getting used to, but now I'm not sure I could go back to the big city life.

[kels]

The job is what you make of it.
You think 40,000 is rural, come to my
county where there is 3800 people and no stop lights.
Sometimes it is just SLOW, make your rounds and do
your bar/house/trouble spot checks.
Sometimes you can make some business working traffic. :D
Other times you just have to watch the grass grow. :(

[mcsap]

When it gets a little slow, I head to the several 24 hr " 7-11's" that we have and go tag fishing for vio's. LAte at night is usually very productive for people that have warrants or are suspended.

I did this last night and got a "hit" on a reg indicating that this car had been stopped and cited for expired state inspection on 4-7-05. I drove past the car while she was inside paying for her gas and saw the 2-05 decal on the windshield. I went down the street and waited and when she came past, BAM , I did the stop.

She hands me an ID card ( not a license). I ask for her reg and ins and she said it isn't in the car. The car is not hers. I ask how she knows if she didn't even look in the glove box and she said she looked last time she was stopped

I gave her the $105 fine for the inspection and a written 5 day card to produce a valid license ( she wasn't suspended ) avalid reg card and a valid ins card. She said that it wasn't her repsonsibility to show the reg and ins cards and I told her that if she fails to comply she will get 4 more tickets and she can than discuss her issues with the judge.

If you go looking, stuff is out there.