MA Age to be a LEO

[Cheshire 5-0]

Hello. I am 19 years old and live in Cheshire, MA. My father is the chief of police in Cheshire. I will be going through the reserve/intermittent academy in January. I have been told by other officers that a law just passed in MA that you have to be 21 to be a LEO. I have searched around in the MA general laws about this and only came up with a law that recently passed in March of 2005 stating that you have to be 21 to take the Civil Service Exam. This is from the MA general laws website:

"Notwithstanding section 58 of chapter 31 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, any otherwise eligible person shall be eligible to take the April 2005 examination for original appointment to the position of police officer in any city or town if he will not have reached his twenty-first birthday on or before the final date for the filing of applications for such examination but shall have reached his twenty-first birthday on or before the date of the examination."
Approved March 24, 2005.

Cheshire, MA Police department is a non- civil service agency, therefore I would not have to take the Civil Service Exam. I have also read somwhere else that non civil service agencies can have their own hiring practices. I did some more searching on the MA general laws site and came up with this as well:

"No person shall be eligible to have his name certified for original appointment to the position of firefighter or police officer in a city or town which has not accepted the provisions of sections sixty-one A and sixty-one B if such person has reached his thirty-second birthday on or before the final date for the filing of applications, as stated in the examination notice, for the examination used to establish the eligible list from which such certification is to be made. No person shall be eligible to take an examination for original appointment to the position of firefighter or police officer in any city or town if he will not have reached his nineteenth birthday on or before the final date for the filing of applications for such examination, as so stated."
[ Second paragraph as amended by 2004, 467, Secs. 2 and 3 effective January 5, 2005. For text effective until January 5, 2005, see above.]

According to this I should be able to be appointed to Cheshire P.D. on the basis of that I am 19 and don't need to take the Civil Service Exam for Cheshire P.D. That is what I am gathering from this anyway. I have showed other Cheshire officers these laws as well, and they seem to think the same thing unless I am missing something. Anybody else know anything about this matter? Sorry about such a long post. Thanks in advance for any input.

[Texas PO-PO]

So I read the 1st paragraph and last but wouldnt your father "the Chief know" atleast I would hope so; and if you covered that then ignore this I dont like long posts

[Texas PO-PO]

PS laws are written by lawyers for lawyers maybe one day you will learn that were just cops ;)

[Jay7376]

If your father is the Chief of the Police Department, I would strongly suggest you apply for another department.

Even if you are the most qualified candidate, your co-workers will still think that you got the job only b/c of your father.

[Cheshire 5-0]

There isnt alot of competition for places on the dept. Its only a small dept (about 12 officers) So its not like I would be getting the job over sombody else.

[Cheshire 5-0]

And I know every one of them, and have known most of them for pretty much my whole life. Cheshire is a small town of about 3,400 people. So I know all the officers really well.

[Ken K]

If your father is the Chief of the Police Department, I would strongly suggest you apply for another department.

Even if you are the most qualified candidate, your co-workers will still think that you got the job only b/c of your father.

Yeah, I don't know anyone who got their job because of connections.

[Jay7376]

...So its not like I would be getting the job over sombody else.

Like I said...Even if you were the most qualified canidate, it does not matter. Officers will still think that you got the job b/c of your father and will not respect you as much. Its the cold hard truth.

[Cheshire 5-0]

Like I said, Ive known most of these guys all of my life, and doubt they will think that. But if they do, too bad ;)

[mcsap]

Perhaps the rest of the community might think that as well. We had a small dept in which the Chief's son somehow got hired ( and later fired) as he was NOT meant to be a cop. You will ALWAYS have the suspicions of the community at large that the only reason that you were hired is because of dad.

[Cheshire 5-0]

Regardless of what people may think, what is your take on the above laws. My dad is checking into it, but I'm asking your opinions on the above laws in the meantime.

[mcsap]

Your dad ( as the ultimate hiring authority for his dept) doesn't know the answer to this or can't EASILY find out ? I could probably do a search but again, your dad should easily be able to find out. A lot easier then me in Pennsylvania.

[Jay7376]

Like I said, Ive known most of these guys all of my life, and doubt they will think that. But if they do, too bad ;)

Wow :eek: This is not the attitude to have towards your co-workers you need to trust your life with.

[Cheshire 5-0]

well i told you they wouldnt think that because i have known them so long. I would trust my life with them, as some would trust me with theirs, thats why im almost positive they wouldnt think that.

[SinePari]

Your dad ( as the ultimate hiring authority for his dept) doesn't know the answer

Actually, the town councilmen are the hiring authority. However, this kid posted the same question over on O.com and I have him his answer. You must be 21 to possess an LTC, and the Governor Romney signed a bill last year making 21 the minimum age to hire police in the state, civil service or not.

Cheshire 5-0: Listen kid, I've done guest patrols in the Cheshire barracks and you really need to set your sights higher. When you turn 21, take the Civil Service or the next State Police exam and try to get on with as many depts as possible.

Then if that all falls through, go to your dad and get the job there.