How does sponsership work?

[audioslav3]

Hello!

I am new to this and had a couple questions. I have two semesters left before receiving my BS in Criminal Justice. I have long been fascinated by the idea of being a law enforcement officer but never knew the process.

How exactly does "being sponsered" work? An agency decides to hire you and pay for the academy? Are you committed to working for them a certain amount of time? What happens if you hate the job and want out in a few monthes?

Also, while you are going through the academy how do you pay your bills? It seems like the academy itself is a job, so it would be hard to keep my full-time current job. How do you keep an income?

Lastly, does this sound logical? Could I start the application process now with only a high school diploma and if I actually get to the academy part, I could do this while finishing my last few classes? I would essentially finish college and the academy at the same time and go straight to work. I understand this would eliminate the advantage of having a degree already during the application process but could it work?

Thanks for any knowledge!
Dave

[manahmanah]

When you are sponsored, the agency pays you a salary (usually a "recruit" salary, which is below a step 1 on the pay scale) and your job is to go to the academy full time. Trust me, you will NOT have time to do much of anything, especially take other classes while at the acedemy. There is just too much to do. If you are not studying, you're writing memos or doing homework, or cleaning your weapon, or preparing for an inspecion, or spit shining boots etc... The hours are usually 8-5 unless you are doing night scenarios or your night shoots. But as you can see, just cause the classroom hours are 8-5 does not mean the work stops.

[taylorplayer]

My best advice - finish your degree. You should apply now because the process, in most cases, is about a year from time of application to start of the academy. There is not way under the sun that you can go to the academy and go to class. I barely had time to sleep, and this is coming from someone who, prior to the academy, at one time worked a full time job, had a family, and took 12 credit hours of college classes.

I was more stressed in the academy and I didn't have a full time job or classes. The academy is your full time job.

[cntryboy0531]

I went to the academy full time, worked two part time jobs at the same time. As a result, I averaged about 1-2 hours (4 if i was lucky) of sleep a night. I was not sponsored. If you can be sponsored, I recommend it. The payoff for my hardwork was worth it.. However, the lack of sleep really beats on your body.

[ChesCopPodz]

For my department, it wasn't a "sponsorship". It was a job. I was on the department's payroll and my job at the time was police recruit

[mcsap]

When we hire an uncertified person , they are paid the full salary and benefits as a rookie officer. In my PD , that means you get 41K per year plus ALL bennies. And we pay your mileage to drive back and forth every day and for your uniforms, guns etc.

For those that are self-sponsored. You pay the entire cost of the 5 month academy , about 3 grand , PLUS you have to eat , live somewhere, provide all of your own stuff except a gun ( which they lend you) and you must maintain your own health insurance. All of this and you may not work a 2nd job during the academy.