I am a 26-yr old female trying to join LAPD...

[TortillaGirl]

Good day everyone.

I am currently "in the process" of trying to get hired for the Los Angeles Police Department.

I have my initial background investigation appointment this coming Wednesday. I'm pretty excited/nervous.

I know I am going against a lot of odds here: the city is broke, there is an impending hiring freeze, my credit is messed up because I am short-selling a home, and my parents, even though supportive, are kind of against it too.

I guess my question for today is (and this is for any cop, not just LAPD): What was it like when you told your parents/immediate family that you wanted to become a cop? Were they angry? Did they cry? Were they supportive? Did they hate you?

Me being a daddy's girl in a sense....my father cried a bit. He tells me that he didn't send me to college to get a degree to be out "working the streets"

I think both parents are just afraid of myself getting shot.

Also, I work FOR my parents (we have a family business). I feel like they would also hate to lose a trusted employee....

Anyway, any advice would be appreciated. Thanks guys!

[retdetsgt]

My parents weren't terribly choked up about me being a cop either. But I couldn't live my life for them. My daughters haven't always made choices that I was crazy about either, but it's the same thing. Once they became adults, their lives became their own. My parents didn't always know what was best for me when after I left home and my kids made their decisions based on what they going on in their lives. You don't want to spend the rest of your life wondering what would have happened had you not followed your dream just because it wasn't what someone else wanted you to do. If you find it's not right for you, you can always quit.

Good luck in the hiring process.

[Kimble]

My folks were supportive, but then I had shirts as a little kid with permanent holes in them from toy badges I'd wear playing cop. As I grew up I also grew out of wanting to be a cop until 9/11, and it was pretty easy for my parents to understand why I wanted to be a cop in that context. Then again, I'm a guy, so it's obviously going to be different for you and you're parents if you're "daddy's little girl," and that's understandable.

Regardless of what you decide, any parent (or spouse for that matter) who cares about you will be concerned about you getting shot on the job, that's natural. On the other hand, as an adult you have to decide what you're going to do with your life, hopefully with the support of your family, but either way your an adult and that's for you to decide. If my wife had it her way I'd be a banker, but I can say she has only grown more supportive of me as the years go by.

On the matter of you working for your family's business, you could look into being a reserve officer with LAPD (see details here: Police Jobs with Los Angles Police Department at Join LAPD) and see if the job is something you really want to do full-time before making the plunge. I started out as a reserve deputy sheriff and it was how I determined this was the field I wanted to retire from.

[G35 Mass]

I don't remember the time before I wanted to be a police officer, so there was no "coming out of the closet" about the job for me.

My parents were always immensely supportive through college, through the academy, and today every day I go to work.

I hate to throw this out there, but the "college / working on the streets" comment is just a sign of ignorance about the job. This job is far more complex and more difficult in terms of knowledge than any job I've had before, including doing IT work. Every day and every week we're bound by new rules in the form of caselaw from courts on how to do our job which we're mandated to follow. Entire major cases and people's lives will rest upon your split-second decisions, training, legal and constitutional knowledge and, most importantly, writing and articulation skills. All of the aforementioned skills are thosw which you must have to effectively do this job. This job IS for the educated, and IS for the smartypants. I have had the honor of working along side the most intelligent people I have ever met. So take some time and teach dad what this job is about, and how being college educated is an essential qualification of the job.

Be proud that you've selected this job as a career goal and good luck.

[Joeyd6]

My old man was cop...and all I ever wanted to be was a cop. He was not happy and quite frankly I got the cold shoulder as I picked a college for CJ. HE was happy when I got my degree and all was fine as I worked the private sector. But once I got the call to go, he was starting to warm up. However, graduation came near and my dad did a 180.

He was hoping I changed my mind but when he saw it was not going to happen, he was 110% behind me.

[Legoate]

My parents weren't very excited to hear I was going to be a cop. I wouldn't be excited if my kids decide to be cops. We see ugly stuff that people shouldn't have to see.

However, I think my parents are very proud to have a cop as a son and support me completely.

[TortillaGirl]

Thank you guys for all your responses thus far.

Retdetsgt: I totally agree, even if I don't make it, I want to know that I at least TRIED. Thank you!

Kimble: My boyfriend is also an officer for LAPD, and he was at first kind of worried as well. But he figures "Damned if I do [support me], damned if I don't." kind of mentality. So far he's been showing me the ropes, which is nice. I couldn't help but laugh when you said that if your wife had her way you'd be a banker! Haha!

G35 Mass: I totally agree with you. My dad is very old school and stubborn, I know a lot of LEO's that are college educated and/or had a private school education (just like myself). My parents feel that joining law enforcement is for people that have no other way out, that come from low-income families or don't have an education. I think thats a bunch of b.s. and ignorance for sure. If I do make it, I'll be sure to show them that's not the case. And thank you for your support. I am very proud and excited about my career choice!

Joeyd6: Perhaps it is the initial shock that parents get that makes them so angry and against it at first. I am hoping that once the dust settles (and especially if I make it) he'll come around.

Legoate: I think thats why my boyfriend (who is also a cop) wasn't to thrilled at first when I told him I wanted to get on the job. He says I'll be "desensitized", but now he's come to terms with it and is actually helping me out. He's my biggest cheerleader in all this. I'm glad your parents are proud, they should be. I hope one day my parents will be proud of me too.

I hope to hear from more LEO's and their experiences with this particular aspect of the job! Thanks again!

[mpdcjock]

Do what's best for you, no one else. No one. You are the person that has to go to work everyday. As the old saying goes, "Do a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life.".

Good luck!

[Samuel]

Hopefully you will never have to choose between this job and family/loved ones (I know people who have had to make that choice and it wasn't pretty). You need to do what you're going to be happy with doing but you also need to consider that the job is just a job. Your family/friends/loved ones will (should) be there for you when the job is done. In a bigger department, especially in one of CA's big three, all too often, you're just an item/badge number.

I personally would not want a daughter (or any female members of my family/friends/loved ones circle) experiencing or dealing with the things I've had to experience/deal with or any of the multitude of things that LEOs experience/deal with. I would definitely try to dissuade a daughter from joining and encourage her to find something else.

Remember, there are MANY more negative things that often happen to us in LE than getting ourselves shot...