Thinking about being a police officer - help!

[Tonyblock]

Hello,

My name is Tony, i'm eighteen years old and i live in The Netherlands. I've been wondering about what career attracts me most lately, in my wild dreams i guessed "Hey, being a police officer actually seems kinda fun!"

I want to protect people, i want to really be a part of the community and actively help to improve it. Being a cop just seems right to me, i'm that kind of person i guess.

I have two problems though that i need to fix before i can make this a reality.

One: I'd have to work my *** off, to ensure that i can get a Green Card. Even if i would make it i'd still wouldn't be a permanent lawfull resident, it takes 5 years i heard before i can apply for being a permanent resident.

Two: I don't know what being a police officer is about. Sure, ride around in your police car for most of the days responding to calls, making patrolls etcetera. But i'm probably wrong. So what is being a police officer all about? I aim to be a local sheriff in a not too big of a town.

These are just some wild dreams. But knowing what the life of a police officer is all about would help me alot. I'm just so confused in everything, the first five years after i immigrated i'm still... i don't know what i am then, not a permanent lawfull resident then so i don't know if i could apply for a job at the police.

My questions:

What does a average day in the life of a sheriff looks like? What can i expect?

And if anyone happens to know.. Being an immigrant, how long would it take before i can apply for sheriff?

Do i need anything special like the college points? I really don't have a clue at all.

These are my questions for now, i hope someone can shed some light on them. I'm really sorry for my english, i try my best. For now i'm going to take slow paces, researching. Thanks!

Thanks in advance!

[Kerri]

First off welcome to RP!

My questions:

What does a average day in the life of a sheriff looks like? What can i expect?

Sorry I cant answer this one as I am not a LEO (yet). However I can pretty much guarantee you are going to get replies below mine telling you to read through the forum. All the answers you could possibly desire are here somewhere, its just a matter of taking a few minutes to look for them.

And if anyone happens to know.. Being an immigrant, how long would it take before i can apply for sheriff?

Not sure how long but from what I understand I believe most departments just say you have to of at least applied for citizenship. Like most hiring requirements it depends on the department you are trying to get into. My city for example says on their website only that you actually have to be a citizen already.

Do i need anything special like the college points? I really don't have a clue at all.

This also depends on the department you are trying to get into. My city doesn't require any college at all but only graduation of high school or GED. The most common requirement seems to be 60 credits as I know a few of the departments I looked into joining said that.

These are my questions for now, i hope someone can shed some light on them. I'm really sorry for my english, i try my best. For now i'm going to take slow paces, researching. Thanks!

You english is actually pretty good. Considering its not your primary language your grammar puts most new posters on here to shame.

Kerri

[pafindr]

My questions:

What does a average day in the life of a sheriff looks like? What can i expect?

And if anyone happens to know.. Being an immigrant, how long would it take before i can apply for sheriff?

Do i need anything special like the college points? I really don't have a clue at all.

These are my questions for now, i hope someone can shed some light on them. I'm really sorry for my english, i try my best. For now i'm going to take slow paces, researching. Thanks!

Thanks in advance!

First off I don't think that getting into LE because you think it will be fun is a good way to look at it. You will sometimes see people at the worst point in their lives and some people that you will interact with will treat you as their enemy, whether it's giving them a speeding ticket or having child protective service take away their kids. Really look into if you can handle these types of situations. Television tries to make it look like fun by taking down the bad guys or saving innocent victims but sometimes you have to protect the bad guys too.

1. I'm not an officer yet either so I'll leave that one to someone who knows better.

2. I haven't seen any departments that hire someone that is not a U.S. citizen. So you will have to be a citizen before applying. Most agencies don't hire until you are at least 21 years old.

3. Some departments will hire a person with a high school diploma but more and more agencies are requiring college degrees.

[Tonyblock]

As i said this is all just a wild dream, i've read some of the topics on this site. I have a hard time figuring out what job i want to do right now, if there's anything i'd be glad to look into it, like now with being a cop.

I've always looked up against policemen, i can still remember a particular day on school, they were teaching something special to us to make us respect policemen more or something, while everyone around me made jokes about "the stupid jew" i remember looking up to that big man, he was so proud of his job.

To know that the person your looking at keeps things at peace in the streets is very impressive, i had such respect for that man. I figured that i might be able to be that man, to do something for everyone, to make little kids like myself back then feel safe.

I'm already reconsidering though, i read some of the stories on Tearsofacop.com.. I indeed look at the job more in a "TV" way, that's also one of the reasons why i came here.

I guess the bad sides outweigh the good sides, i should put this dream aside for a while to see if i can find my luck in other jobs aswell.

Thanks for helping me out here guys!

[BNTF]

The bad typically doesn't outweigh the good. You'll have some days that are bad enough to where you'll never forget them. The same thing with the good.

It's not like TV. It's a job, just like anything else- no occupation is going to turn out like Hollywood portrays it.

If you want to help people, and it sounds like you do, then this is a good job for that. It's a great job to meet great people. It's a great job to have fun and a good time. But also keep in mind, that when it's time to handle business, the fun stops and you act like a professional.

No one can tell you if this is the job for you. Only you can figure it out for yourself through talking to cops and researching what the job you're applying for entails. Once you have a good idea, you need to step back, look in the mirror and be honest with yourself. Be honest in examining who you are and applying that to how you would work in this profession.

[BNTF]

And I can't help you with the immigration status issue. I've worked with cops who were born and raised in Ireland and came over here after high school, and one in particular is one of the best cops I've known. So it certainly happens

[suzanne1020U.S.]

I want to protect people, i want to really be a part of the community and actively help to improve it. Being a cop just seems right to me, i'm that kind of person i guess.

You seem like a fine and noble gentleman, and I do hope your wish of being an officer one day is forfilled.
Bless you on your journey, kind heart.