Advice Appreciated

[Brian.FLA]

Hi, this is my first post and I'm not sure where to place it so i've written it under another subject heading as well. I am 20, almost 21, and I have a decision to make and I was hoping to gather information from people who have more experience than I do. Here it is, I have the opportunity to work for the the Florida Department of Correction at the Charrlotte Institution, I am also considering going into the Air Force at the moment. My overall goal would be to acquire experience to become a police officer. Here are the central dilemas I am facing. While the military is good experience, the Air Force Security Forces, from what I have been hearing, are not really preforming many LE duties anymore (as far as the masses go.) so more than likely I would look into trying to get the vehicle mechanics and such other jobs as this also interests me, although I know there is no guarentee. Also, I have heard that some agencies like for you to start of in corrections anyways and then move up to the road, however, I'm not 100% on this. At the moment I don't know if I would want to stay in correctoins but am very much considering the idea that I could very well make a career out of it, as many other respectable individuals have done. Although, I feel that if I choose one over the other I think that I will feel that I missed out on a big opportunity. I know that I have to make a decision on my own, I am just hoping that people could share their imput so that I will be able to make a better informed decision than i could have made before. Any and all advice is welcomed, and will be greatly appreciated.
Thank You,
-Brian

[sweamco]

Hi Brian,

I have never been in the military so I can not tell you anything about that. I do work in corrections however so if you have any questions pertaining to that I would be more than happy to help. You did mention that you were afraid of losing out on one or the other. At your age I do not think you have to be worried about that. If you do 4 years in the military and then try to go into a law enforcement or corrections agency you will still be 25 yeas old around that time. I know that some police departments consider 26 to be the prime age for hiring. I am sure that this can vary from department to department however.

Have you thought about joining the reserves?

You mentioned that you had heard that some agencies want you to start in corrections and later work up to a patrol position. This is probably not true in most POLICE departments, but it might be applicable in many SHERIFFS departments. If you work corrections in a sheriffs office/department you will typically supervise offenders who have just been taken into custody, people awaiting trial and offenders serving sentences of usually no more than 18 months. If convicted of a felony a person will be sent to prison for the most part. In that case they would be in the custody of the Department of Corrections.

If you join a police department you will most likely hit the streets on patrol as a police officer. If you go work for a sheriffs office you might start in the jail and later be able to transfer to such assignments as patrol, court security, or civil divisions (serving legal papers such as foreclosure notices for example). If you go work for the Department of Corrections you will be supervising inmates in a correctional facility. You can have the option of being a Parole officer but that might require additional education/experience.

Good luck Brian

[SGT21V]

I would definately join the military and give your self some time to mature and gain valuable life experience. MOS doesn't really matter. From my personal experience, most Depts could care less about military police experience (except for some federal agencies). What counts is honorable military service. The important thing to remember is, veterans preference will not only help you get hired, it will help you promote as well.

[corporal716]

If a civilian law enforcement career is what you want, I’d say take the corrections job. You will be working in the system and putting years in toward retirement. You will learn a lot in corrections that will be useful on the street or any other aspect of law enforcement. In corrections you will learn basic investigative skills, report writing and how to deal with volatile people and situations. If you ever go to patrol, you will find that those skills will go a long way in phase one of your FTO program. You might even find that you like working custody and decide to stay there. During my career, I worked custody, patrol, and courts. They all had their high points and down sides, but in the end custody is where I decided to spend the majority of my time. Whatever your goals are, corrections is a great place to start.

[po7532]

Take the corrections job. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

[Ispbear]

I'm not familiar with how corrections and LE interact in Florida. Is there a specific agency that you are eventually wanting to apply for? For example if your ultimate goal is to join a certain sheriff's department, then working for them in the correctional part may be beneficial. Otherwise, most places that I am familiar with would like the looks of honorable military status. It's doesn't matter if it is LE related, just that you have a good service record and serve your country.