Academy Recruit

[ascottb]

Greetings, all!

I've been working with a team of CIs for the last 5 years as a fraud investigator - non-sworn class - in a social service program in CA. I've got over 500 suspect/witness interviews under my belt, ellicited numerous confessions and helped to send a few perps to county jail and state prison.

I'll be starting the Academy this month and I'm really looking forward to everything I'll be learning and experiencing along with those with whom I'll share the experience. Ultimately, I hope to find a CI job anywhere in CA or in New England, but I could be persuaded to work patrol for a time. I've gone on a couple ride-alongs now and I've enjoyed that. But starting the Academy at age 43 (finishing at 44) makes me think straight to CI might be more my speed, though I fully intend to beat all my fellow recruits on the fitness portion as I'm a 10k runner already.

So...that's me! Glad to be here!

[Citicop]

ascottb-

Welcome to the forum! You will find that we have a lot of resources and info here that may be very helpful to you in the Academy as well as in your career. I really do hope you succeed and find a job in Law Enforcement, so take what I'm about to tell you as constructive criticism, so you know what to expect as you get into the field.

It doesn't matter how many interviews you have done as a civilian fraud investigator.

The odds that you will land an investigator position immediately after graduating from the academy are remote at best. That is just not the way that the field works.

You will need to plan on spending a minimum of 3-5 years in patrol learning Law Enforcement from the ground up before you will find yourself eligible for transfer or promotion to an investigative slot. Once you have done that, your previous investigations will absolutely help give you a leg up in getting one of those spots (you'll find the experience useful in Patrol as well) but it will not take the place of the invaluable experience you will gain on Field Training and in a few years on the street.

Again, welcome and good luck!

-Citicop.

[retdetsgt]

I worked 10 years in uniform, 18 as a detective. Guess which one I had the most fun in and have the best memories? Don't prejudge what you want to do.

[tcop733]

Citicop's always dead on.
Most agency's require you to start at the bottom.
A lot of Sheriff's offices start you out in the jail babysitting inmates. Doesn't really matter how much experience you have working the streets, or on how much specialized training you have.
There are exceptions, especially with Sheriff's offices; people who are good buddies with someone, yada yada.
Overall though you'll have to do your time either on the streets or in the jail.
Think for a moment on how placing a brand new officer in a coveted position like Detective would damage the overall morale of the department.
Never know, you may find yourself loving the streets and want to stay for the duration of your career

[Cat_Doc]

Come back in a year and let us know how that direct to detective out of the academy went.

[ascottb]

Thanks, everyone! Appreciate the input and I am aware of the general way in which these things work. But I work with CIs who never walked a beat and went into investigations in places like the DMV. I'm thinking along those lines. Obviously, I'm not going straight into investigations at a municipal police force, but in talking to the CIs I work with they agree that positions are available in non-municipal investigations if I'm willing to go the less glamorous route.

I'm not opposed to patrol. I think I'd really enjoy it. The larger question is how many municipalities are wanting to hire a 44 year old for patrol? I imagine I'd have a better shot at investigations than patrol.

Perhaps I'm wrong.

I'd also be interested in the Coroner's office to start knowing as I do that it's a less popular gig especially given new-man-gets-worst-shift kinda thing plus many don't have the stomach to even apply.

Thoughts?

(I really do appreciate your input!)

[ascottb]

Not sure how much it matters in terms of getting a CI gig as I describe, but I would be coming to the force with a B.A. and a Masters. I hope to come out somewhere near the top of the Academy so hopefully that supports me, as well...

[retdetsgt]

Other than federal, no state or local agency I ever heard of will be willing to hire anyone directly as an investigator. It's not the nature of the beast. Some agencies will hire older people, we do. I don't know what the upper age limit is for federal agencies, some fed can chime in and tell you. But they would be your only hope of not working uniform for a few years.

But if you want to be an investigator only, don't waste your time and money by going to a police academy. Coroner's offices do hire regular investigators, but the ones here tend to prefer people who have experience as EMT's, particular ambulance drivers and such. Some medical background is a huge asset there.

[retdetsgt]

Not sure how much it matters in terms of getting a CI gig as I describe, but I would be coming to the force with a B.A. and a Masters. I hope to come out somewhere near the top of the Academy so hopefully that supports me, as well...

Academy grades might get you initially hired, but they're only important for about 15 seconds to determine whether or not BI wants to talk to you. It's like your high school grades, they're nice when you're applying for college, but once you get accepted, who cares?

Degrees are more or less the same. Departments have minimum education requirements and all they care is if you make them or not. We hire based on your test scores, written and oral. Everything else is pass/no pass. I hate to say it, but your years as a civilian investigator isn't nearly as attractive as you seem to believe it is. We like to train our own.

[retdetsgt]

I guess to put it into perspective, we hire retired military personnel all the time who are in their late 30's, early 40's. Several were E-9's who had supervisory experience up the kazoo, but they have to start just like everyone else and work their way up. Oddly enough, very few want the responsibility and love just being a cop even though their qualifications for promotion are immaculate.

[Safety Steve]

Howdy ascottb! Glad your here at RP!

I agree with all the gentlemen's comments above.

From one runner to another, see ya on the road!

Be Safe.

[Reconciler]

Welcome to RP