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Florida Transfer

9K views 35 replies 18 participants last post by  Roy Fehler 
#1 ·
Looking for info from any Mass officers who transferred to a Florida agency. I have a rough understanding of the certification process . . . I'm more interested in hearing about experiences with the new agency, Florida law enforcement in general, issues that came up during the process and after the move, etc. Considering researching such a move and would love to hear opinions/experiences both good and bad. Thanks and be safe
 
#3 ·
I can't speak for Florida... but I can speak to the South. Not that Florida is all the South. In Florida, the further north you go the further south you get.

Policing in the South seems, from my experience, to be different in a few ways. It's still more the same than it is different, but here goes:

1. Less or no unions, right to work states, more administrative power. If the boss is a good guy, things work very well. If he's not, people eventually just leave and go elsewhere. Seems to be self-correcting.

2. Radio traffic is highly professional. Lots of codes, you will eventually think in code.

3. Lots of radio channels. One Mass. city PD had two of its own and 3 more shared throughout the county. A slightly smaller Miss. city PD has 7 of its own, plus another 6 shared throughout the county. Get used to switching channels to run a tag, chat, call a detective, whatever.

4. Less case law, particularly at the state level. Most court decisions that apply will be federal. The state Supremes aren't going to be big on providing extra rights beyond those guaranteed by the US Constitution.

5. Less money in general for everything at the agency. Cars are kept longer. Computers are kept longer. Buildings are often hand-me-downs, sometimes in pretty bad shape. Think Taunton PD in the 90's... or worse. (Hopefully they've got new digs by now...)

6. Somewhat less restrictive policing. See #4 above. No worries about putting someone in cuffs, taking them to PD for some questioning. Maybe they get released, maybe they get arrested. If there is PC, bring them in.

7. Less tracking of traffic citations. If the officer wants to hold a ticket for, say, No Proof Liability Insurance and give the motorist a few days to come up with proof, he/she can do that, then tear up the ticket if they desire.

8. Somewhat less is expected of a line officer. If you get a good arrest, a detective will take it over and put together all the statements, evidence chain of custody, etc. It is less common for a street cop to handle an entire felony, even if the entire thing falls into their lap and they have all they need.

9. Guns. Everybody has them. Pretty much everywhere. Stop a little old lady and she's likely to mention there's a magnum in the center console. On the good side, most departments let you carry a little something (or a whole lotta something) extra on duty.

10. Odd laws. Stuff will trip you up in ways you won't expect. In my state, Sheriffs can't run radar. Highway Patrol has no jurisdiction off of state highways. Florida and other states have their own oddities.

11. Maybe no civil infractions. In some states, everything is either a felony or a misdemeanor. You can still give a ticket, and an arrest for a MV violation is considered bad police work (without some other factor) but it IS lawful.

12. A variety of economic levels. There will be some VERY poor areas. They will have poor schools, few job aspects, little opportunity. Others will be better off, or even wealthy. Your police experience will vary WILDLY depending on this.

13. Gangs. LA influenced and Chicago influenced. Get yourself to a basic gang school as early as you can.

14. Prisoners. They will serve you food at the academy, wash your patrol cars, empty your trash... they may even have keys to your offices. Don't ask me why, and I work on a college campus so we don't deal with that, but it happens.

15. Details. Sorry, we dig up the street without much in the way of traffic control. Detail cop? Hell, sometmes there isn't even a traffic cone or flashing light. Just two guys with shovels. One may have on a traffic vest, the other may have on a prisoner uniform.

16. Military. Lots of bases, all services. Not at all uncommon, if you are near one, to see old school buses bringing the troops to the mall and the movies on Friday nights.

17. Weather. It gets cold and raw (or seems like it since I've lived here ten years) but it also gets so damned hot and humid you will need to acclimate. Hydrate, you will survive.

Anyways, there's more but that will give you an idea. I'm sure others will jump in with some Florida specifics.

Good luck!
 
#4 ·
I relocated to FL from MA and worked in City, County and State Law Enforcement agencies while living in S Fl. The experience was awesome and I really enjoyed my time there. S FL pays well and the cost of living is comparable to MA. If you love summer and spring you would enjoy S FL. The comparable compliance course is 3-4 weeks if you are full time certified in MA with one year of full time experience. That will certifiy you as a FL LEO. Good luck!!
 
#6 ·
Just to add, I would really take a few trips down to Florida to see where you may want to live and work. Florida is a very different place than Mass. There are also a lot of differences within the state itself depending on where you are. When I first started looking to go down there I looked in the Broward County, Ft Lauderdale area. To be honest I really didn't care for the area all that much during my first visit. House lots were right on top of each other and compared to Mass it was more good block, bad block as opposed to good city vs bad city. I found that I liked the Gulf side a lot better so that's more of where I'm looking although I wouldn't say no to a job on the east coast. I did have a chance to do a ride along with one Sheriff's Office on the gulf side. The area we were in was fairly decent and we only got a few calls during the shift, nothing too crazy although we did have a domestic in a trailer park where the guy without his shirt on went to jail (what trip to Florida wouldn't be complete without :D).
While a lot of it was the same there were some differences, first just about every thing on the radio is a signal or a code, no plain english, everything is done on the cruiser laptop, no one goes back to the station really. Your shift starts and ends from your driveway not the station as just about everyone has a take home cruiser. You want a patrol rifle? no problem. Pay and if the department is union or not will be quite varied. Some agencies have comparable pay to here other's don't pay very well at all. There seems to be more of an expectation to make stops, write tickets and arrests seem to be preferred as opposed to giving a notice to appear. Unlike Mass there's not a big emphasis on criminal procedure :eek:. The Sheriff's are the go to agencies down there unlike up here where its MSP. 12 hr or 10 hr shifts are more the norm, no 4-2. It seems more common to move around dept to dept where here people generally stay 30 years at one place. When I did my equivalency training up in the panhandle which is very southern I never saw so many overt displays of religion and church's in one place.
I can fill you in on the EOT process if you want to go work down there. Equivalency of Training programs are held in different parts of the state. The shortest is held up in Marianna Florida at Chipola College for a week. Most of the others are 2 or 3 weeks and in different parts of the state.
Although I would have loved to be working down there right now Family/house stuff has slowed it down. I know I didn't help my cause any the other night by watching Cocaine Cowboys Reloaded when my other half blurts out "And that's where you want us to move!!!!" :oops:
 
#7 ·
I looked at moving to FL, prior to getting onto where I am at now. FHP is in a constant state of hiring and would be a sure bet if you can pass the BI. FHP has high turnover and low pay, but if they are willing to put you on, do a few years and look else where. Sheriffs are the top dog in the south and usually pay the best. I would also recommend the gulf coast, it has a lot of retiree's and people with money, which make the area a little nicer to live. Nothing like riding a quad on the beach at siesta key for your shift, or in the marine unit, patrolling the coast line.

Bare in mind, Florida also has the highest rate of LEO deaths. A lot of sh!t bags live in the state (remember back in high school, when every druggie ass hole kid you knew, moved to Florida after graduation) A lot of drugs, a lot of firearms and a lot of police work to be done. On the down side, most agencies are a 5x2 and little to none, union protection.

However, if you're young and haven't planted any routes yet, I would definitely say make the move.

As far as the whole, radio 10-code thing. I think Massachusetts is one of the only states in New England that uses plain English for radio transmissions. Even in little Rhody, we use 10-codes for everything.
 
#8 ·
It's halftime at the Super Bowl and I'm sitting here nervous as fuck. So I'm browsing MassCops. Go figure.

Anyways, I'll back up a point made above. You will be busy, even if it's sorta make work. You will log every 10-27 (security check) of a business, park, street, etc. you won't write as many reports, but you will be on the radio every ten minutes or so logging some activity or people will wonder if you're OK.
 
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#10 ·
So many things about the south seem so very tempting....especially the temperatures and especially now. I'm kind of stuck. Too old to move there (plus, this is home) and I refuse to leave my current job until the current chief has left. I want so bad to still be here AFTER he's left.

Ah, but the temps........
 
#11 ·
Eastern South FL has mostly large departments and are typically union shops, including sheriff's offices. Many work 10 or 11.5hr shift, which offers a lot of time off. The pay is good as are the benefits. They are very busy though, so plan on earning your paycheck everyday. One piece of advice, stay away from FHP; useless, underpaid and the least respected agency in FL (IMHO).
 
#12 ·
I agree, FHP has dug themselves a hole they cannot get out of, with having a poor rep (locking up cops will do that). Basically, FHP is what the name says, Highway Patrol and accidents. They do perform drug interdiction work and have a decent amount of k-9 teams. I only suggested them, as they are in a constant state of hiring. Woodyd would not be traveling down as transfer (no FT-academy) and would be a regular applicant. As others have said, look around see what area of FL you would want to reside in and then start to apply to agencies in the area. Florida is a candy store of LE departments. FDLE, FWC, Airport police, SO's, Highway Patrol, City agenices, and small town departments and campus police.

The cost of housing in FL is cheaper, however fuel and food, remain similar in price. Also, the population of FL is very transient. Meaning, no one really stays there forever. I have had friends who are cops that made the jump to FL. However the wife, is usually home sick or something happens to the old folks and they have to move back to NE.

Working in a land where "snow patrol" has never been heard before is very tempting. Good luck in your decision.
 
#15 ·
I did the whole MA to Fla regime back in '04. In fact, PBC FL Cop helped me along the way. The comparative compliance course was two weeks long. Then later, a state certification exam. Policing there is different; I found the laws to be a little more simplistic, i.e., ALL b/e's are felonies; a/b on a po is a felony; etc. Many agencies have take home cars. Great experience. :)
 
#17 ·
I went to EOT with pretty squared away guy from Maine a couple years back. He's working for a smaller agency in a resort community down by Naples. The Department promoted him to Sergeant pretty quick. Haven't talked to him in a while but he's always begging me to apply or at least come down and visit. I always find it funny that there's such a contrast from up here where "Well Qualified" doesn't really mean much but down there it's important.
 
#20 ·
I know it's an old thread but I'll add my two cents.

Being a Florida kid born and raised, then going to the academy and getting on w the local pd, its bittersweet.

City I work for has loads of money. We generally keep cars about 6-7 years before they update the fleet in segments. That being said, I was able to design my traffic car the way I wanted. Majority of agencies have take homes.

Equipment is eh and so is the idea of use of force. This varies from agency to agency. I have buddies that have moved and they have top notch equipment but the pay is less and they get shot at. So it's a trade off.

We are not allowed to pursue and I don't remember the last k9 apprehension and bite we've had. Again, this varies from agency to agency. I've got family in a different agency a few hours away that told me they'll pursue, pit and yank you through the window for a broken tag light if you run.

As others have said. Guns are everywhere. The respect for law enforcement since I've started five years ago is dwindling. I see the difference on the highways here compared to there. Everyone up there literally shits when they see a statie, slows down and moves over. Here, you're lucky if you don't feel the air on your ass while on a stop.

It's a pretty liberal tourist town where I am and there's plenty of overtime and details.

It is HOT. So much so that I'm hating it. We don't have seasons. We have summer. And we have summer. Occasional cool breeze in January and February.

Some agencies are very good to work for. And some aren't. This can range from a plethora of issues from pay to location to equipment to politics to morale.

I'm actually looking to do the opposite of what you guys are and make the transition up north. I've made numerous trips up there and love central mass. Civil service scares me and I'm hoping I'll be able to get on w an agency making decent coin.
 
#21 ·
I know it's an old thread but I'll add my two cents.

Being a Florida kid born and raised, then going to the academy and getting on w the local pd, its bittersweet.

City I work for has loads of money. We generally keep cars about 6-7 years before they update the fleet in segments. That being said, I was able to design my traffic car the way I wanted. Majority of agencies have take homes.

Equipment is eh and so is the idea of use of force. This varies from agency to agency. I have buddies that have moved and they have top notch equipment but the pay is less and they get shot at. So it's a trade off.

We are not allowed to pursue and I don't remember the last k9 apprehension and bite we've had. Again, this varies from agency to agency. I've got family in a different agency a few hours away that told me they'll pursue, pit and yank you through the window for a broken tag light if you run.

As others have said. Guns are everywhere. The respect for law enforcement since I've started five years ago is dwindling. I see the difference on the highways here compared to there. Everyone up there literally shits when they see a statie, slows down and moves over. Here, you're lucky if you don't feel the air on your ass while on a stop.

It's a pretty liberal tourist town where I am and there's plenty of overtime and details.

It is HOT. So much so that I'm hating it. We don't have seasons. We have summer. And we have summer. Occasional cool breeze in January and February.

Some agencies are very good to work for. And some aren't. This can range from a plethora of issues from pay to location to equipment to politics to morale.

I'm actually looking to do the opposite of what you guys are and make the transition up north. I've made numerous trips up there and love central mass. Civil service scares me and I'm hoping I'll be able to get on w an agency making decent coin.
Florida is not utopia, but it's been good for my LE career. There are lots of jobs if you're qualified. Granted everyone hates the cops but it's still a good coin on Florida.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
 
#23 ·
I've worked in Mass my whole life and at a university no less. Well, two as an auxiliary in my hometown. HEAVEN. Four years at a state university. MARVELOUS (but not enough to do for a go getter of 24). Lastly at my current job at a private institution. The first 10 years were a tad annoying but fulfilling with plenty of police work to keep me interested. Then, a new regime came to power and for the past 20...FUCK THIS PLACE! I AM MISERABLE! BULLSHIT GALORE! VINDICTIVE STALINIST BASTARD AND HIS MINIONS! WILL THEY NEVER, EVER LEAVE?!?!?!
Stay in Florida unless the ideal Mass. job comes along.

Wait, I was venting. Did I totally and entirely miss the point of this thread?
 
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#27 ·
So would Vermont! Think of the SAVINGS!

But only to the University of Vermont. Let's face it, no one working there currently has any business running the show.:rolleyes:
In reply to my own post, I didn't wish to imply that no one at UVM had any right to run the PD, I was making a tongue in cheek reference to how it often goes with Mass. college departments where no one currently working there is given enough confidence and respect to run that job. That's all. God Bless the UVM PD.
 
#29 ·
I'm actually looking to do the opposite of what you guys are and make the transition up north. I've made numerous trips up there and love central mass. Civil service scares me and I'm hoping I'll be able to get on w an agency making decent coin.
Honestly you may want to look at Southern New Hampshire. You'd be close to Mass and you wouldn't have to worry about all the bullshit politics and civil service nonsense.
 
#32 ·
I've looked at Nashua but I've got a full arm sleeve and they wouldn't allow a tat jacket or wearing a long sleeve uniform shirt year round. I'll have to look at Salem seabroom and Hampton. I'd be living in southern worcester co, maybe even northern ct. I've got my eye on a couple spots in ct as well that I'm hoping to score at. RI would be great as well (Woonsocket mainly, but I just missed the test period) due to the location. I wouldn't mind umass temporarily to help with obtaining my bachelors. Framingham state is hiring again I see... hmmm...
 
#33 ·
I've been in FL working on the job for over 20 years. Came south from MA after graduating from NU and still couldn't et a full time job in MA after working as a Aux, Special, Campus Cop and Animal Control for 5 years. Currently work in South FL on an SO. Recently helped a guy from the cape come down here and he is on F.T. On a local PD. Lots of what has been said is 100% true. Florida is huge & diverse. Depending on where you go and where you are working can be night & day. I came down here after getting in touch with a former MA guy who came down here. Don't regret it at all. Anything I can help you with I will. Just LMK. Stay Safe.
 
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