I can tell by the remark of FAPD, he didn't find any friends. If you ask any REAL Police officer, he/she will tell you, every Police job is good and every Police job sucks. No matter if it says Boston,State.Tranist,Burlington, weymouth. They all have thier ups and downs. In the past, the VA Police was a good job. But it was not for everyone. In the hay days of the Boston VA when it was a full fledge meidcal center. It was like working a detail in a bar. If you were not fighting with fighting drunks, fighting pyhics, you were chasing the neighorhood youth down the street, for B&E of vehicles or robbieres. Then in the 90, they appointed a Chief who did not like cops and only look out for herself to get herself up the ladder and was the 1st under the new division intergration. The job went south, no different then Qunicy with thier years of bad chiefs. But due to a strong union representing the cops in the Boston Division and never giving up spit. A new Chief with some Police background was appointed and now the job is in the upswing. The Five weeks down in North Little Rock, ARK teaches you Federal law, VA regulations, training in department weapons and a few other items and they are always improving. If the area sticks too the qualifications, your suppose to have two years prior Police exp in a Town,City,State,County or Federal agency with arrest powers. In short, you should be trained as a cop before your hired. The VA in Mass and in other area's have funny powers. They can enforce Federal and State law and can take you to either court and that has been since 1975, which includes CH 90 on thier property and are like any other department and have the same powers of any other Police officer and can extend when needed under the color of law. So again, it's up and down everywhere.