# Self-Sponsor Advice



## GoldenGreek

So I am from a medium size town outside Boston. The Chief of my hometown PD has agreed to sponsor me for the Full-Time Academy, if there are any available seats (I know Reading has some openings). I am 21 and just graduated college this past December, so in the meantime I am living at home with my parents. I have been working throughout college and can afford the academy tuition; and since I am living at home, no income for 6 months wouldn't be too hard of a pill to swallow.

I have the R/I Academy and a 4 year degree, so I am eligible for an SSPO Academy waiver for campus PDs. I am currently in the hiring process for two college police departments (for one on the departments, I heading into the final round of interviews in the next couple of weeks). If I get hired at either of the college PDs, they will eventually send me to the SSPO Academy. 

My question is: do I pass up a potential campus job and sponsor myself to the full time academy with no guaranteed job after graduation, or do I work at the college PD, go to the SSPO academy, and then 4 or 5 years down the line hopefully get hired by a municipality and attend the full time academy then?


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## GoldenGreek

LawMan3 said:


> 1. If you can take the hit of no income for 6 months, you'd be a fool not to go as a self sponsor, especially in your current situation. You're a MUCH more marketable candidate for a full time position with the academy already done. SSPO won't get you much of anything in this state, unless you want to work at a college or hospital. It's a no brainer.
> 
> 2. I'd advise you to seek advice from a dictionary in addition to MassCops.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks for the feedback. It's going to be tough to pass up on a paying police job vs. paying for another academy. A few other officers have said the same as you, I just wanted a couple of more opinions.


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## Pvt. Cowboy

GoldenGreek said:


> Thanks for the feedback. It's going to be tough to pass up on a paying police job vs. paying for another academy. A few other officers have said the same as you, I just wanted a couple of more opinions.


Put it this way...

I don't know of any self sponsors to the FT academy, that don't have jobs. Ones I know of found employment rather quickly, some were even recruited during their academy.

Hate to say it, but you're limited with SSPO, and it's designed that way. It's a dick move by the administrators of campus/hospital PD's... In my jaded sour opinion.


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## Bloodhound

Take the opportunity and GO. The college PD's should understand and you'd be even more likely to get another shot with them if you don't pick up a municipal gig right away.


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## MiamiVice

Do it, I did many moons ago, and worked at a campus after for a few years.


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## districtcircus12

I pulled the "living with my folks" and worked every sat/Sun. It was a great.


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## Truck

It's a no brainer. Get the FT academy graduate be on a municipal department 3 months out of the academy FT.


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## Sgt Jack

Truck said:


> It's a no brainer. Get the FT academy graduate be on a municipal department 3 months out of the academy FT.


This^^^^^ As someone who works for both a Campus and as a Reserve trust me on this one if you can do the full time municipal academy then do it. Nothing against doing the Campus/SSPO route but in my personal experience it really hasn't opened any doors when it comes for getting on a city or town job.


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## CapeSpecial

Another vote for the full time academy. It seems that campus jobs come up quite frequently now, so you can go back to them once you graduate the FT academy if you need to. However, I think a 4yr degree plus the FT academy is going to make you a very qualified candidate for any municipal job.


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## pahapoika

can you get on a civil service town if your self sponsored. ?


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## Goose

pahapoika said:


> can you get on a civil service town if your self sponsored. ?


Sure, if you are on the list and they send you a card. It's not as big of a benefit in a CS town since they can only pull 2n+1 names for a hiring process. On the other hand, a non-CS town can pick from a larger pool of several hundred applicants.


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## USAF286

Is it true that some Campus PD's have contracts that they make you sign, stating that if you leave their organization under a certain amount of time you have to reimburse them for the academy?


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## niteowl1970

USAF286 said:


> Is it true that some Campus PD's have contracts that they make you sign, stating that if you leave their organization under a certain amount of time you have to reimburse them for the academy?


That's true.... I know someone who had to pay a prorated amount. I'm pretty sure It's in the AFSME contract.


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## Bloodhound

USAF286 said:


> Is it true that some Campus PD's have contracts that they make you sign, stating that if you leave their organization under a certain amount of time you have to reimburse them for the academy?


Some towns do too. I know Brookline does (or at least used to). I had to pay for my academy tuition myself. They covered the books and equipment.


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## Pvt. Cowboy

USAF286 said:


> Is it true that some Campus PD's have contracts that they make you sign, stating that if you leave their organization under a certain amount of time you have to reimburse them for the academy?


I know of towns that have 3 year contracts. Seems like the right thing to do.


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## pahapoika

could you do the full time Academy and then work at the college. ?


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## pahapoika

LawMan3 said:


> Sure, why not?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


well then to me the smart money is taking the guaranteed job and then hope you can get something later on down the road


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## DeltaTango27

You only have 2 years to get on the job before it expires after graduation? If my information is correct, campus jobs will keep that from expiring therefore you have to take the first that comes regardless......if my information is correct that is


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## Guard Hard

If you want to be a municipal police officer in Massachusetts, self-sponsoring is probably the quickest route to making this become a reality. I say this based on the experiences of people I know who have done it. I say "quick" in contrast to working the stepping-stone jobs for years. If you're a non-veteran without the fulltime academy, 4-5 years to get hired is a somewhat conservative estimate. A more realistic scenario is somewhere between 10 years and never.


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## Pvt. Cowboy

Guard Hard said:


> A more realistic scenario is somewhere between 10 years and never.


The accuracy of this statement is unrivaled.


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## pahapoika

10 years does seem to be the time line for non-vets.


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## Pvt. Cowboy

pahapoika said:


> 10 years does seem to be the time line for non-vets.


I tried for 11 years until I threw in the towel. It's a very accurate time line, almost nailed it on the head for me.


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## Guard Hard

Thank you for the backup, haha. I've known so many outstanding people who have been fighting the good fight for so long, and there are some heartbreaking stories out there. The 10-year timeline is not unusual in the least. I don't mean to suggest that you can't have a great career in the campus/hospital field, because a lot of those are genuinely great places to work. I mean that there is no guarantee that it will get you objectively closer to your goal of working for a city or town. The municipal academy is a qualification that will measurably, objectively get you closer to that goal, even dramatically so.

As an aside, I'll also note that stepping stones can help you or they can hurt you. In a hospital or college, you're still dealing with high-liability situations and making quick decisions every day, but without as much support or legal protection. Every call you go on is one more opportunity to get in the glue. It's not all doom and gloom, but for every person who successfully used their experience as a campus or hospital officer to move on, there's some other poor bastard who either had his career set back in some way or had it derailed completely.


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## 15453

If you can afford to go through the full time academy go, when I was in the academy the director was constantly forwarding us emails from departments that were looking for self sponsors in the academy, we had no self sponsors but I'm sure if you go chances are good you could have a spot somewhere by the end of it


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## CO4Sho

When all else fails there is always corrections. The DOC and a few of the Sheriff's Depts makes a ton with base + overtime and no one works all that hard.


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