# Sticky  A Message/Warning to n00bs, Rookies, and Wanna-be's



## Guest

Dear n00b/rookie,

I was you once. A long time ago, I once held the foolishly altruistic belief that I could actually help people and make a difference. The sad fact is that in your 32-year career, you're going to be able to count the number of people you actually, really helped on one hand, with fingers to spare.

We (police) are a band-aid for situations that usually requires major surgery. When I first became a cop, I envisioned myself as the guy who captures the criminal in the act, like Adam-12. The reality is that almost never happens.....we're usually expected to just clean-up the aftermath of an armed robbery, and keep the scene secure until the detectives arrive.

The calls we *do* arrive at that are in-progress are usually non-sexy things like bar fights, domestic violence incidents, and drunk bums who we have to PC in order to make sure they don't freeze to death/aren't victimized themselves. No matter how you handle those types of calls, you're always going to be the bad guy. I was placing a drunk bum into protective custody one night when the air temperature was about 5-degrees Fahrenheit, and I still got snide remarks from the public about "picking on the homeless".....never mind that he would have frozen to death if I didn't take him into custody. The police are ALWAYS in the wrong, especially in the media and public perception. Get used to it.

I used to have quite a few friends who were not cops, but they faded away pretty quickly. If they didn't understand my outrage about the rampant abuse of the welfare/nanny-state system, or the mindset it took to look on without emotion while a paramedic pronounced a gang member being dead from a drive-by shooting, then I really didn't want to be friends with them, anyway.

I don't care if you work in the Boston housing projects (as I did for my first 6 years), Podunk, MA, or anything in-between. You're eventually going to get to the hostility stage, which is where I am right now. I'll bet that no one on this board wanted/wants to be a police officer more than me; I realized it on my 5th birthday, and everything else I did in my life was geared towards attaining that goal.

So.....24 years later, I achieved my goal, but now I hate it with every fiber of my being. On the days I have to work, I start checking the clock at 2pm, and shake my head as it gets closer to 3pm, when I have to start getting ready for work. It literally ruins the day for me.

Why?

While this job is necessary, it's also pointless. When you make a great arrest and it's dismissed/CWOF'ed by the DA, it wears you down. When you make a great arrest and it's dismissed/CWOF'ed because the PD doesn't want to pay court overtime, while they would rather award sneaky, non-competitive OT to lieutenants instead of having patrol officers attend court to prosecute criminals, or staff patrol units, it wears you down quite a bit.

So.....what do I do now? I respond to my radio calls, and back-up my fellow officers as fast as I possibly can. What do I do in-between those radio calls and calls for help?

No comment.

N00bs/wanna-bes....this is you in about 15-20 years.

RANT <OFF>


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## Hush

Is there something different you could see yourself doing that would give you some satisfaction like investigations, swat, something pro-active, another agency, etc? (Dept politics aside of course)

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## Herrdoktor

The worst is when your brain and body know you have to work that night so you feel like complete ass all day.

Also don't forget to tell the newbs about how you can feel your body breaking down, especially if you work out a lot during your work week.


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## frapmpd24

Delta784 said:


> You're eventually going to get to the hostility stage, which is where I am right now.


For you N00b's/Rookies who don 't know what that is, I've seen it described as years 5-10, but that must be based on a 20 year retirement. Here in lovely Mass we do get 80% of our best three years for a pension, but that is after a 32 year sentence. Since its much longer than the 20 years elsewhere, you have to adjust the hostility stage, (the point at which you have seen pretty much every type of call and are sick of the BS internal and external). Add in the long winters, liberal lawmakers and judges, and criminal friendly laws, it compounds things, making the hostility stage more like years 5 through 30, with the last two years winding down accrued time with little or no buyback to zilch. Just from my observation.



Hush said:


> Is there something different you could see yourself doing
> 
> Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk


Yeah, retiring! That countdown clock keeps ticking louder Delta, hang in there. With your education and experience you'll soon qualify to be one of those highly paid expert witnesses. That will make court much easier to take ($$$) while others are flapping their arms for three times less.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## sdb29

Back when I was all new and squeaky clean there was a guy on my platoon who felt this way. I hated him for breathing and taking up a car that I wanted. 
One night he said to me " Kid, I've been where you're going."
31 1/2 years later, after all the gore, the nightmares,the disappointments, the marriages, the time spent doing nothing altruistic, I see what he meant. You were right Donald, you were right. 
Bruce, hang in there. The Bermuda shorts and socks with sandals will be here soon. When you get below 10 to go it flies, it flies.


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## topcop14

Delta hang in there. I too find myself being hostile at times. Funny thing is its mostly the Admin that causes my hostility. I tell people I love my job but hate my employer. Unfortnatly it effects my work too. My father is retired from the job and now that he has been retired a while he has lost all hostility that he had toward the job and only seams to remember the good times he had.


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## LGriffin

Delta,

You speak for all of us, buddy, but didn't you know that you can make non-sexy things like bar fights sexy simply by wearing velcro pants? Jeez, throw in a little effort and give the people what they really want

The most screwed up thing is that it consumes you and about five years after you're gone, you'll actually miss it. Not so much the dopes, but the brotherhood.


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## USM C-2

So, I wasn't happy at my job. Got promoted up until all I did was push paper and go to meetings. Didn't enjoy going to work. 32 years and 80% was a LONG way off.

So, fuck it. Life is too short to stay. Quit, retire, transfer, whatever. I was suffering mentally and physically from the stress of not enjoying what I did. Liked the people, not the office work. No matter what your suck is, get it out of your life.

I bought back 5 years of part-time work and pulled the pin on my 45th birthday. Took my 23% pension, moved south and found work. A year later found even better work, and after 4 years got promoted to a job that I love... 

If things suck that bad, you *NEED* to make a change.


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## Guest

Delta you got to bid out of that car and take an "easier" post for a few years. It does seem like we are shoveling shit against the tide, but in baby steps you/we are helping people. Example; you arrest a drunk driver, get him off the road, who's to say that ten minutes later he wouldn't of crashed and killed an innocent family. The court lets the shithead go but if he hurts somebody, you could sleep guilt free because you did your job. Hang in there brother.


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## gargoyle

*"Quid tu es, ego fui, quod ego sum, tu eris"*

Which loosely translated means:

"That which you are, I once was, that which I am, you will become"


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## Pvt. Cowboy

Wooooo sahhhhh....

I remember my old man turning the same way. Started to loathe the job... Seems like a natural progression of things in this state.


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## Johnny Law

I've started my response to this thread several times and erased it because I don't think I have the eloquence to pull off a response that doesn't make me out to be a complete hairball. I've been and continue to be at the hostility stage, and it all starts and seems to end with the administrators (at this point). I continue to march, to do this shitty job the best way I can, to collect evidence and try and put these motherfuckers behind bars. I've gotten a few medals for things I've managed to do right, but I refuse to wear my devices because I just don't give a fuck anymore.

I've got Limp Bizkit's "Break Stuff" on my Ipod, it gives me perfect mood music for being at work and for the stage most of us are at.

*"Break Stuff"*

Its just one of those days 
When you don't wanna wake up
Everything is fucked
Everybody sux
You don't really know why
But you want justify
Rippin' someone's head off
No human contact
And if you interact
Your life is on contract
Your best bet is to stay away motherfucker
It's just one of those days!!

_[chorus]_
Its all about the he says she says bullshit
I think you better quit
Lettin' shit slip
Or you'll be leavin with a fat lip
Its all about the he says she says bullshit
I think you better quit talkin that shit
(Punk, so come and get it)
Its just one of those days
Feelin' like a freight train
First one to complain
Leaves with a blood stain
Damn right I'm a maniac
You better watch your back
Cuz I'm fuckin' up your program
And if your stuck up
You just lucked up
Next in line to get fucked up
Your best bet is to stay away motherfucker
Its just one of those days!!

_[chorus]_

I feel like shit
My suggestion is to keep your distance cuz right now im dangerous
We've all felt like shit
And been treated like shit
All those motherfuckers that want to step up
I hope you know I pack a chain saw
I'll skin your ass raw
And if my day keeps goin' this way I just might break somethin' tonight...
I hope you know I pack a chain saw
I'll skin your ass raw
And if my day keeps goin' this way I just might break somethin' tonight...
I hope you know I pack a chain saw
I'll skin your ass raw
And if my day keeps goin' this way I just might break your fuckin' face tonight!!
Give me somethin' to break
Give me somethin' to break
Just give me somethin' to break
How bout your fuckin' face
I hope you know I pack a chain saw, what!!...
A chain saw, what!!...
A motherfucking chain saw, what!!...
So come and get it


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## Marks72

Hey Delta. Of course I can in no way know what you and everyone else in LE go through not being LE myself, so I won't pretend I can. But I've read a great many of your posts and you come across as both professional and well edjucated, but more importantly... a guy with common sense. Now, that said, I have the answer for ya bud...... Quick, file your paperwork for either the Republican or Independant nomination for President of the United States!!!!!! Got my vote.....


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## Guest

sdb29 said:


> When you get below 10 to go it flies, it flies.


9 years, 5 months, and 5 days to go. Not that I'm counting, mind you.



USM C-4 said:


> If things suck that bad, you *NEED* to make a change.


I'd take my 50% and move tomorrow, but my wife has family in MA, so that's not an option right now.



OCKS said:


> Delta you got to bid out of that car and take an "easier" post for a few years.


I'm bidding inside in 2013, but I have to stay in A Group to have the holidays off, and I don't have enough seniority to get the A Group inside position.


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## cousteau

It is discouraging. Some administrators seem to hate the good cops. If it is jealousy, envy, or that the cops do a better job than the brass ever did, I don't know. On my shift, I work for some really good bosses, in my opinion, for the most part. Very different from each other, but good guys that just expect you to do your job, and they treat you like a human. But, there are brass there I wouldn't want to work directly under, and I don't. Have I become cynical? Yes, to an expected level, I think. But not to where I hate the job. At least not yet. In 12+ years I can count on one hand how many "bad" days I have had. But "bad" has different meanings to different people. I really put forth an effort mentally, to find something to, if not like, at least relate about each guy I work for or with. Its a long career. Unfortunately some are just too self-centered if not outright malicious, to connect with at any level. Or, just too plain f'n ignorant. Seeing the amount of ass-kissing and what it gets people drives me nuts. Not that I'm looking for anything there; its the complete lack of self-respect and integrity some of these people have. Personally, I am laughing at some of these people inside. I can look at myself in the mirror, and while I see more wrinkles, I don't see shit on my nose or sack hairs on my chin. I have realized I am not going to make a noticeable difference in the world. You couldn't convince me of that my first 5-6 months though. So, I won't stress myself over it for reasons mentioned by Delta; i.e. CWOFs, dismissals, screwing patrolmen out of court time, etc. I will try to continue on, for as long as I can, to put the effort out there only to make myself think things are good enough to make me think I don't hate the job yet. I'll keep you guys informed along the journey and let you know how my plan is going.


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## Johnny Law

Some days you get the job, other days the job "gets you".

I've been on long enough to see people I came on with or shortly after get promoted. It seems as soon as someone gets a promotion, they forget where they come from. I can tell you there are precious few supervisors who still care for "their guys". It used to be if you fucked up, you got an ass reaming and that was the end. No letter in your file, no hard feelings in a few days. Just a man to man and that was it.

Now most supervisors take a petty bullshit complaint and turn it into a major investigation, for some reason either real or perceived, to "get" the subject of the complaint. As my shift's union steward, I've made the comment to the supervisors, which has been unfortunately self-fulfilling, that this insanity takes good cops and flushes them down the toilet.

In the 20 years I've been on, we just now hired over 100 people below me. That's more than a turnover of 5+ officers per year. And these dickheads think it's because of money, or to be closer to family, or something else. They don't realize it's *them*, even more than the public. I'm a big believer in the Peter Principle, I should be because I see it nearly every day.


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## Guest

Johnny Law said:


> I've been on long enough to see people I came on with or shortly after get promoted. It seems as soon as someone gets a promotion, they forget where they come from. I can tell you there are precious few supervisors who still care for "their guys". It used to be if you fucked up, you got an ass reaming and that was the end. No letter in your file, no hard feelings in a few days. Just a man to man and that was it.


For the most part, my immediate bosses (sergeants, lieutenants, and even the captain) are good.....when I first started at QPD, I did something pretty stupid; the shift commander (lieutenant) called me in his office, pinned my ears back for a few minutes, then said "The chief wanted me to chew your ass, so I chewed your ass". I apologized & thanked him, we shook hands, and it was never mentioned again.

My problem is with the upper management; there is no more middle class on my department anymore. If you're one of the mega-rich Golden Boys, you do whatever you want, get sneaky non-competitive OT, leave an hour or more before the end of shift because you answer to no one (and no one knows what you actually do when you are at "work"), you get "days due" out the ass for performing petty tasks that may take 2 hours (8 hours off for 2 hours "work"....not bad), which means you never have to use your vacation time, which you can then sell back for even more $$$, and God forbid you take a radio call. Of course, if you're actually still around when it happens (rare enough in and of itself), you magically appear whenever the words "gun" or "knife" come over the air, leaving us mega-poor to say to ourselves "Are they working right now?" because it's the first we've seen of them all night. Not to mention, they get every official (Christmas, Thanksgiving) holiday and non-official (Superbowl Sunday, Christmas Eve) holiday off, using their bullshit "days due", no doubt. And whenever there may be something fun/interesting/different to do (assisting another agency with an arrest), they once again magically appear, leaving us mega-poor in patrol to deal with the drunks who shit themselves, or applying for yet another emergency protective order.

In the meantime, the mega-poor in patrol can't get a weekday night off, because the vacation book has been carpet-bombed by "days due" which are such bullshit, the book practically smells like a herd of steer. Forget about getting a Friday or Saturday night off, unless you want to call-in sick, which triggers the chief's office to demand a detailed sick note from your physician, which violates federal law. Never mind the Golden Boys who come to work about half their scheduled time thanks to "days due"...."nothing to see here folks, move along.....now, where is that detailed sick note from Patrolman Snuffy?"

I don't even want to know what my blood pressure is right now.


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## LGriffin

The Teflon fair-haired rats are everywhere. Their mission in life is to blow the Chief and maintain availability for every ass-kissing tournament etc. so they can continue on the easy road. Everyone knows who they are and no one respects them.

Unfortunately, all of the introspection will eat you alive. The guys on my PD that let shit get to them never fared very well. I tried to changed some things when I was steward but no one wanted to rock the boat so I said, "fuck it!" All you can do is your best and when the rest don't want to fall in, fuck it.

Enjoy your days off when you can get them and make the best of them until you retire or die, whichever comes first.


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## Guest

LGriffin said:


> The Teflon fair-haired rats are everywhere. Their mission in life is to blow the Chief and maintain availability for every ass-kissing tournament etc. so they can continue on the easy road. Everyone knows who they are and no one respects them.


I think one of the reasons it galls me is because they truly believe that no one knows their racket, and that they're fooling everyone.


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## Deuce

It is what it is.. _It's the worst job you'll never quit_...

Fuck the pogues and posers. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, go out there, kick ass and do it in a way so you can keep looking at yourself in the mirror...

I'm more than halfway through my sentence. Here's my insight for the noobs/rooks/boots: Be careful who you trust. The "hood", TBL, whatever, is ethereal. I work in a dept of over 300 of "brothers" and "sisters". I trust 2...


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## 7costanza

My only comment is take a vaca Delta, yes the rubbish will still need to be taken out when you get back, the rubbish is always going to be taken out.


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## cc3915

I see you've hit that proverbial "wall". Believe me, a change in assignment will do you good. Hang in there my friend.


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## stm4710

Great post delta. This should be a waiver on top of the civil service test.


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## SinePari

Deuce said:


> It is what it is.. _It's the worst job you'll never quit_...
> 
> Fuck the pogues and posers. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, go out there, kick ass and do it in a way so you can keep looking at yourself in the mirror...
> 
> I'm more than halfway through my sentence. Here's my insight for the noobs/rooks/boots: Be careful who you trust. The "hood", TBL, whatever, is ethereal. I work in a dept of over 300 of "brothers" and "sisters". I trust 2...


And I'm not even on your department! Thanks!

SinePari's 3 Golden Rules:

1. Show up.
2. Shut up.
3. Get paid.

It's not my goat fuck, I'm just here to hold the horns. So somewhere in between I'd like to get about 8 hours of entertainment per day, either from customers or coworkers. An old Army buddy who had a similar upbringing as I did and retired from New Bedford PD a few years back told me, "You and me are the same. We have more in common with the people in the back seat than those riding in the front seat."


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## mpd61

So many aspects of this job will grind ya into jelly. Let's not forget how much $$$ and glory one recieves for being the union warrior. Target on your back and still a few morons you're fighting for asking "why are you stirring up crap?" In the end it's 90% administration. I was fortunate enough to "move on" when the last job blew up, lost details and ruined a couple guys lives. New job was great, the LT's ran their shifts and so the Adminstrators had time to deal with the "city hall" types and fight the good fight. Then you guessed it...new bosses in and out the door, and suddenly we had all done it wrong, Stop doing this, you shouldn't do that, that's a liability. Hey that schedule that works for the last dozen years, it's gotta change! Poor fools can't figure out why the folk's are giving up being cops for DOC, Bureau of Prisons, private security and even volunteering to deploy again...Seven years and counting WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!


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## Usa8235

Hang in there Delta...you rant is so familiar, on so many levels. Things so change when you retire, so keep your integrity, your honor and know that doing what you do does make a difference. Keep counting those days to retirement


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## 263FPD

Delta, nothing that you do, is pointless. Frustrating? Perhaps... Pointle? No!!!

I have half your time on the job, though we are pretty close in age. You are a bit older
I have had a very shitty year, on the job and off. I am frustrated with my administration, but not my job at least not the job in it's entirety. I am blessed with working among a great bunch of people, some of whom are rank, but most of who are grunts just like me. Many years ago, a female cop told me "This Job sucks at best..." I dont agree with her to this day. I agree with you that after my 15 years, I can only think of a small handful of people that I have raeally helped. Those that I am speaking of, still keep in touch. 

All I am saying here, I would still rather do nothing else but this. I may have made some other choices as to where or on what level I'd be doing this, but for must part I am pretty content. Where ever you go, there you are.


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## Guest

Deuce said:


> Stop feeling sorry for yourself, go out there, kick ass and do it in a way so you can keep looking at yourself in the mirror...


Who's feeling sorry for themself? I couldn't make the last union meeting, and had to blow off some steam.

As for looking in the mirror, I don't have any problem with what I see, and never have. Additionally, if my son ever follows in my footsteps, he won't have to worry about what his older co-workers say about me as a cop. Maybe they didn't like me personally or the way I ran the union, but I couldn't care less about that, and neither will he.



263FPD said:


> All I am saying here, I would still rather do nothing else but this.


As you noted V, I have almost twice the amount of time on the job as you do.

I'm ready for something else.


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## OfficerObie59

Bruce, you once made this post:


Delta784 said:


> Mostly, my job consists of trying to unf*ck people's problems of their own making, and/or attempting to save people from their own stupidity.


Agreed. Generally, it's hard to have empathy for people who create their own issues.

By and large however, none of what happens on the street causes nearly as much stress than what comes from the second floor of a police department. The street stuff is easy. It's dealing with the admin that's hard.


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## Guest

OfficerObie59 said:


> By and large however, none of what happens on the street causes nearly as much stress than what comes from the second floor of a police department. The street stuff is easy. It's dealing with the admin that's hard.


In 24 years, I've attended almost every union meeting, at least for some of the time (if I was working I had to leave in the middle sometimes), but of all the hours I've spent in police patrolmen union meetings, many of which devolved into "Eff you!", "No, Eff YOU!!" matches, I have yet to hear something.....not even once;

Anyone ever complain about having to deal with crime and violence.

What they (and I) complain about is the department command staff's reaction to that crime and violence; things like inadequate staffing in patrol due to packing the specialty positions with politically connected people and suckasses, inadequate equipment (toilet cruisers, bad radios), inadequate/non-existent training, overly aggressive/biased internal affairs investigations (where the complainant, even if he/she is the biggest scumbag ever, is given instant credibility) when cops do their jobs, personal vendettas against aggressive cops when the biased internal affairs complaint falls short, and a myriad of other things that have absolutely nothing to do with going out there and actually confronting/catching criminals.


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## Kilvinsky

topcop14 said:


> Delta hang in there. I too find myself being hostile at times. Funny thing is its mostly the Admin that causes my hostility. I tell people I love my job but hate my employer. Unfortnatly it effects my work too. My father is retired from the job and now that he has been retired a while he has lost all hostility that he had toward the job and only seams to remember the good times he had.


It's like *I* wrote this post!

I freely admit that where I work we don't deal with the volume that Delta deals with, or about 60% of the members currently working, but we deal with the same BS. Where I work the University spends money like a drunken sailor on the most ABSURD bullshit, but when it comes to the employees, "Sorry, we're broke." Our fleet is divided into marked and unmarked. The majority of the unmarked are less than 5 years old and are used for commuting. The marked patrol fleet (after three cars simply vanished due to budget cuts) are falling apart and used for responding to emergencies as well as simple patrol. Justice? NOPE!

We're treated by the university administration as a bunch of kids, the kids like either the gestapo or a joke (though we do have some sincere supporters, I do have to acknowlege that) and by our own administration as prank monkeys. It's very easy, when you don't have to do something even slightly degrading, frustrating or simply stupid, to tell someone ELSE to do it. The "You don't like it, LEAVE" mentality. You make good money and have good benefits, STFU and eat the shit we give you and LIKE IT!

A police station that is located on the seventh floor and basement of an office building? REALLY? Being told that you can no longer buy t-shirts and socks with your clothing allowance? REALLY? Petty BS.

I do find myself angry a lot of the time. It's not all work related, but the PETTY BS at work tends to filter over and stuff I could probably just ignore or only get slightly miffed over suddenly becomes a big deal.

The police work stuff that makes me mad, well, like I said, where I work we don't deal with AS MUCH as Delta, but that stuff I could handle with a bit more ease if not for the crap that is generated needlessly by the powers that be.

What scares me most though is, though there are other types of jobs I'd LOVE to give a try to, if I left before my time, I know I'd miss it. When I'm on vacation or the few times I've been out injured, I tend to miss the job and the people I work WITH. How depressing is THAT?!?!?!

Wow, that felt good. Thanks for starting this thread Delta. I could go on for hours, but I'll stop here and take a breather.


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## Usa8235

My husband worked 30 years nights to avoid all the Brass B/S as much as possible and to do what he called real police work. He was part of Union Representation too and used to say the same things, Delta about the in-fighting. He's been off 5 years now, but unlike your Dad, he hasn't forgotten all the BS yet..said the job has changed so,so much from what it used to be......you sure aren't the only one going what you are going through from what i hear from friends still on the job..not that makes you feel any better!


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## 263FPD

You know, I hear it a lot. When I came on, the guy training me told me that the job has changed. I look back to my first day in September of 1997, and I say to myself, this job changed. The guys I train now, will say it in a few years and on and in it will go. I think the simple reasons for it are just that, simple. The bosses come and go, but they are bigger gaping assholes then the ones they replaced. The town/city government won't stop screwing us. The legislature, passes new laws tying our hands even tighter. Did I miss anything? Please feel free to add what else has changed since each and everyone of you came on. As stated before, love my job, hate the politics. I hate ass kissing bastards even more. People who walk in to a job, and find themselves in a Cush assignment within weeks. This BS never stops. 


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## Usa8235

You nailed it 263FPD..same in all Dept's eh!
The public is worse than ever, with no end in sight
The media is more out of control than ever 
Justice system a big, fat joke with common sense nowhere in sight


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## Kilvinsky

At least these days we all know we have an excellent shot at being YouTube stars! That's something to stive for.


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## lofu

I've said it before and I'll say it again, one of the best things an admin could do for the rank and file would be to tell the press (esp the useless local rags that want nothing more than the "gotcha" police headline) to fuck off. Make them jump through hoops and file FOIA requests for every little piece of information they want. If the press wants an "us against them" by either directly or indirectly (through allowing comments on certain stories but not on others) lets give it to them.


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## Usa8235

Media creates so much unnecessary havoc with their "need to know" , make mountains out of mole hills...ridiculous


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## 263FPD

Usa8235 said:


> Media creates so much unnecessary havoc with their "need to know" , make mountains out of mole hills...ridiculous


I would know nothing about that. (sarcasm inserted here) they have made me a freaking martyr in my own right. Fuckers

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## 263FPD

mtc said:


> Don't forget trying to creep through medians to "get a shot of the body" on the highways!


Is it wrong to hope that some 18-wheeler careens toward them when they attempt to do that?

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## Guest

lofu said:


> I've said it before and I'll say it again, one of the best things an admin could do for the rank and file would be to tell the press (esp the useless local rags that want nothing more than the "gotcha" police headline) to fuck off. Make them jump through hoops and file FOIA requests for every little piece of information they want. If the press wants an "us against them" by either directly or indirectly (through allowing comments on certain stories but not on others) lets give it to them.


Bingo.

The media would initially react with glee, thinking "We're ONTO something!!!" when told to file a public records request. After the first few times that the requested information comes 10 days after the fact, when it's no longer "news", and it's nothing of consequence anyway, maybe the media might take the hint.


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## niteowl1970

A reporter that _used _to work for TV22 in Springfield put in for a FOI request in regards to a drug bust in town. She came back two days later asking about the report. She was told that it took up to 10 days. She then demanded the document and threatened to bring a camera crew in. Chief called her boss and we never heard from her again and that report was never picked up. So you see sometimes the good guys win.


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## niteowl1970

mtc said:


> What's needed - is more chiefs with stones to tell them to pound it.


He followed the policy and that report was available after 3 days. She took it upon herself to act like a fool. . She worked for the station for about a year after that so I doubt the incident hurt her employment.


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## SinePari

Cheer up, lads. Direct deposit comes in tonight...


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## Kilvinsky

lofu said:


> one of the best things an admin could do for the rank and file would be to *JUMP IN FRONT OF AN ONCOMING TRAIN AND GIVE THE ENGINEER THE FINGER WHILE MOONING HIM THEN DARE TO SEE IF HE COULD STOP ON TIME.*


I'm not fixing it for YOU, I'm fixing it for ME!


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## cc3915

Received this in an email today from an old friend who I came on the job with and is now also retired. I thought of making a thread for it, then thought of this one and feel it goes with the message.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

_*Thoughts from a cop who retired in '91.*_

_*Just before retiring, some young puppy was busting my chops about how law enforcement has changed, and the system is improving for the best. I just smiled and gave him a little laugh.*_

_*He asked what was so funny. I told him that I felt sorry for him. When asked why, I told him, "Because in about 15 years, THIS is going to be your good old days."*_

_*We all saw the change in our jobs. I came on in 1966. I used to tell the rookies that our academy lasted 3 months. They gave us a stick, a gun, a dime, and kicked us out into the street. They told us: If you need help, use the dime. If you can't get to a phone, use the stick. If using the stick pisses him off, use the gun.*_

_*And the first order we received when we were assigned to a precinct was from the patrol sergeant. His order was *_
_*"Don't you EVER bother me, kid."*_

_*Law enforcement back then, was much different than the current mission. We delivered babies, got tough in the alley's when we needed to, made "God-like" decisions at least once a tour, and often wound up being big brother to the kid we roughed up in that alley a year or so ago. And, for some reason, none of that managed to get on a report. The department didn't really want to know. All they wanted was numbers, and no ripples in the pond.*_

_*Because of the changing times, and the evolution of law enforcement, the modern young officers will never see that form of policing, and of course this is best. The current way is the right way... Now. But it was different then (I.e.: the Dinosaur Syndrome).*_

_*When it's time to go, we wonder if we're going to miss the job. After all, other than our kids and a few marriages, it was the most important thing in our lives. Actually, it was the other way around. The job was first, but only another Cop could understand how I mean that.*_

_*But have faith, brother! After a short time of feeling completely impotent (after all, you're just John Q. Now), reality hits like a lead weight.*_

_*It's not the job we miss after all. It's what we, as individuals, had accomplished while in this profession that we miss. The challenge of life and death, good and bad, right and wrong, or even simply easing the pain of some poor bastard for a while, someone we will never see again.*_

_*We know the reality of what's happening out there. We are the ones who have spent our entire adult life picking up the pieces of people's broken lives. And the bitch of it all is that no one except us knows what we did out there.*_

_*I was once told that being a good street cop is like coming to work in a wet suit and peeing in your pants. It's a nice warm feeling, but you're the only one who knows anything has happened.*_

_*What I missed mostly, though, were the people I worked with. Most of us came on the job together at the age of 21 or 22. We grew up together. We were family. We went to each others weddings, shared the joy of our children's births, and we mourned the deaths of family members and marriages. We celebrated the good times, and huddled close in the bad.*_

_*We went from rookies who couldn't take our eyes off of the tin number of the old timer we worked with, to dinosaurs.*_

_*After all, what they gave us was just a job. What we made of it was a profession. We fulfilled our mission, and did the impossible each and every day, despite the department and its regulations.*_

_*I think the thing that nags you the most when you first retire is: After you leave the job and remove your armor, the part of you that you tucked away on that shelf for all those years, comes out. It looks at all the things you've hidden away. All the terrible and all the wonderful things that happened out there. And it asks you the questions that no one will ever answer.*_

_*"Do you think I did OK? Did I make a difference? Was I a good Cop?"*_

_*You know what? Yeah, you were a good Cop! And you know it!*_

_*In closing: the best advice I got, by far, was from an old friend who left the job a few years before me. He told me to stay healthy, work out and watch my diet. He said "Cause that way, the first day of every month you can look in the mirror, smile and say. Screwed them out of another month's pension!!"*_

_*Be well!*_


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## Guest

cc3915 said:


> *They gave us a stick, a gun, a dime, and kicked us out into the street. They told us: If you need help, use the dime. If you can't get to a phone, use the stick. If using the stick pisses him off, use the gun.*


I knew I was rounding the last leg of my career when I got the "what the hell are you talking about" look from a n00b I was breaking in, when I gave him the 1-800 number to the station in case he had to use a land line.


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## SinePari

I think, like the military, what draws people to the profession (and what you miss when you retire) is all of the highs and lows. Without those, it's just another cubicle 9-5 mundane existence.


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## cc3915

Delta784 said:


> I knew I was rounding the last leg of my career when I got the "what the hell are you talking about" look from a n00b I was breaking in, when I gave him the 1-800 number to the station in case he had to use a land line.


Pay phones and call boxes. Those were my life. Then along came pagers etc. etc. .... LOL


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## Guest

cc3915 said:


> Pay phones and call boxes. Those were my life. Then along came pagers etc. etc. .... LOL


Another epiphany for me several years ago was when a young officer asked to use my handcuff key, and when I handed him my key ring, he held up my box key and asked what it was.

Not too long ago, I was at Ken's Steak House, and the pay phone booths are still there, just without phones. I had to explain the concept of pay phones to my kids, but by the looks on their faces, I might as well have been speaking Attic Greek.


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## Guest

mikemac64 said:


> Pay phones! How about getting up to change the channel from 4 to 5 to 7 to 38 to 56. That was it. On a good day you would get 27 out of Worcester.


I was excited when 25 came on the air....SIX whole channels to choose from!


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## cc3915

I used to have to use aluminum foil on the antenna to get the UHF channels......Even then it was like watching a ghost movie.


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## SPQR

As someone who has just shy of 5 yrs on, I appreciated reading this post. I guess 'thank you' is all i can add to this and keep everything that was said here in the back of my mind somewhere. I do love my job tho and I hope I can keep it that way.


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## trueblue

What about just learning the street in your city or town? No GPS....or remembering where the other cruisers were off on calls? No MDT to check status. And speaking of TV, it wasn't too long ago that stations went off the air at 3am.....


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## cc3915

trueblue said:


> What about just learning the street in your city or town? No GPS....or remembering where the other cruisers were off on calls? No MDT to check status. And speaking of TV, it wasn't too long ago that stations went off the air at 3am.....


Amen! I think I remember them going off at around 1am at one point, right after Johnny Carson was over. Of course, all the stations played the National Anthem before going dark.


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## Kilvinsky

Aw shit, now you all have me crying. Bastards!


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## Deuce

I remember way back when the paperwork for a 90-10 arrest was just the cite, arrest report and a vic/witness list. Now it's a half inch thick and takes an hour to finish....


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## Guest

Deuce said:


> I remember way back when the paperwork for a 90-10 arrest was just the cite, arrest report and a vic/witness list. Now it's a half inch thick and takes an hour to finish....


I don't bother.....I could submit videotaped and written sworn confessions, signed in the suspect's own blood, countersigned by the entire United States Supreme Court as witnesses, and it would still get dismissed upon arraignment at QDC.

I write enough to reach the 50.1% mark, hit "Submit", and move on to the next fiasco.


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## SinePari

Deuce said:


> I remember way back when the paperwork for a 90-10 arrest was just the cite, arrest report and a vic/witness list. Now it's a half inch thick and takes an hour to finish....


90-11 for $35 and tow car; go to the next call.


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## Kilvinsky

Delta784 said:


> I don't bother.....I could submit videotaped and written sworn confessions, _*signed in the suspect's own blood,*_ countersigned by the entire United States Supreme Court as witnesses, and it would still get dismissed upon arraignment at QDC.
> 
> I write enough to reach the 50.1% mark, hit "Submit", and move on to the next fiasco.


"...and Officer, just how did this confession come to BE signed in my client's own blood? Did the Officers at the station, or beforehand try to KILL HIM? This poor innocent man who had just begun to turn his life around, who was back in school (he broke in, but he's back in) got a job (selling abandonded scrap metal found in different scrap yards) and was raising his 7 children, or at least seeing them and their mothers on the corner now and then. WHERE DID THE BLOOD COME FROM??? I move for a mistrial and will be suing the Police Deparment, the city, the Commonwealth AND this rogue cop! Defense rests."


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## OfficerObie59

cc3915 said:


> Received this in an email today from an old friend who I came on the job with and is now also retired. I thought of making a thread for it, then thought of this one and feel it goes with the message.
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> _*Thoughts from a cop who retired in '91.*_
> 
> _*Just before retiring, some young puppy was busting my chops about how law enforcement has changed, and the system is improving for the best. I just smiled and gave him a little laugh.*_
> 
> _*He asked what was so funny. I told him that I felt sorry for him. When asked why, I told him, "Because in about 15 years, THIS is going to be your good old days."*_
> 
> _*We all saw the change in our jobs. I came on in 1966. I used to tell the rookies that our academy lasted 3 months. They gave us a stick, a gun, a dime, and kicked us out into the street. They told us: If you need help, use the dime. If you can't get to a phone, use the stick. If using the stick pisses him off, use the gun.*_
> 
> _*And the first order we received when we were assigned to a precinct was from the patrol sergeant. His order was *_
> _*"Don't you EVER bother me, kid."*_
> 
> _*Law enforcement back then, was much different than the current mission. We delivered babies, got tough in the alley's when we needed to, made "God-like" decisions at least once a tour, and often wound up being big brother to the kid we roughed up in that alley a year or so ago. And, for some reason, none of that managed to get on a report. The department didn't really want to know. All they wanted was numbers, and no ripples in the pond.*_
> 
> _*Because of the changing times, and the evolution of law enforcement, the modern young officers will never see that form of policing, and of course this is best. The current way is the right way... Now. But it was different then (I.e.: the Dinosaur Syndrome).*_
> 
> _*When it's time to go, we wonder if we're going to miss the job. After all, other than our kids and a few marriages, it was the most important thing in our lives. Actually, it was the other way around. The job was first, but only another Cop could understand how I mean that.*_
> 
> _*But have faith, brother! After a short time of feeling completely impotent (after all, you're just John Q. Now), reality hits like a lead weight.*_
> 
> _*It's not the job we miss after all. It's what we, as individuals, had accomplished while in this profession that we miss. The challenge of life and death, good and bad, right and wrong, or even simply easing the pain of some poor bastard for a while, someone we will never see again.*_
> 
> _*We know the reality of what's happening out there. We are the ones who have spent our entire adult life picking up the pieces of people's broken lives. And the bitch of it all is that no one except us knows what we did out there.*_
> 
> _*I was once told that being a good street cop is like coming to work in a wet suit and peeing in your pants. It's a nice warm feeling, but you're the only one who knows anything has happened.*_
> 
> _*What I missed mostly, though, were the people I worked with. Most of us came on the job together at the age of 21 or 22. We grew up together. We were family. We went to each others weddings, shared the joy of our children's births, and we mourned the deaths of family members and marriages. We celebrated the good times, and huddled close in the bad.*_
> 
> _*We went from rookies who couldn't take our eyes off of the tin number of the old timer we worked with, to dinosaurs.*_
> 
> _*After all, what they gave us was just a job. What we made of it was a profession. We fulfilled our mission, and did the impossible each and every day, despite the department and its regulations.*_
> 
> _*I think the thing that nags you the most when you first retire is: After you leave the job and remove your armor, the part of you that you tucked away on that shelf for all those years, comes out. It looks at all the things you've hidden away. All the terrible and all the wonderful things that happened out there. And it asks you the questions that no one will ever answer.*_
> 
> _*"Do you think I did OK? Did I make a difference? Was I a good Cop?"*_
> 
> _*You know what? Yeah, you were a good Cop! And you know it!*_
> 
> _*In closing: the best advice I got, by far, was from an old friend who left the job a few years before me. He told me to stay healthy, work out and watch my diet. He said "Cause that way, the first day of every month you can look in the mirror, smile and say. Screwed them out of another month's pension!!"*_
> 
> _*Be well!*_


That was a good read.

I've never been at a lower point in my career than I'm at now, and I don't have much more time on than SPQR. This thread is definitely helpful. Thanks guys.


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## Bhaggs

Thank you to all of you guys for everything that you sacrifice for all of us. There are some of us out there that know how much you guys put in and how much of a difference you really do make despite the State trying to take it away. 

Hopefully someday when I can get on somewhere, I hope to have an FTO like some of you guys on here...


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## Guest

Bhaggs said:


> Hopefully someday when I can get on somewhere, I hope to have an FTO like some of you guys on here...


It won't be me.....God forbid that my department assigns new officers for field training on any shift but days.

After all, when someone is going to be assigned to midnights for the foreseeable future, you certainly don't want them to do field training when it's dark outside, or with the most experienced officers on the evening shift, because that means they would get paid night differential. 

Penny wise, and pound foolish.


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## HistoryHound

Delta784 said:


> It won't be me.....God forbid that my department assigns new officers for field training on any shift but days.


Wouldn't it make sense to do a rotation while their with an FTO? One month on each shift to give them an idea what the different challenges are of each shift. I can't imagine the differential would be so much that it really is a deal breaker for training people on the eve/mid shift. But hey what do I know, I've never been a politician.


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## Guest

HistoryHound said:


> Wouldn't it make sense to do a rotation while their with an FTO? One month on each shift to give them an idea what the different challenges are of each shift. I can't imagine the differential would be so much that it really is a deal breaker for training people on the eve/mid shift. But hey what do I know, I've never been a politician.


You would think, wouldn't you?


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## Herrdoktor

We do one week at each shift + a week (various shifts) on the opposite side of the county so you can see the glaring differences between 'East' (MCB Quantico) and 'West.'

IMO most rookies should cut their teeth on day work so they can learn what its like to do the tedious, shitty 'drowning in paperwork' side of police work before they get to run calls when the sun goes down.

Nothing like having a guy on the street for 3 years who doesn't know how to do a proper white collar crime report because he has been working midnights from day 1.


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## LA Copper

We do four months on days, four on PMs, and four on graveyards. We switch FTOs every two or three months. Variety is the spice of life.


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## pahapoika

it's time to embrace the madness

i always hum a little tune during the day.

elvis, chirstmas carols, mozart, etc

people ask, why you so happy ?

just a mild case of mental illness boys.  .


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## Kilvinsky

I recall riding with a veteran officer one evening. I had come to work, still new at this department (though I did have a few years of work under my belt from other places). The guy is told, "Ok, he rides with you." He didn't look happy one bit. We get out to the cruiser and off we go. He spent the first 15-20 minutes ranting about, "I dont WANT to be an f-ing training officer! I didn't ASK to be an f-ing training officer. I'm SICK of being stuck with the f-ing new guys....." etc. WAY TO MAKE A GUY FEEL LOVED.

After he did his shtick and we sat in near silence for a few minutes. We started a conversation and within 1/2 an hour, we were friends and have remained so ever since even after his retirement.

It was a combination of his being BRUTALLY truthful, AND simply testing me to see how I'd react. Interesting tactic. However if a guy who signed up to be an FTO does it, he looks like a total idiot. I don't think any have, but I can imagine a couple who might.


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## Guest

Kilvinsky said:


> I recall riding with a veteran officer one evening. I had come to work, still new at this department (though I did have a few years of work under my belt from other places). The guy is told, "Ok, he rides with you." He didn't look happy one bit. We get out to the cruiser and off we go. He spent the first 15-20 minutes ranting about, "I dont WANT to be an f-ing training officer! I didn't ASK to be an f-ing training officer. I'm SICK of being stuck with the f-ing new guys....." etc. WAY TO MAKE A GUY FEEL LOVED.


While I was union president I temporarily resigned as an FTO, because I can't say "This guys sucks, get rid of him" as an FTO, then represent him as union president at his termination hearing.

While I was president, I was asked to take a n00b on his very first night out of the academy because his FTO called in sick, and there was no one else working who was certified as an FTO that didn't already have a n00b with them. I agreed to do it, with the caveat that he was essentially a ride-along and would do absolutely nothing except watch me and jump in if I was really in the shit.

It was a somewhat awkward night, with me constantly telling him to not touch the radio/computer, and to say nothing while I serviced a call.


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## niteowl1970

Delta784 said:


> It was a somewhat awkward night, with me constantly telling him to not touch the radio/computer, and to say nothing while I serviced a call.


Is he still on the job ?


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## Guest

niteowl1970 said:


> Is he still on the job ?


He is.


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## Kilvinsky

Just don't tell us he's new a lieutenant or something like that.


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## Guest

Kilvinsky said:


> Just don't tell us he's new a lieutenant or something like that.


No, and I will hopefully be happily retired (9 years, 3 months, and 13 days to go, but who's counting?) before he makes rank.


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## lofu

PM? I'm curious


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## Kilvinsky

This is a *FOUR YEAR OLD* thread. I was perusing the various threads and re-found it. I reactivated it for the sake of all those NOOBS here who never saw it for one reason or another. It's very entertaining AND informative and so very true.

Saddest part is, many of the commentators are no longer members here and there is a world of experience, logic, recognition of bullshit here. These are some folks I have the UTMOST respect for. Read through this if you're trying to get on, are on and new, are on and maybe will recognize the issues after years of dragging yourself through heaps of bullshit, horseshit and bureaucratic/administrative insanity.

Where I work, one post I made about where I work, is still very true, but now, we have fewer marked vehicles and MORE unmarked vehicles. It never ends, it just gets worse.

Enjoy!


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## pahapoika

Looks like Delta's clock is now 5 years


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## BxDetSgt

Daltry and Townsend said it best..." meet the new boss, same as the old boss"


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## AB7

Kilvinsky said:


> This is a *FOUR YEAR OLD* thread. I was perusing the various threads and re-found it. I reactivated it for the sake of all those NOOBS here who never saw it for one reason or another. It's very entertaining AND informative and so very true.
> 
> Read through this if you're trying to get on, are on and new, are on and maybe will recognize the issues after years of dragging yourself through heaps of bullshit, horseshit and bureaucratic/administrative insanity.


Interesting read. Centuries of life experiences in one thread. I figured it was worth commenting because personally I don't read much more than what's on the most recently commented posts. (Maybe I'm not alone in that)


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## Kilvinsky

I reread a bunch of the posts on this thread and find it sad how many posters are no longer members.

When this thread started, a mere 7 years ago, I was miserable. I'm more miserable now, but that much closer to retiring. And I look at how things have changed in that short time. There were plenty of folks who hated cops, but it seems there are more now. Fewer people want the job now and for good reason. Delta, who was the catalyst of this thread also once posted these words that I hold dear, "It's the worst job you'll never quit."

My administration is the worst part of my job, hands down. Next is just how intensely much of the university I work for holds us in contempt. NOT ALL, we get enormous amounts of love and respect from a lot of people, but as a whole, well, I'm sure everyone here knows how it feels to have someone pass you and NOT see you, on purpose. I say 'Good Morning' to DOZENS of people every single day I work a detail. I get a 'Good Morning' back from several; a smile and a nod from several; and a glance the other way and not hear me from MOST. How can you miss a fat guy in a lime/lemon jacket two feet from you saying in a clear voice, "GOOD MORNING"?

My compassion level is at a low. I used to deal with the students in a caring manner. Now? I get their info as the ambulance packs them up for the trip to the hospital and that's it. Well, with drunks.

I, like Delta said in his opening post, wanted to be a cop since I was 5. I wanted to follow in Dad's footsteps. I didn't end up where I WANTED to, but I was doing the job I wanted and I took pride in it. Between the admin who couldn't run a paper route, the general disdain for cops these days and all the bullshit that I've dealt with over and over and over again through the years, I'm burnt out.

I LOVE being a cop, I truly do. I get that little rush every time I put on my uniform, sit and joke around with the troops at roll call (the camaraderie), start the cruiser, race to a WORTHWHILE call, and yet, I HATE my job. It's complex as hell, but I am at the stage where I desperately look forward to the day when I have been retired for a few years and miss the job.


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## GARDA

When this was originally posted in 2012, I remember being at a crossroads in my own LE career.
Now nearly 25 years in to this profession it has certainly been one of peaks and valleys.

For the most part I still love what I do, but there have been plenty of days/weeks that I don't.
Keep fighting the good fight until you know that it is time to pop smoke and break contact.

If you understand, no explanation necessary.
If you don't, no explanation possible.


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## Jewish Girl

Very true! Though, I still admire people who are willing to try and help, the way LEOs do. To put your life on the line like that. I don't think I'm a good enough person to risk my life that way in the first place.



Delta784 said:


> Dear n00b/rookie,
> 
> I was you once. A long time ago, I once held the foolishly altruistic belief that I could actually help people and make a difference. The sad fact is that in your 32-year career, you're going to be able to count the number of people you actually, really helped on one hand, with fingers to spare.
> 
> We (police) are a band-aid for situations that usually requires major surgery. When I first became a cop, I envisioned myself as the guy who captures the criminal in the act, like Adam-12. The reality is that almost never happens.....we're usually expected to just clean-up the aftermath of an armed robbery, and keep the scene secure until the detectives arrive.
> 
> The calls we *do* arrive at that are in-progress are usually non-sexy things like bar fights, domestic violence incidents, and drunk bums who we have to PC in order to make sure they don't freeze to death/aren't victimized themselves. No matter how you handle those types of calls, you're always going to be the bad guy. I was placing a drunk bum into protective custody one night when the air temperature was about 5-degrees Fahrenheit, and I still got snide remarks from the public about "picking on the homeless".....never mind that he would have frozen to death if I didn't take him into custody. The police are ALWAYS in the wrong, especially in the media and public perception. Get used to it.
> 
> I used to have quite a few friends who were not cops, but they faded away pretty quickly. If they didn't understand my outrage about the rampant abuse of the welfare/nanny-state system, or the mindset it took to look on without emotion while a paramedic pronounced a gang member being dead from a drive-by shooting, then I really didn't want to be friends with them, anyway.
> 
> I don't care if you work in the Boston housing projects (as I did for my first 6 years), Podunk, MA, or anything in-between. You're eventually going to get to the hostility stage, which is where I am right now. I'll bet that no one on this board wanted/wants to be a police officer more than me; I realized it on my 5th birthday, and everything else I did in my life was geared towards attaining that goal.
> 
> So.....24 years later, I achieved my goal, but now I hate it with every fiber of my being. On the days I have to work, I start checking the clock at 2pm, and shake my head as it gets closer to 3pm, when I have to start getting ready for work. It literally ruins the day for me.
> 
> Why?
> 
> While this job is necessary, it's also pointless. When you make a great arrest and it's dismissed/CWOF'ed by the DA, it wears you down. When you make a great arrest and it's dismissed/CWOF'ed because the PD doesn't want to pay court overtime, while they would rather award sneaky, non-competitive OT to lieutenants instead of having patrol officers attend court to prosecute criminals, or staff patrol units, it wears you down quite a bit.
> 
> So.....what do I do now? I respond to my radio calls, and back-up my fellow officers as fast as I possibly can. What do I do in-between those radio calls and calls for help?
> 
> No comment.
> 
> N00bs/wanna-bes....this is you in about 15-20 years.
> 
> RANT <OFF>


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## Jewish Girl

I just really like the law and stuff, because I have an ex who was a Forensic Psychologist. So, he got me interested in the subject. Now, I find the penal system and stuff fascinating.


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## USAF286

I just reread Deltas post again, the first time I read it was a while ago, possibly even before I got on the job. It’s funny how your outlook changes with the experiences you have with the encounters you have both with coworkers and calls you’re set to.


----------

