# Years Of A Police Officer



## Gil (Jun 15, 1998)

*YEARS OF A POLICE OFFICER 
* 
*FASCINATION STAGE - Years 1-4*

For most officers, this is their first time outside of the middle class bubble. They have never seen a dead body, never seen life threatening injuries, never dealt with a family disturbance, never witnessed the shit some people call 'home life', and never really understood the phrase 'Man's Inhumanity To Man' until now.

Everything is new to them. You can identify them by the amount of fancy new equipment they carry. A ten billion candlelight power torch, pens that write in the rain, a ballistic vest rated to stop tomahawk missiles, and an equipment bag large enough to house a squad of marines. They love it, they show up early for their shift. They work way past the end of their shift without even considering an O/T slip. They believe rank within the job is based only on ability and those in the upper ranks got there by knowledge and skill in police work only.

They believe everyone is competent, everyone is on the same page and working towards the same high minded goals. When they finally go home to their significant other, they tell them everything they did and saw. Some of the more 'eaten up' purchase a police scanner so they can hear the radio calls while at home.

*HOSTILITY STAGE - Years 5-6*

They now show up for work about 2 minutes before their shift, and they are hiding about 30 minutes before end of the shift, writing reports so they can just throw them in the sergeant's in-box and leave ASAP. They have to get to their second job to earn money to pay for the divorce that is pending. They gripe about everything, drink excessively, chase women, and hate the public, politicians, media, etc. They feel they have more in common with the hookers, thieves, druggies, etc. but hate them too. Those pens that write in the rain are no longer needed. Writing traffic tickets can be a lot more trouble than they are worth, even on a nice day. To write one, or to write anything while standing in the rain, is a sure sign of an insane person. Their spouse is no longer interested in hearing about all the gore and heartache. They get the 'you spend more time with the cops than you do with me' speech.

*SUPERIORITY STAGE - Years 7-15*

This is when cops are at their best. They have survived changes in administration. They know how the political game is played, both inside and outside the job. They know who they can trust and who they can't. They have select friends within the job, and stay away, as best they can, from the nuts and boot-lickers. They know the legal system, the judges, prosecutors, defense solicitors, etc. They know how to testify and put a good case together. They are usually the ones that the gaffers turn to when there is some clandestine request or sensitive operation that needs to be done right. These cops are still physically fit and can handle themselves on the street. They will stay around the station when needed, but have other commitments, such as a second spouse, a second girlfriend (sometimes both), and most of their friends are non job.

*ACCEPTANCE STAGE - Years 16 - ???*

Now the cops have a single objective... retirement and pension. Nothing is going to come between them and their monthly payslip. The boss, the force, the idiots around the station, and the creeps on the street can all go to hell, because they could come between them and 'sitting on the beach'. There is no topic of discussion that can't somehow lead back to retirement issues. These guys are usually sergeants, detectives, scenes of crime officers, community, or some other post where they will not be endangered. They especially don't want some young stupid cop getting them sued, fired, killed, or anything else causing them to lose their 'beach time'. They spend a lot of time having coffee, hanging around the station, and looking at brochures of things they want to do in retirement.

*THE RETIREMENT STAGE*

The retired cop usually dies within five years of retirement, saving the force a bunch of money. Of course, nothing is ever 100% true, but if you are a cop, were a cop, know a cop, then you will certainly recognize some of the above statements!!!!

Source: Unknown


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## Inspector (Nov 13, 2006)

So true!!!


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## Gil (Jun 15, 1998)

I'm in the "*HOSTILITY STAGE"*


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## Guest (Mar 14, 2008)

An old timer once told me there are three stages to a police career.

Stage one All you want to talk about is the job, everything is about the job.

Stage two You get comfortabe on the job so you start to talk about family 
vacations ect. more like regular people.

Stage three When you get a little older and the body starts not to work
as well as it used to. You start to talk about how your bladder
and bowels are working and what else is hurting or not working 
on any particular day.


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## Deuce (Sep 27, 2003)

I didn't see the "I don't give a fuck" stage. Seems I've been stuck there about 12 yrs now.. Maybe Hostility combined with Superiority? Whatever, I don't give a fuck....


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## Guest (Mar 14, 2008)

Deuce said:


> I didn't see the "I don't give a fuck" stage.


*ACCEPTANCE STAGE - Years 16 - ???*

Now the cops have a single objective... retirement and pension. Nothing is going to come between them and their monthly payslip. *The boss, the force, the idiots around the station, and the creeps on the street can all go to hell,* because they could come between them and 'sitting on the beach'. There is no topic of discussion that can't somehow lead back to retirement issues. These guys are usually sergeants, detectives, scenes of crime officers, community, or some other post where they will not be endangered. They especially don't want some young stupid cop getting them sued, fired, killed, or anything else causing them to lose their 'beach time'. They spend a lot of time having coffee, hanging around the station, and looking at brochures of things they want to do in retirement.


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## CJIS (Mar 12, 2005)

Good stuff


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## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

npd_323 said:


> Good stuff


Wicked pissa cool analogy!

I am at the end of superiority and preparing to fall into the next phase. Plus my Prostate is now a grapefruit and Thank god I get all my meds for free from the VA!


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## kttref (Oct 5, 2004)

I've only been on for just under 3 years...and I'm already in the Hostility stage...


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## 94c (Oct 21, 2005)

Deuce said:


> I didn't see the "I don't give a fuck" stage. Seems I've been stuck there about 12 yrs now.. Maybe Hostility combined with Superiority? Whatever, I don't give a fuck....


We must be on the same page.

You're at the stage where you don't give a damn about any stages.


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## Deuce (Sep 27, 2003)

Delta784 said:


> *ACCEPTANCE STAGE - Years 16 - ???*
> 
> Now the cops have a single objective... retirement and pension. Nothing is going to come between them and their monthly payslip. *The boss, the force, the idiots around the station, and the creeps on the street can all go to hell,* because they could come between them and 'sitting on the beach'. There is no topic of discussion that can't somehow lead back to retirement issues. These guys are usually sergeants, detectives, scenes of crime officers, community, or some other post where they will not be endangered. They especially don't want some young stupid cop getting them sued, fired, killed, or anything else causing them to lose their 'beach time'. They spend a lot of time having coffee, hanging around the station, and looking at brochures of things they want to do in retirement.


Almost but not quite. I'm too young to think of retiring (except saving for it) and I still have enough hostility toward the floaters that I still enjoy beating the bag out of em. I'm not a sgt, defective, techie, dare/community *** or station house pussy. I'm a road grunt, always will be and am proud of it. But I still don't give a fuck....


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## Killjoy (Jun 23, 2003)

> ACCEPTANCE STAGE - Years 16 - ???
> 
> Now the cops have a single objective... retirement and pension. Nothing is going to come between them and their monthly payslip. The boss, the force, the idiots around the station, and the creeps on the street can all go to hell, because they could come between them and 'sitting on the beach'. There is no topic of discussion that can't somehow lead back to retirement issues. These guys are usually sergeants, detectives, scenes of crime officers, community, or some other post where they will not be endangered. They especially don't want some young stupid cop getting them sued, fired, killed, or anything else causing them to lose their 'beach time'. They spend a lot of time having coffee, hanging around the station, and looking at brochures of things they want to do in retirement.


I think a significant percentage of my job is at this stage. In fact I can think of entire troops' that are in this stage. Not me....yet.


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## Robert35 (Apr 5, 2006)

So True


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## jettsixx (Dec 10, 2005)

Gil said:


> and hate the public, politicians, media, etc.Source: Unknown


As far as writing citations in the rain. If I have to get out of my car in the rain its because someone really pissed me off and I'm going to gig them for everything I can. Just ask the priest I wrote last week.


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## HOLLYROCK50 (Jan 21, 2008)

I am in the where did go wrong in life stage.....


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## BSP268 (May 1, 2006)

*HOSTILITY STAGE - Years 5-6 THIS IS ME! TO A T!!*


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## Sgt Jack (Aug 17, 2003)

BSP268 said:


> *HOSTILITY STAGE - Years 5-6 THIS IS ME! TO A T!!*


Oh yeah.....getting there quick myself...


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## female p.o. (Sep 29, 2002)

_i _

I've been a p.o for 8 yrs. I'm in the "I don't give a shit" stage!


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## SinePari (Aug 15, 2004)

I'm in the _*If I can find a dept in a warmer climate that would buy back my time I'm outta here*_ stage.


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## Guest (Apr 1, 2008)

SinePari said:


> I'm in the _*If I can find a dept in a warmer climate that would buy back my time I'm outta here*_ stage.


I'm at the *if Walmart will pay me the same money to wear a royal blue smock and greet every scumbag and shoplifter who comes through their door I'm outta here *stage.


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## Deuce (Sep 27, 2003)

SinePari said:


> I'm in the _*If I can find a dept in a warmer climate that would buy back my time I'm outta here*_ stage.


I'm with ya on this one bro.. Hell I'm not even concerned with my time...


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## PBC FL Cop (Oct 22, 2003)

SinePari said:


> I'm in the _*If I can find a dept in a warmer climate that would buy back my time I'm outta here*_ stage.


I was in that stage about 7-years ago, now I'm like a new man


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## SinePari (Aug 15, 2004)

PBC FL Cop said:


> I was in that stage about 7-years ago, now I'm like a new man


I said warmer, not hot like "Next Stop, the Sun"  .


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## PBC FL Cop (Oct 22, 2003)

SinePari said:


> I said warmer, not hot like "Next Stop, the Sun"  .


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## kttref (Oct 5, 2004)

Do you guys ever go to training and these jackass goody goodies ask these asinine questions and you just want to shoot them? I mean...I'm all for learning but I just don't understand why some people who are on the job for 10+ years can be so excited about anything...Maybe I'm just a bitch.


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2008)

kttref said:


> Do you guys ever go to training and these jackass goody goodies ask these asinine questions and you just want to shoot them? I mean...I'm all for learning but I just don't understand why some people who are on the job for 10+ years can be so excited about anything...Maybe I'm just a bitch.


I'm going through in-service right now, so I can relate. I want to get the hell home; if you want to ask questions, then feel free to stay afterwards and ask all the questions you want. I'll be about 5 exits North of you by then.


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## kttref (Oct 5, 2004)

Exactly...I'm at in-service all week and there are a couple of "oh this is so interesting"...It's DWI...We've all done it. I can understand the questions from the kids right out of the academy..but the "oh so happy at the butt crack of dawn" people are gonna get shot...by me. Good thing no guns today and tomorrow (live drunks)...because it's getting old.


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## DoD102 (Sep 9, 2004)

Hey Gil....did I miss the I don't give a "F" stage??!!


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## MACACO (May 20, 2008)

although there are always exceptions to any rule...i know an officer that has been on for 15 years, and he is at the fascination stage still, and another officer who is in his third year on the job and is at the hostility stage. Although he was very suprised at how political things could get in a PD.....


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## DoD102 (Sep 9, 2004)

AAaaahhhhh Yes....POLITICS!


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## Duff112 (Apr 14, 2006)

After just reading this post now, I don't know about anyone else but it didn't take me seven years to get to the Superiority Stage to know who I could trust on the job and who I couldn't. It took like the first week.....


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## Guest (Jun 10, 2008)

Duff112 said:


> After just reading this post now, I don't know about anyone else but it didn't take me seven years to get to the Superiority Stage to know who I could trust on the job and who I couldn't. It took like the first week.....


You must work for a microscopically small department.


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## Duff112 (Apr 14, 2006)

Delta784 said:


> You must work for a microscopically small department.


What gave it away..... but to answer your question "It ain't like the City of Presidents" Thats for sure..


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## Guest (Jun 10, 2008)

Duff112 said:


> What gave it away.....


After almost 15 years, I'm still finding out things about some of my co-workers I didn't know.



Duff112 said:


> but to answer your question "It ain't like the City of Presidents" Thats for sure..


These days, few places are.


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## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

Bump


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## OfficerObie59 (Sep 14, 2007)

Good bump, Harry, I hadn't read this in a while.


kttref said:


> Do you guys ever go to training and these jackass goody goodies ask these asinine questions and you just want to shoot them? I mean...I'm all for learning but I just don't understand why some people who are on the job for 10+ years can be so excited about anything...Maybe I'm just a bitch.


Nope, you're not bitch.

There's always a couple, especially during the legal update day, that insist on posing nearly impossible hypotheticals, or insist on going over a "crazy" (in their mind) situation they had to serve as an anecdote to display the law being discussed.

Sorry to generalize, but it is usually the real junior officers or guys from smaller PD's... STFU, I want to go home.

Funny; I brought a notebook to my first in-service, and a VERY salty senior guy from my own job (who only brought The Boston Hearld) shouted, "Hey, this guy brought a notebook!!!" The entire classroom, filled with mostly guys with 10+ years on, erupted in laughter.

And don't get suckered in to the half priced food along the water...ahem. 

Delta, to answer your M&G question, their kitchen has more lockups than Alcatraz.


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## Guest (May 21, 2009)

OfficerObie59 said:


> There's always a couple, especially during the legal update day, that insist on posing nearly impossible hypotheticals, or insist on going over a "crazy" (in their mind) situation they had to serve as an anecdote to display the law being discussed.


The first year I went to Plymouth, they were still letting the sheriff's department people attend, and almost half of the class was wearing gray shirts. There were a couple of deputies playing the "what if" game at the end of legal update, coming up with absurd scenarios that they'd never encounter in a million years.

It got to the point that a Plymouth PD person shouted out something to the effect that it would be unlikely to come across that at the sheriff's cookouts, so shut the hell up and let's go home.



OfficerObie59 said:


> Funny; I brought a notebook to my first in-service, and a VERY salty senior guy from my own job (who only brought The Boston Hearld)


I bring an extra-large coffee as well as the _Herald._


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## OfficerObie59 (Sep 14, 2007)

Delta784 said:


> It got to the point that a Plymouth PD person shouted out something to the effect that it would be unlikely to come across that at the sheriff's cookouts, so shut the hell up and let's go home.


Yeah, those Plymouth guys sure don't have much patience for dumb comments....a prime example is when they come from firemen.


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## 94c (Oct 21, 2005)

OfficerObie59 said:


> Sorry to generalize, but it is usually the real junior officers or guys from smaller PD's... STFU, I want to go home.


All it takes is one guy to mention Chapter 90 and OUI's and it's all over.

"Pass out the test" becomes the chant for several minutes before they finally get the hint.


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## DoD102 (Sep 9, 2004)

Still didn't see an answer to when the I don't give a "F" stage starts....

Cuz I am THERE!!! I just don't remember when it started.


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## tania535 (Feb 22, 2009)

*SUPERIORITY STAGE - Years 7-15* and influencing my son and nephew at the 
*FASCINATION STAGE - Years 1-4* and influencing my son and nephew at the and prior to that is the
the idealistic, heroic stage, before you get on the job when you think you can make a difference, when you go to the domestic and think you are saving the victim that they will leave the situation, the addict will get help, it was the drunk's first time behind the wheel, and they didn't mean to drive so fast, they thought they had control, and the neighbors were shocked that they could act that way.


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## LGriffin (Apr 2, 2009)

kttref said:


> Do you guys ever go to training and these jackass goody goodies ask these asinine questions and you just want to shoot them? I mean...I'm all for learning but I just don't understand why some people who are on the job for 10+ years can be so excited about anything...Maybe I'm just a bitch.


WTF! We actually had EPO's at some class I was sent to and they JUST WOULDN'T STOP. 
All the throat clearing and boot shuffling didn't send the message so I took one for the team and pulled the old "I don't think you'll need to know these particulars when your guessing whether it's moose or bear shit on the trail, come on now." We got the hell out early.


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