# Need Advice from folks on the job



## MAPatFan (Mar 13, 2013)

Morning,

After recently being laid off from a Security position , I decided to spend the time making one last real push towards my goal of becoming a Police Officer. 

I started an EMT B class, and recently was granted sponsorship to the R/I academy in Springfield with no promise of employment following graduation. The down fall is I would lose my last few weeks of EMT. 

In addition to this I was offered a position with a hospital that will send me to the SSPO academy *eventually* but the R/I class would not be a possibility.

Very unsure of how to proceed based on my longer term goal , I am 28 now non vet so I do understand my chances grow shorter by the day. Thanks to any advice!


----------



## 263FPD (Oct 29, 2004)

You need to make that decision on your own. R/I academy may get you a reserve job out in the e western part of the state. EMT certification helps only a little. SSPO academy will make you marketable to most campus police departments. 

This is your question to answer, not ours. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## MAPatFan (Mar 13, 2013)

Understood I need to make the call, I have been told so many different things about what academy is better and blah blah so I figured I needed to ask someone who knows the deal.


----------



## Joel98 (Mar 2, 2011)

Mount Holyoke College PD hires R/I graduates for their full-time slots. I would talk to someone from there.


----------



## csauce777 (Jan 10, 2005)

If you are from Western MA, screw EMT school for now, take the R/I sponsorship, get that and market yourself to the many towns out there who hire part time PO's. Many of them put you on the road just like FT guys and most hire from their PT ranks. You can always do EMT school another time. You may not get another sponsorship. As someone stated, with the R/I academy and two years part time experience, you'd likely be SSPO waiver eligible for campus jobs as well.


----------



## Inspector71 (Sep 30, 2007)

Ahhhh......If you have _firm offer _for the job at a Hospital, and they will _definitely_ send you to SSPO at some point, this option seems more concrete. I'd work as a cop with an SSPO cert (good in many other states) and work at attending the R/I later for the municipal option.


----------



## Code 3 (Dec 28, 2012)

csauce777 said:


> If you are from Western MA, screw EMT school for now, take the R/I sponsorship, get that and market yourself to the many towns out there who hire part time PO's. Many of them put you on the road just like FT guys and most hire from their PT ranks. You can always do EMT school another time. You may not get another sponsorship. As someone stated, with the R/I academy and two years part time experience, you'd likely be SSPO waiver eligible for campus jobs as well.


THIS


----------



## Code 3 (Dec 28, 2012)

263FPD said:


> You need to make that decision on your own. R/I academy may get you a reserve job out in the e western part of the state. EMT certification helps only a little. SSPO academy will make you marketable to most campus police departments.
> 
> This is your question to answer, not ours.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


AND THIS


----------



## Irishpride (May 5, 2002)

Take the hospital job and explain to your emt school your situation. If the school is offering the school again just ask if you can pick up the classes you missed in the next class then take the state exam. It really shouldn't matter to the school as long as they can document that you had the required classroom hours. I don't know your financial situation but neither the R/I academy or EMT school will guarantee a job so take the one that will pay your bills.


----------



## GreenMachine (Mar 26, 2007)

28 isn't too old for the military.


----------



## grn3charlie (Jul 18, 2005)

The waiver may work for smaller campus jobs but the larger ones won't buy it and you'll be locked in. Like has been said before, if the hosptital offer is firm and they will send you to the SSPO academy, that is a strong consideration. In the last couple of years, the MPTC has said that the SSPO academy (600 hours) is the "equivalent" of the R/I academy (242 hours). It's stupid but it is what it is. Some of the smaller municipla departments out west that hire PT guys may pick you up on that. Lots to consider, good luck in whatever you choose.


----------



## SinePari (Aug 15, 2004)

GreenMachine said:


> 28 isn't too old for the military.


http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-j...egal-and-law-enforcement/military-police.html

3 years active duty, finish college, 31 y/o...BOOM. G2G.


----------



## samadam78 (Nov 10, 2007)

grn3charlie said:


> The waiver may work for smaller campus jobs but the larger ones won't buy it and you'll be locked in. Like has been said before, if the hosptital offer is firm and they will send you to the SSPO academy, that is a strong consideration. In the last couple of years, the MPTC has said that the SSPO academy (600 hours) is the "equivalent" of the R/I academy (242 hours). It's stupid but it is what it is. Some of the smaller municipla departments out west that hire PT guys may pick you up on that. Lots to consider, good luck in whatever you choose.


most of the larger campus jobs and almost all state university jobs are looking for the full time academy now. They will interview with the sspo but very few are hiring sspo lately.


----------



## grn3charlie (Jul 18, 2005)

Figures


----------



## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

I'm gonna have to jump on the take the sure thing/Hospital Pd/SSPO Academy bandwagon.
The other options don't pay your bills and give you experience at the same time. You already found a sponsor for the R/I so I'm sure you could do that later. Then again, compared to Loyal, I don't know shit.....


----------



## SinePari (Aug 15, 2004)

mpd61 said:


> The other options don't pay your bills and give you experience at the same time.


What about the military? Get paid, get experience, get two points.


----------



## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

SinePari said:


> What about the military? Get paid, get experience, get two points.


Yeah but really Sine...it made heroes of you and I, but it isn't for everybody. Besides, he REALLY needs to get disabled to put himself at the very top of the pack!


----------



## Code 3 (Dec 28, 2012)

mpd61 said:


> Yeah but really Sine...it made heroes of you and I, but it isn't for everybody. Besides, he REALLY needs to get disabled to put himself at the very top of the pack!


What kind of disability though? Id think if you were injured in the military, it may hinder police officer capabilities? Forgive my ignorance. I'm not up to speed on vet stuff as I was never in it.


----------



## Guest (Mar 20, 2013)

SinePari said:


> http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-j...egal-and-law-enforcement/military-police.html
> 
> 3 years active duty, finish college, 31 y/o...BOOM. G2G.


Just don't be deluded into thinking you're going to do much police work as an MP, I found that out the hard way.

With civilian Department of the Army Police taking over LE duties at many forts, most MP's are in a combat support role....a.k.a. glorified Infantry that drives in a Humvee instead of walking. Go with the Air Force or Marines if you want to do law enforcement as an MP.


----------



## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

Delta784 said:


> *Just don't be deluded into thinking you're going to do much police work as an MP, I found that out the hard way*.
> 
> *With civilian Department of the Army Police taking over LE duties at many forts, most MP's are in a combat support role*....a.k.a. glorified Infantry that drives in a Humvee instead of walking. Go with the Air Force or Marines if you want to do law enforcement as an MP.


1. Absolutely 100% true!
2. The *DACP*=*MP* trend has actually reversed. Some DACP Programs are gone (Ft. Hood) with the MP company's coming home and displacing them.


----------



## Guest (Mar 20, 2013)

mpd61 said:


> 1. Absolutely 100% true!
> 2. The *DACP*=*MP* trend has actually reversed. Some DACP Programs are gone (Ft. Hood) with the MP company's coming home and displacing them.


That's good to hear, I am 100% opposed to civilians policing the military on-post.


----------



## wwonka (Dec 8, 2010)

Delta784 said:


> Just don't be deluded into thinking you're going to do much police work as an MP, I found that out the hard way.
> 
> With civilian Department of the Army Police taking over LE duties at many forts, most MP's are in a combat support role....a.k.a. glorified Infantry that drives in a Humvee instead of walking. Go with the Air Force or Marines if you want to do law enforcement as an MP.


Well said, the Air Force will give you the best quality of life and you might actually get to do some police work.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2


----------



## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

Delta784 said:


> That's good to hear, I am 100% opposed to civilians policing the military on-post.


I know, you've stated that more than once before. I just don't know the reason(s) behind that seemingly absolute conviction. Would you be okay with civilian cops policing just civilians on-post? Today you might be in a situation where you (as a civilian cop) deal with military off-post. That's OK with you right? I'm not busting chops just trying to understand it. Is it that the military, being on a military post, have some form of sanctuary from dealing with civilian employees?


----------



## USAF286 (May 20, 2011)

wwonka said:


> Well said, the Air Force will give you the best quality of life and you might actually get to do some police work.
> 
> Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2


This ^ from what I've seen the last 4 years on base the majority of the time contractors are doing entry control. While enlisted personnel perform patrol (usually two to a car) k9 handling, combat arms training, and special investigation (OSI). That being said, the AF is very strict when it comes to promotion, especially NCO, so if only plan on a 4 year tour don't plan on getting Rin Tin Tin and kicking down doors.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## USAF286 (May 20, 2011)

mpd61 said:


> I know, you've stated that more than once before. I just don't know the reason(s) behind that seemingly absolute conviction. Would you be okay with civilian cops policing just civilians on-post? Today you might be in a situation where you (as a civilian cop) deal with military off-post. That's OK with you right? I'm not busting chops just trying to understand it. Is it that the military, being on a military post, have some form of sanctuary from dealing with civilian employees?


Enforcing the USMJ vs enforcing MGL for example? I agree with Delta to a point, there's just a different feeling with civilians employed on a base that enforce rules they don't particularly have to follow.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Guest (Mar 21, 2013)

mpd61 said:


> I know, you've stated that more than once before. I just don't know the reason(s) behind that seemingly absolute conviction. Would you be okay with civilian cops policing just civilians on-post? Today you might be in a situation where you (as a civilian cop) deal with military off-post. That's OK with you right? I'm not busting chops just trying to understand it. Is it that the military, being on a military post, have some form of sanctuary from dealing with civilian employees?


My opinion is that the military should police the military, whenever possible. If civilians commit a crime on a military base, they should be "apprehended" (The US Army MP term for being arrested) by military police, processed at the MP Station, then turned over to the civilian authorities.

Military members are of course subject to civilian law while off-post, but when the South Weymouth Naval Air Station was active, they had base housing in Quincy, which would sometimes require our response, since we got there much quicker. Our usual response was to keep the peace until the Navy Master-at-arms people and the Officer of the Day would arrive, at which point we would back-off, and defer to their judgment. Most situations were solved via an Article 15, although we did sometimes make an arrest for a more serious offense.


----------



## Guest (Mar 21, 2013)

mtc said:


> My son's unit is the "base police department" at Ft Lewis. Other MP units are deploying. (yeah - he's bummed)
> 
> He's not only in a non-deploying, base police unit, but he's their desk bitch for his whole first year.
> 
> Nights !!


I was never an active-duty MP, except for being deployed, but I did enough LE missions at active-duty bases to know that that's standard procedure.

Whenever I signed-out a weapon or portable radio, it was always an E-1 through E-3 doing the paperwork, looking positively miserable as the National Guard guys were preparing to go on patrol, while he was riding the desk.


----------



## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

Delta784 said:


> My opinion is that the military should police the military, *whenever possible*. If civilians commit a crime on a military base, they should be "apprehended" (The US Army MP term for being arrested) _*by military police*_, processed at the MP Station, then turned over to the civilian authorities.


Cool I can respect that opinion and actually agree. The unfortunate reality is that there are some army installations with little or no military presence, let alone MP/PM/JAG. Many of these bases do have DA civilian police. Sometimes you gotta roll with what you got and believe that the civilian police are gonna treat the military members professionally. As you pointed out to the OP, MP experience isn't necessarily going to equate to civilian experience.


----------



## Guest (Mar 21, 2013)

mpd61 said:


> Cool I can respect that opinion and actually agree. The unfortunate reality is that there are some army installations with little or no military presence, let alone MP/PM/JAG. Many of these bases do have DA civilian police. Sometimes you gotta roll with what you got and believe that the civilian police are gonna treat the military members professionally. As you pointed out to the OP, MP experience isn't necessarily going to equate to civilian experience.


South Weymouth NAS was that exact situation, they weren't big enough to have a Marine MP detachment, so in the cases of serious offenses (felony domestic, for example), we would make the arrest.

However, a simple domestic verbal argument usually ended with the Officer of the Day, either in-person or via telephone, issuing an order to the husband to vacate the housing area for 24 hours, which was a de-facto 209A order.


----------

