# Debating Job Offer



## Derfcop24 (Oct 19, 2008)

I'm currently a State CO and was just offered a police officer position down south. The pro to this is they said I will be eligible to be assigned to their tactical unit after academy training since I have completed a Basic SWAT qualification course "with the exception that I complete advanced afterwards".


The downside is I will take a little bit of a paycut and loose some of my benefits. But I'm getting tired of corrections and want something new. Any input? I'm trying to balance out the pros and cons for this.


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## Nuke_TRT (Feb 10, 2008)

Pro, you will be doing something you want to do, and you won't be doing it under the Duval administration.


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## PatrolDB (Jul 23, 2008)

Where down south?


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## 7costanza (Aug 29, 2006)

I would already have my bags packed...


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## Derfcop24 (Oct 19, 2008)

It's a department around the NOLA area. They start you off at $17 per hour w. pay, bennies, 401K, etc and a 4% raise every year. Other than that it's not as much as what DOC has to offer in that area but I'm getting sick of this kind of work. They just started standardizing their department and it's response team after getting a new chief and federal grant money and I'd like to utilize the skills and training I have and build on them.


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## Oscar8 (Oct 28, 2007)

so..... why are you still here?


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## Andy0921 (Jan 12, 2006)

Make the move.


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## Guest (Oct 20, 2008)

Allow me to inject a bit of reality here....accepting a job with so many unknowns is like buying a car; you wouldn't be the first person to be lied to by the recruiter/sales manager. Personally, I would be very suspect of any department which states an officer would be assigned to a tactical team right out of the academy, while they're still a totally unknown commodity.

My advice is to proceed with extreme caution, and get whatever they tell you in writing.


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## Killjoy (Jun 23, 2003)

> Personally, I would be very suspect of any department which states an officer would be assigned to a tactical team right out of the academy, while they're still a totally unknown commodity.


Ditto. Not to insult you, but what if you turn out to be a complete soup sandwich on the street? They still going to give a spot with their elite unit? Not for nothing, but corrections is not the same as being a police officer, and right now you have zero time on the street. Taking a basic SWAT course does not qualify you to be be one the secret squirrel guys on the street. Any reputable unit would want a guy with a least a couple of years of street work under their belt, just to see how they handle themselves. I've known a few guys who were "hot-sh*t" in the safe confines of an academy, but useless bags of monkey spunk on the streets. The reverse is true as well, as guys who were sad sacks at the academy turn out to be the best street cops out there.

I smell recruiting BS here.


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## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

See if you can take a lead of absence from your current job and go down and if does not work out come back..... If NOLA means New Orleans LA. My adive is no way its a shit hole.... could nt give that job away...


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## trueblue (Jan 21, 2008)

Delta784 said:


> Allow me to inject a bit of reality here....accepting a job with so many unknowns is like buying a car; you wouldn't be the first person to be lied to by the recruiter/sales manager. Personally, I would be very suspect of any department which states an officer would be assigned to a tactical team right out of the academy, while they're still a totally unknown commodity.
> 
> My advice is to proceed with extreme caution, and get whatever they tell you in writing.


Couldn't agree more with Delta and Killjoy. Both speak the truth on this. Also you may not be working for our clueless Gov Patrick.....but you will be working for another politician who is just as bad. You just don't know their name right now. It's very easy to think this is a great offer but I suggest you proceed with caution.


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## Mass (Jan 21, 2006)

Do what's best for you and your family. Corrections can really bring you down after a while. If it is all true...then best of luck to you!


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## Lookinforacopjob (Sep 9, 2008)

I'm gonna agree with the other guys and say NO WAY Are they putting you right into a SWAT position. People wait YEARS for that kind of opportunity and you may be a great CO but could be a shitty cop and get people killed in the wrong situation... 

Either way I would make the move. I made the mistake of staying in Mass for a position just like yours instead of going to Jacksonville, Fla PD and now I am screwed and cant get anything. Mass sucks and if Question 1 passes you may be out of a job anyway. Go buy some luggage son......


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## rg1283 (Sep 14, 2005)

Even if question 1 does pass, the legislature will play games to make sure it does not go through.


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## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

rg1283 said:


> Even if question 1 does pass, the legislature will play games to make sure it does not go through.


Just increase you property taxes either way you pay. I rather pay property taxes then income tax at least the residents of the community have a say in where the money goes.


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## Foxy85 (Mar 29, 2006)

Everyother tax will go up, to make up for it.....Excise, property, sales, you name its, its just a matter of where you want the lovely commonwealth to take your money...


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## emerlad (Nov 15, 2007)

Stay well away from LA.
Have heard that quality of living down there not even close to amenities here.
You think people are dumb here..
Go to north carolina or VA in my opinion.
I base my opinion on 2 LE officers that I have talked to that live in new orleans


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## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

Have you been there before or was this offer done via phone or computer? If you've been there and like it; and think that it's better than what you're already doing, then go for it. If you haven't already been there, I would suggest going there first before making a decision.

It sounds to me that $17 an hour is hardly enough to support a family on, regardless of what the cost of living is, especially nowadays. I realize that your pay rate will go up but how high will it go up if it starts that low. 

I also agree with others here about going straight to a tactical team as soon as you're hired. Others already on the department MAY (emphasis on MAY) be a bit jealous of you if they've waited to get on the team and you get hired and get on the team immediately... if that offer is indeed true.


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## Derfcop24 (Oct 19, 2008)

LA Copper said:


> Have you been there before or was this offer done via phone or computer? If you've been there and like it; and think that it's better than what you're already doing, then go for it. If you haven't already been there, I would suggest going there first before making a decision.
> 
> It sounds to me that $17 an hour is hardly enough to support a family on, regardless of what the cost of living is, especially nowadays. I realize that your pay rate will go up but how high will it go up if it starts that low.
> 
> I also agree with others here about going straight to a tactical team as soon as you're hired. Others already on the department MAY (emphasis on MAY) be a bit jealous of you if they've waited to get on the team and you get hired and get on the team immediately... if that offer is indeed true.


I did the course on my own time "with my own funds". The chief with the department I trained with offered me the position while talking with him on the last day. The team is still in the process of being standardized to one that's DHS approved. It's a private department whose former administration was not big on their police and the new one is interested in increasing their capabilities.

I have no family so $17 is not great but not absolutely terrible. As far as police and corrections go, they are different and having a know-it-all attitude really doesn't help, nor does academy training make someone all that as I've seen before. I'm not jumping into this right away until I get some more confirmations to the legitimacy of everything.


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## Derfcop24 (Oct 19, 2008)

Lookinforacopjob said:


> I'm gonna agree with the other guys and say NO WAY Are they putting you right into a SWAT position. People wait YEARS for that kind of opportunity and you may be a great CO but could be a shitty cop and get people killed in the wrong situation...
> 
> Either way I would make the move. I made the mistake of staying in Mass for a position just like yours instead of going to Jacksonville, Fla PD and now I am screwed and cant get anything. Mass sucks and if Question 1 passes you may be out of a job anyway. Go buy some luggage son......


No family, no dependants, and I personally agree with you that corrections and police are two different ball games and it's usually best to have 2 or more years on a department before coming on board with a Special ops unit. Nor does academy or corrections experience make you all that as with anything else.

I did the basic course with their department on my own time and with my own funds under a private training company and the chief offered me the position when I was talking with him. The team is relatively new in terms of being standardized and it seems like a good opportunity for experience in that sort of field which is the only reason I'm considering it.


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## pahapoika (Nov 5, 2006)

don't know what NOLA means , but if it is New Orleans i'm sure they'll promise you the moon to get warm bodies own there. 

corrections suck. if your at walpole , GET THE F**K OUT OF THERE !

a change of scenery might make the DOC more palatable. 

although from what i've read , maybe being a screw will help you in that area. you'll be dealing with the same element just no bars.

with this last batch of freaks coming out of the academy i can see why you would want to move on , but the beenies are hard to beat. take a long look at this before you go.

good luck


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## Barbrady (Aug 5, 2004)

I say go for it since you are single. The pay sounds very well for the area. I was in NO just before Katrina and I fell in love with that area. A good suburb is Slidell.

Your not the first person I have heard talking about walking on a SWAT team. It seems to be the smaller departments. We had a guy working for us say he was leaving for a job where they would give him a take home Charger, taser with no hit necessary, and automatic entry on the SWAT team. We thought he either full of it or getting fed a line of BS. It was later confirmed true. Again, this was a teeny tiny department.


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## Guest (Oct 26, 2008)

Barbrady said:


> We had a guy working for us say he was leaving for a job where they would give him a take home Charger, taser with no hit necessary, and automatic entry on the SWAT team. We thought he either full of it or getting fed a line of BS. It was later confirmed true. Again, this was a teeny tiny department.


Would you really want to work for such a department??


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## csauce777 (Jan 10, 2005)

Derfcop24 said:


> *It's a private department whose former administration was not big on their police* and the new one is interested in increasing their capabilities.


Ok, i'm confused. Is this a municipal police department or a campus type department?


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## Barbrady (Aug 5, 2004)

Delta784 said:


> Would you really want to work for such a department??


Kind of scary I know.


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