Anybody ever had a hit out on them?

[mustanginky]

WTF is up with this?

When I was a CO, we had lockboxes out by Main Control. Before the parking lot and the main gate. You can check in your personal handgun there coming in and check it out when leaving.

For those of us that worked for Complex (as opposed to working for/at the individual units) that were part of the search/chase teams, we even got lockboxes bolted on on the inside of our personal vehicles so that we could [technically] carry all the way to the gate.

Personally, not allowing your COs to carry travelling to/from work is just begging for trouble. That is, unless you guys have a policy where you come and leave in civvies only.

i agree. what's happened is we hire "Guards" not "corrections officers" and we have earned a bad reputation as derelict even though the supervisors are smart, educated, and experienced individuals who show professionalism and intelligence.

another factor is we have outside details at the prison i work at (farm crew, road crew, etc...) and they are so scared an inmate would break into your vehicle and steal a weapon.

our agency is terrible regarding treatment of staff. we haven't had pay raises in the 6 years i've been employed. when i was at P&P we originally had a policy allowing carry under LEOSA. then some liberal pussies got at our agency head and "took that away" (how they did this i wouldn't know because i didn't know their policies somehow trumped federal law). They made policy which said that we may not carry under LEOSA and if we had concealed carry licenses we were not to be in possession of an off duty carry weapon and any identifying items related to probation and parole. so basically, if we were involved in an off duty incident we wouldn't have even able to prove on scene that we were LEO's.

even though you can legally keep it in your glove box as its no different than your home?

you can't possess a weapon or dangerous instrument on prison property, which for us is about 3000 acres.


the problem with our agency is a cultural problem. we have a culture of ignorant people working mainly because they refuse to pay a decent wage ($1900/month starting salary with the only way to get a raise is to promote) and we end up with people with only GED's and zero college interested in security. other positions require a bachelor's degree such as classification, etc...and it doesn't pay much better. i've been employed for 6 years and make $31k a year. i have no overtime and straight comp time for any type of overtime.

 

[notorious p.i.g]

Man, some of y'all make it sound like we work for the same dept! I don't know how the prisons work or other agencies, but my s.o. requires you to get your weapon before you get to work any outside detail. I had mine for probably a couple of years before I was mandated, and the good thing is once you have it, mandated or not, you are allowed to carry it or your personal weapon anywhere as long as you have your sheriffs badge. We have to spend some years in the jail before we hit patrol, but being mandated I have full arrest powers. I just have to drive a big crappy van around all day instead of a patrol car lol.

I appreciate all the words of encouragement, I kinda felt like I was being overly paranoid or maybe even whiny about it. I'm a pretty big guy so I usually don't scare easily, but I'm also confident enough in myself to admit when I am. I honestly think if you don't go to work with a little fear that something is wrong with you! I feel like I watch my back pretty good, I do look for cars around me and if I even think one has been behind me for too long I won't even turn on my street.

I don't want to openly name the gang because I don't want this thread to show up on any search, but it's one of our local gangs. They aren't very big but they are the most violent one we have around here, and that's saying something around this dump! These damn kids are a whole different breed now, none of them care about going to jail or have any respect for life these days. Not just the ones in this gang but in general it seems. We have generations of their families all in jail at the same time, bunch of ignorant low lifes that have never worked or done anything to contribute to society at all. This whole area has been taken over by people like that, and it just kinda seems pointless working here sometimes when these are the type you deal with.

Anyway, thanks again for the words brothers. Hopefully nothing comes of this, but if it does hopefully I'm ready! The one good thing about all this being documented is I now have a free pass to do what I gotta do!

 

[mustanginky]

You know that size doesn't matter at all. Firearms are the great equalizer, for both the good guys and bad guys.


I've been looking for a way out for years unfortunately I've had no luck with local pd's.

 

[carrrnuttt]

i agree. what's happened is we hire "Guards" not "corrections officers" and we have earned a bad reputation as derelict even though the supervisors are smart, educated, and experienced individuals who show professionalism and intelligence.

another factor is we have outside details at the prison i work at (farm crew, road crew, etc...) and they are so scared an inmate would break into your vehicle and steal a weapon.

our agency is terrible regarding treatment of staff. we haven't had pay raises in the 6 years i've been employed. when i was at P&P we originally had a policy allowing carry under LEOSA. then some liberal pussies got at our agency head and "took that away" (how they did this i wouldn't know because i didn't know their policies somehow trumped federal law). They made policy which said that we may not carry under LEOSA and if we had concealed carry licenses we were not to be in possession of an off duty carry weapon and any identifying items related to probation and parole. so basically, if we were involved in an off duty incident we wouldn't have even able to prove on scene that we were LEO's.



you can't possess a weapon or dangerous instrument on prison property, which for us is about 3000 acres.


the problem with our agency is a cultural problem. we have a culture of ignorant people working mainly because they refuse to pay a decent wage ($1900/month starting salary with the only way to get a raise is to promote) and we end up with people with only GED's and zero college interested in security. other positions require a bachelor's degree such as classification, etc...and it doesn't pay much better. i've been employed for 6 years and make $31k a year. i have no overtime and straight comp time for any type of overtime.

Ouch.

One of the things that made me quit was the politics and how it seemed that inmates had more rights inside than the officers did.

(Sorry about this [rant follows])

****ing Amnesty International was the bane of our existence.

We had inmates that became millionaires in prison because AI and other bleeding hearts like them helped them win bullshit lawsuits. Of course these groups get to "manage" the inmates' money while they're inside...and most of them were never going to see the outside of our fences. If you know what I mean.

Also, since the prison I worked at was so far away (about an hour drive), the COs got bonuses for working there. However, as soon as you make Sgt. or above, you lose the incentives, making it so that unless you were a Lt. or above, COs with as much tenure as you actually made more money. So what happened is that only the shitbirds that only really cared about having the rank and power were promoting and making decisions, while all the good officers that laid low and simply worked to support their families stayed in the trenches.

And speaking of officer vs inmate rights, the straw that broke the camel's back for me was when this Sgt.--one of the very few sarges we had that promoted for the right reasons was demoted.

What happened, you say?

Well, during a mini riot we had in the middle of the Arizona August, he led the team that broke up the fight and saved this one inmate that a gang was trying to get to. He quite possibly saved that inmate's life. With that being said, in the rush of things, the inmate was pulled out with only his skivvies on and no shoes. All the sarge wanted to do was get him to another building before the issue escalated again. So this inmate was led by the sarge to another building and was secured in a cell there.

Apparently, the pavement was way too hot, and the inmate got burns on his foot. Mind you, the inmate himself did not notice it, since he was busy trying to stay alive. But afterwards, the shithead sued the state and the department for it. They used the good sarge as a scapegoat and as a concession so that they wouldn't have to pay more money out.

You see, the state are idiots. Oftentimes they just settle because they feel it would be "cheaper" than dragging it to trial. What they're failing to notice is, it was their willingness to settle that was encouraging the vultures.

 

[KYSVT]

Don't worry about having a hit out on you, Obama has your back. Just turn in your weapons.

 

[mustanginky]

the only reason i stay around besides liking the job at the core of it all, is the 20 year retirement. since i've got 6 in with tons of sick, vacation, and comp time i will retire at about age 41-42. if i transfer to another hazardous duty position (police department, fire department, local corrections) i would be eligible for the same retirement with the time already in.

i'm going to have a son in June so i didn't want to test for a PD and be in the middle of academy 200 miles away when my kid was born. i will probably wait another couple years before i get into it again.

slowly, our culture is improving. they are starting to hire better and better people. the problem is with no raises or incentive to stay, people don't stick around.

 

[mswaim]

Come on out to California, where we pay our correctional oficers an average base salary of $78,232 with the majority of them near or topping the $100,000 range with OT.

 

[mustanginky]

Come on out to California, where we pay our correctional oficers an average base salary of $78,232 with the majority of them near or topping the $100,000 range with OT.

no way in hell. higher cost of living for one. second, it's california.

 

[five0three]

Come on out to California, where we pay our correctional oficers an average base salary of $78,232 with the majority of them near or topping the $100,000 range with OT.

where do they start?

 

[mswaim]

no way in hell. higher cost of living for one. second, it's california.

By your own admission, you are not receiving pay increases or other incentives. Here they pay full salary through their academy and begin their assignments at $4,000 a month, with 5% increases every six months until they hit top step. Once that level is reached, they see 5% annual increases They have excellent vacation, sick leave, fitness incentives, education pay and plenty of promotional opportunities. Couple that with minimum staffing mandates, OT is a regular option.

Or you can stay there with a "culture that is slowly improving" $30 grand a year and all the mediocracy you can stand, retire in 20 years with what, 20 grand to work with? :shrug:

California Law Enforcment and State Corrections are the highest paid, highest trained professionals in the country (and the business). Not sure of the downside you quickly dismiss with a "no way in Hell".......

 

[mustanginky]

My wife easily makes double what I make and loves her company Texas Roadhouse!

 

[mswaim]

Sorry, my mistake - I thought we were discussing your career, not your wife's.

Good luck.:beer:

 

[mustanginky]

Sorry, my mistake - I thought we were discussing your career, not your wife's.

Good luck.:beer:

Oh you're right. I was just joking about the wife's job. I don't have any interest in moving to another far away state. Ill just live with it here lol.

 

[jasonmark1993]

I think being a CO has got to be the toughest, least rewarding job in LE. I always cringe when I'm dropping bodies off there. I think it takes a pretty hard toll on you guys being around that crap all day.

I agree with you on some of your coworkers though; some look like they got paroled and then got hired.

Either way, thanks for holding down the fort.

 

[FordSVTFan]

i never called them "superior officers" because i never saw anything superior about them. Having got that chip off my shoulder, that person who told you that should have already notified your investigative unit or gbi. I was good friends and once worked with -now deceased d. Brown- the officer who was elected sheriff in dekalb county. He was "hit" 15 times in front of his house...i didn't trust anyone, even other officers, as i have seen quite a few get prosecuted and sent off. When i became a lawyer and prosecutor, i sent more than one through the grand jury and to hear police officers on wire intercepts conversing and conspiring with drug dealers gave me chills...i even heard one of our drug agents doing that...

What is your life worth- maybe nothing to your supervisors and folk you work with and certainly not to the thugs...i would have it investigated. If your dept doesn't want to do it- see your district attorney as they have investigators and they have authority to call in gbi. Ken hodges used to be up there and i can tell you were he still there he would want to know of this.

agreed!!