Pros/Cons of being an LEO

[BearsFTW18]

I've seen this many years ago and it's probably one of the greatest things I've ever read. The public will never have any idea what we (LEO, FF, EMS, Military) sacrifice everyday.

No they really don't. I cannot stand when i hear people talk shit about Chicago PD because my father, brother, and 2 uncles are all CPD and I know what they deal with every day.

A coupe months ago I went on a ride a long with my brothers TACT(plain clothes, unmarked car) team. In 7 hours this is what we did...

-assist US Marshals with a fugitive call
-arrested 3 people for breaking into an abandon house and smoking weed. Found 10 grams on them.
-saw a butt naked guy get tazered 4 times(dead serious)
-helped someone with a flat tire
-Assisted an ambluance to the hospital which was carrying a CPD officer who had just gotten shot. I had never seen so many police cars in one spot in my life. There must have been 25+ squad cars at the hospital, including sububs not just CPD.

at the end of the night they looked at me and said "and this was a slow night."

 

[FordSVTFan]

No they really don't. I cannot stand when i hear people talk shit about Chicago PD because my father, brother, and 2 uncles are all CPD and I know what they deal with every day.

A coupe months ago I went on a ride a long with my brothers TACT(plain clothes, unmarked car) team. In 7 hours this is what we did...

-assist US Marshals with a fugitive call
-arrested 3 people for breaking into an abandon house and smoking weed. Found 10 grams on them.
-saw a butt naked guy get tazered 4 times(dead serious)
-helped someone with a flat tire
-Assisted an ambluance to the hospital which was carrying a CPD officer who had just gotten shot. I had never seen so many police cars in one spot in my life. There must have been 25+ squad cars at the hospital, including sububs not just CPD.

at the end of the night they looked at me and said "and this was a slow night."

Please do not confuse having relatives who are on the job with knowing what the job is like. Until you've done it for a few years you will never really understand.

 

[BearsFTW18]

Please do not confuse having relatives who are on the job with knowing what the job is like. Until you've done it for a few years you will never really understand.

Oh I should have been more clear. I know more than the ignorant people who are not cops and have no friends/family that are cops. I can't tell you how many times I've heard things like "your brother just writes tickets all day" or "why don't your dad and uncles get real jobs?". It makes me lol. My uncle is a sniper on the SWAT team, please tell me how that is not a real job haha.

 

[FordSVTFan]

Oh I should have been more clear. I know more than the ignorant people who are not cops and have no friends/family that are cops. I can't tell you how many times I've heard things like "your brother just writes tickets all day" or "why don't your dad and uncles get real jobs?". It makes me lol. My uncle is a sniper on the SWAT team, please tell me how that is not a real job haha.

My 11 year old knows more than the ignorant cop haters.

 

[markw351]

I am no LEO but i would say knowing your probably out gunned by the bad guys has got to be a HUGE con. Knowing you have the balls to still want to do it...pro. Mad respect for LEOs out there...except when i see your flashing lights in the rear view

 

[BearsFTW18]

My 11 year old knows more than the ignorant cop haters.

Lol. I just really can't stand people like that.

 

[musclefan21]

you sure will bring some good qualities to the table but that is on paper. they will go deeper than that and find out who you actually are and what have you done in the past.

the department I am about to get in let go guys with BA in criminal justice, experience in the LE, etc. because they just didnt fit in the department's profile and here I am a highschool graduate, been in the country a little over 6 years, with a good moral character history, #41 on the list got the call.

I have one more little bump ahead of me, and then it will be official. soon i will find out.

 

[BearsFTW18]

you sure will bring some good qualities to the table but that is on paper. they will go deeper than that and find out who you actually are and what have you done in the past.

the department I am about to get in let go guys with BA in criminal justice, experience in the LE, etc. because they just didnt fit in the department's profile and here I am a highschool graduate, been in the country a little over 6 years, with a good moral character history, #41 on the list got the call.

I have one more little bump ahead of me, and then it will be official. soon i will find out.

What department?

 

[musclefan21]

What department?

I don't want to reveal what department I will be working for.

 

[01cobravortech]

Sorry for being ignorant but does affirmative action still affect the recruitment of police in Illinois?

 

[airstang93]

my opinion, if your not sure about this job (since you asked if its worth it) then i would not do it.. i think most leo's here knew this was what they wanted from a young age. i knew when i was a teen this is my job.. if you can give up your free time in a second because you just got called in, give up holidays and weekends with the family and deal with people who hate you even if you just saved their kid from a burning car, then this job is for you... you need to be 100 about the decision, if not it can cost you or worse, your partner his/her life..

 

[Lt. ZO6]

my opinion, if your not sure about this job (since you asked if its worth it) then i would not do it.. i think most leo's here knew this was what they wanted from a young age. i knew when i was a teen this is my job.. if you can give up your free time in a second because you just got called in, give up holidays and weekends with the family and deal with people who hate you even if you just saved their kid from a burning car, then this job is for you... you need to be 100 about the decision, if not it can cost you or worse, your partner his/her life..

I wouldnt necessarily agree. never thought of becoming an leo and got stuck doing it while in the Navy (long story). Once I got the taste of it, I loved the work.

 

[Fourtrax250R]

my opinion, if your not sure about this job (since you asked if its worth it) then i would not do it.. i think most leo's here knew this was what they wanted from a young age. i knew when i was a teen this is my job.. if you can give up your free time in a second because you just got called in, give up holidays and weekends with the family and deal with people who hate you even if you just saved their kid from a burning car, then this job is for you... you need to be 100 about the decision, if not it can cost you or worse, your partner his/her life..

I agree 100%.

 

[DaBigBone]

you don't have to take a written or oral test? wtf??

and after the academy you will be patroling with FTOs.

promotions come with time in and needs of the department.

and idk about Atlanta, but here in Chicago you just dont "make" sergeant. You have to take a test for that.

Also, coming from someone who's wanted to be a cop his entire life and someone who comes from a police family....this isn't "just a job". It's more than a career. It's a calling.

is it worth it? No one can tell you that except yourself. It depends on how bad YOU want it. This is a job that YOU'RE going to have to want to do. It's not just a "yeah I'll try it out" kind of job.

I couldn't tell you because every department is different. I have taken 4 written tests(more coming up) and every one has been different.

Really think about what I said though. If this is not a job that you know 100%that you want and would like to keep, then don't do it. Not only is it not fair to yourself, but it's also not fair to the department and your fellow officers.

Here's a suggestion, take a couple ride alongs on different shifts so you can get a feel of what it's like.

some departments require only a high school diploma.
some require 60 credit hours
some require an associates
some require an associates in criminal justice
some require a bachelors

doesn't matter what degree/training you have, you still will have to do all the tests that everyone else does and go through the same steps. Just making sure you understand that.

No they really don't. I cannot stand when i hear people talk shit about Chicago PD because my father, brother, and 2 uncles are all CPD and I know what they deal with every day.

A coupe months ago I went on a ride a long with my brothers TACT(plain clothes, unmarked car) team. In 7 hours this is what we did...

-assist US Marshals with a fugitive call
-arrested 3 people for breaking into an abandon house and smoking weed. Found 10 grams on them.
-saw a butt naked guy get tazered 4 times(dead serious)
-helped someone with a flat tire
-Assisted an ambluance to the hospital which was carrying a CPD officer who had just gotten shot. I had never seen so many police cars in one spot in my life. There must have been 25+ squad cars at the hospital, including sububs not just CPD.

at the end of the night they looked at me and said "and this was a slow night."

Oh I should have been more clear. I know more than the ignorant people who are not cops and have no friends/family that are cops. I can't tell you how many times I've heard things like "your brother just writes tickets all day" or "why don't your dad and uncles get real jobs?". It makes me lol. My uncle is a sniper on the SWAT team, please tell me how that is not a real job haha.

I find it ironic how you are giving all this advice yet you have never worked a single day as a LEO.

To the OP, go for it. I'm glad I did. Something different every day.

 

[BearsFTW18]

I find it ironic how you are giving all this advice yet you have never worked a single day as a LEO.

To the OP, go for it. I'm glad I did. Something different every day.

I can definitely see what you're saying. But coming from a police family, and have been around cops my entire life because of all their friends too, I've heard them all say the exact same thing.

also, some of the things I posted were facts. Like the education requirements.