Help, police!

[suziquzie]

My husband said last night he'd like to be a policeman.... he said almost 10 years ago he wanted to be a state trooper, and I was too afraid to let him go to school.... I was pregnant with our first child and really didn't want to be a widow. We both forgot about it and never talked about it again. I feel like I held him back from what he wanted to do.
He drives a truck now, and he's very good, but not fulfilled. I thought he had forgotten about law enforcement, but I guess not. I think I could let him go now, because we've both grown up so much.
Is 34 too old to start a law enforcement career?

 

[jabbur]

I don't know anything about the field but I think if he's in good physical shape it wouldn't be too late. He'll have a lot more life experience to draw on and more mature thinking to make appropriate decisions. If he really wants this, then he should check with your local office for information. It won't be easy for either of you but if it makes him happier, I say go for it.

 

[babetoo]

i say let him try it. he will find out soon enough if he can do it.

 

[deelady]

let me start by giving a little history first...my fiance was first in the Marine corp. for 4 yrs then a police officer for 2yrs in Ohio, and then in the Navy for another 4 yrs. After he got out of the Navy he work a basic office job for a loan company for about a year. He then decided he wanted to get back into law enforcment so started training to apply for L.A. police accademy. Figgured with all his back ground experience, his age wouldn't be an issue (he was then 32). First he was indeed the oldest one in the group and second even with him training for about a month beforehand he still failed part of the physical fitness test and had to retake it ( I believe it was part of the running). After all the tests were completed and passed he had to go through an extensive background check (no big deal since he still had his security clearance from his job in the Navy). Right after they were telling him he most likely wouldn't have to complete the entire training school because he was an officer before and was military police as well....he was declined to go forward to the academy... you know what they got him on and the reason he didn't move on....his credit record! He had an impounded car on his record from years before and some credit card issues from his previous wife!
Of course it turned out to be a blessing because now he is working for the U..S Embassy and has just renewed his security clearance (which is not easy to get!)

Uhhhh did I answer anything for you?? lol
So bottom line I think he is very close to the cut off age, but still under it. If I remember correctly in Cali it is 37...and past experience is a big thing esp if you are starting later in life. And I hope his credit is sqeaky clean. I do know than it can be completely different in other states of course but as for Cali and OH they really make you earn your spot!

 

[Bilby]

Being interested in a career and the reality of it could be two different things. Let him at least investigate it properly so that you can both sit down and consider it thoroughly. He might find he is no longer as interested as he thinks but may find an associated career that grabs his fancy more. Good luck Suzi.

 

[Adillo303]

Hi Suzi - I am a great believer that everyone should not go through life wishing they had tried something different. Tried, being the key word there. If he is really interested and you are both willing to go through whatever it takes, then by all means he should try. "The system" will tell him if he can have the job. If that does not happen, then you can both go on with life without having to say I wish I had.
As long as you are both together on it, go for it.

 

[GhettoRacingKid]

I say give it a shot but I think alot of places have a age cut off. they usually look for people who will be at the end of there prime by retirment. usually around 50 or 55 for a police officer.

 

[Callisto in NC]

California is one of the hardest places to become a cop in the 50 states. I knew someone who tried four times and then got pregnant and was never able to get a spot with LAPD. They even suggested that a breast reduction might help her chances because of the physical portion of the tests. They look at everything and definitely put you under a microscope. If you have a relative that did something wrong, they can exclude you from the academy.

Additionally, a lot of places require college degrees directly related to law enforcement. It's hard to be a cop on what might be perceived as a "whim" ~ being 34 and having little background or related experience is going to work against him. I say let him try, but prepare him so that if he fails he's not crushed.

My ex boyfriend was an LA Sheriff Deputy. He had a four year degree in law related studies. Perfect credit. Perfect friends. A job as a cadet with Anaheim PD and had to settle for LASD because with all he had Anaheim still couldn't hire him as a cop. It took him 3 years in the jails to finally get out on the streets.

 

[BigDog]

My husband said last night he'd like to be a policeman.... he said almost 10 years ago he wanted to be a state trooper, and I was too afraid to let him go to school.... I was pregnant with our first child and really didn't want to be a widow. We both forgot about it and never talked about it again. I feel like I held him back from what he wanted to do.
He drives a truck now, and he's very good, but not fulfilled. I thought he had forgotten about law enforcement, but I guess not. I think I could let him go now, because we've both grown up so much.
Is 34 too old to start a law enforcement career?

Not at all, but depending on where you live, trying to get hired is impossible. I've been trying for 4+ years to no avail, but I'm in the Twin Cities Metro area. That said, even in rural areas, departments that are hiring have quite a few candidates for very few openings.

MN has educational requirements too - a minimum of an AA degree in anything. They also require additional schooling called a certificate program for those with degrees not law enforcement based. Such programs are about a year long, depending on the class load taken. Additionally, there's the Skills requirement which is either an 8 week, 8 hours a day 5 days a week course, or a 16 week, 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. Select few colleges have the courses available. I'm not sure if the courses are available online, but I know Skills must be in person.

I certainly do not mean to sound so pessimistic, but being only a couple years younger and experiencing first hand the road your DH wants to travel, it's not an easy row to hoe. Educationally courses run about $125/credit; I'm not sure exactly how many credits are needed for the certificate program. Skills runs somewhere around $3,000.00 if I remember correctly. Both of those numbers are 4 years old, so I do not know how much if at all they have changed.

Statistically, it's a very hard road. I feel bad this has been so pessimistic already so I won't add the stats unless you ask. I do apologize for the negative tone, but like I said, I'm experiencing it first hand and wanted to let you know what I've experienced. Feel free to ask any question; I will openly answer anything about this.

 

[suziquzie]

Thanks BigDog... I don't think you are being negative at all, just realistic. He knows perfectly well he should've started a LONG time ago if thats what he really wanted.... though I'd hardly call it a "whim" that he wants to be in law enforcement.

I have a friend who's been at it over 10 years, was in Iraq twice, done all the classes.... he's in the cities.... still waiting.... it's a hard thing to get into that's for sure! I was just wondering if there was an age limit for the most part.... and it seems he's hit it.

No loss really, he can still be a good person.

 

[elaine l]

If there is a cut off for age, which is 34 here, he could still do something in the law enforcement field. Go for it. When you are both old and sitting in your rockers, let there be no regrets. Good luck!

 

[Callisto in NC]

Thanks BigDog... I don't think you are being negative at all, just realistic. He knows perfectly well he should've started a LONG time ago if thats what he really wanted.... though I'd hardly call it a "whim" that he wants to be in law enforcement.

suziquzie ~ I didn't say it was a whim. I said it could be perceived as a whim. That's why whim was in quotation marks. You indicated he hadn't done much to pursue the career and that's what they look at, education, training, related work experience.

When I moved to NC people said I did it on a whim too. However, I had planned it for 4 years. What we know and what others perceive can often be two different things.

I meant no offense, I was mearly stating something based on my human resources experience. Sorry if I did indeed offend.

 

[BigDog]

If there is a cut off for age, which is 34 here, he could still do something in the law enforcement field. Go for it. When you are both old and sitting in your rockers, let there be no regrets. Good luck!

There's no age cut off, per se, here in MN. That said, realize you're competing against 22 year old folks for the same position. If you can elevate yourself to the top, then you get the job.

I'll bring up the stats now just so others understand how extremely difficult it is.

Each year there are approximately 1000 police officer openings statewide in MN. Those include supervisory/sworn administrative positions. Of those, between 10 and 20% fall under the supervisory/sworn admin category. Let's run with 15% - which leaves 850 police officer jobs.

Each year the MN State Colleges and Universities (MNSCU) put out about 12,000 fresh candidates for those 850 jobs. Again, that number of 12,000 is added annually. So, if last year was the first year these numbers were accurate, there are 11,150 people that didn't get hired. This year, those same 11,150 people are applying for this year's 850 jobs, along with a fresh 12,000 candidates, totalling over 23,000 people going for those 850 jobs.

Also, this does not account for lateral transfers from department to department, of which sworn officers that might not currently be employed as an officer qualify for. No one else can apply for laterals, which are starting to account for a growing number of the openings because the market is so saturated with eligible candidates, both sworn and eligible (eligible meaning eligible to be sworn, which would happen upon hire. Yes, that does suggest those already sworn have an advantage).

 

[LEFSElover]

nope, 34 isn't too late.
my neighbors are all police, same family.
it's been hard over the years, to see what they've seen, but very rewarding and the benefits come retirement is a huge factor, at least here in LA.

 

[CharlieD]

corect me if i am wrong, but i thought we had police shortage in mn? So why are they making it so hard? I mean, i understand the requirements, but why making so hard.

And Suzi, why would he want to bother with catching all those speeders in the left line driving 54, when the speed limit is only 55

 

[BigDog]

corect me if i am wrong, but i thought we had police shortage in mn? So why are they making it so hard? I mean, i understand the requirements, but why making so hard.

Any shortage of officers is due to budgetary constraints, not due to lack of candidates. Aside from budgetary constraints, MN is sitting quite pretty when it comes to officer head count.

Now, other parts of the country, they are desperate. Problem is though that your training and education here in MN do not transfer to other states. Part of that is obvious as laws and statutes differ, but even still, you have to work here at least one or two years before another state will accept and transfer your police status.

I say "or" because just like the laws, that varies by state. Some want 1, some want 2. I've never heard anything Above 2 though.

 

[GuardianAngel]

My DH has been trying for 6 years. So far he has taken the Civil Service Test 3 times. (Only 1 test every two years) He has gotten a 85, 90, 93. It's soo hard because there is hundreds of people who got the same scores and thousands who got a better score.. There is also a cut off age I believe 35. If your DH was to be 35 at the time of the test it would be okay, I believe. But after 36 it's null and void. It's a hard job to get into and a hard job to live with. I wish DH wasn't so into it but it's his dream.. Hope your DH gets a chance. I know the test just came out this year so in two years it will be available again.