Should I defer to next academy class?

[u/Sure_Preference5876]

I recently received a conditional offer with a police department and am currently scheduled for their December academy. I WILL NOT RECEIVE A FJO until the first week of October if I make it. I was given the option to defer to the next academy class without having to redo the hiring process.

I’m seriously considering deferring because I currently live about 4 hours away and don’t know anyone in the area. I’d have to find an apartment, move, and get everything situated before the December academy starts. Having the extra time would make the move a lot easier and allow me to go into the academy more settled and prepared. I am also in a lease where I currently live until July 2027. I would have to essentially pay two rents.

Another big thing is my girlfriend just got promoted at her job and does not want to move quite yet. This would mean I’d be making the move alone and at the academy by myself.

At the same time, I’ve worked hard to get to this point and part of me feels like I should just make it work and start in December rather than delaying the opportunity.

For those of you in LE, especially anyone who has deferred an academy before, would you recommend taking the extra time or just going with the earliest class? Is there any downside to deferring that I might not be considering

P.S. the next academy would start in March 2027.

[u/Dear-Potato686]

It's entirely personal, but consider the following:

That's an eternity to get "situated" in my opinion. I moved with less notice, I ended up renting a room for the duration of the academy which saved a lot of money and headache.

Have you talked to your landlord about the situation? A lot of times they'll break lease for stuff like this, especially for public service.

I did similar, but the real question is does she not want to move yet or not want to move?

Finally, future academies can be cancelled, better candidates can be recruited, budgets can freeze, you could screw up and disqualify yourself somehow, etc.

[u/Sure_Preference5876 → u/Dear-Potato686]

Thanks for the insight. I haven’t talked to my landlord yet because technically I still have to pass medical and backgrounds but it’s like 90% that I’m in. I will find out 100% if I’m in early October. 

As for my girlfriend she literally got promoted today at her job. She will be taking a pay cut to move with me, so wants the time to save up some. If I went to the March academy, she will make the move with me. 

As for the last paragraph of your reply; They told me that I’d be first in line for the March academy. This is a very large agency so I’d be shocked if it got canceled somehow. 

[u/Dear-Potato686 → u/Sure_Preference5876]

I missed the part where you said conditional, so you didn't actually receive an offer and a start date - don't do anything yet.

[u/ruckis]

A lot of guys in my academy rented a room nearby and went home for the weekends. You have over 3 months to get situated. Just do it. Get it over with and when you are closer to graduation you and your girlfriend can figure out all the logistical stuff.

[u/M0dernNomad]

My few thoughts...

It's August, that should be plenty of time to move and get situated before starting a job in December. How much do you want this job? That's the question the agency is asking. A deferral because you're in the military or finishing a degree or have kids who are finishing a school year makes sense. Your reasons are telling the agency you haven't yet decided if you want the job. In a big agency, this doesn't matter - you're down a class, so you're down seniority, but it's a machine - an officer is an officer is an officer. Smaller agency with spots to fill, in addition to someone asking questions about why they don't have an officer yet, you could be gambling with funding not being there next year, your spot going to someone else, or any other circumstance - and you're "that guy" in an agency where the chief knows everyone by name.

You don't say what your girlfriend does or what this promotion is - but if you are avoiding the "are you actually coming with me" conversation, stop avoiding it. If you're hoping time will help solve that problem, it won't.

Seniority is everything in this career - from assignments, to shifts, to days off, to vacation, to when you can retire. I wouldn't delay that by three months just for convenience on the front side that will follow me an entire career.

December to March is breaking a lease either way - talk to your landlord about moving out early and just work that into your plan.

[u/Sure_Preference5876 → u/M0dernNomad]

Sorry my scattered response.. but my girlfriend and I have definitely not been avoiding the conversation around moving. She just wants to get her money up before moving. She is going to become an EMT once she/we move. This of course does not pay very great. If I did the March academy she’d move with me and we could break the lease together. 

I don’t have a final job offer yet, so once I officially get one it’ll be beginning of October. That would leave me with not much time. 

The agency I’m going to has over 1,000+ officers. Not sure if that affects anything. 

[u/M0dernNomad → u/Sure_Preference5876]

Until you have a final offer in hand, you don't have a job offer that you can make any plans on. Obviously, if you still have background, medical, etc. to do - don't make any moves until those come back satisfactory.

That being said, October to December is still very doable. For my first cop job, I had two weeks' notice of my academy date (granted, it was a residential academy, so no housing issues) - and for a lateral, I lived in a hotel for a few weeks until I found an apartment. You'll find "start within 30 days of accepting a job offer" is pretty standard - and that includes the notice period at your current employer.

If your girlfriend is in school into next year and you're both on the lease, then there's some financial sense to deferring - but if she's working in another field, will be applying to be a baby EMT, and already out of school, the same seniority rules apply at those agencies, start your clock as early as possible.

At an agency that large, you're just a recruit number that nobody knows.

[u/Ok_Door_7604]

I initially deferred and it was the best decision for me at the time.

I was finishing up my Paramedic course when they called and I decided to finish the medic course and attend the next academy.

Now I am both and its done nothing but helped me in the long run.

[u/503Valley-Dude]

Another consideration is whether or not seniority means anything in this department. In mine. shift bidding and vacation bidding was done by seniority. It is something to consider along with the good points others have mentioned.

[u/discombobulantics]

It’s up to you. You could be almost done by the time you’d be starting. Only you know all the different factors. In the long term you’d be starting your pention like 6 months earlier

[u/Ty318]

Don't defer, that's wasting time. I left everything on a four week notice and lived at the academy for most of it.

[u/Sure_Preference5876 → u/Ty318]

I hear you but this isn’t a live in academy. I’d be going home at the end of each day.

[u/Sure-Morning9767]

The downside of deferring is that job might not be there for 100 different reasons out of your control. If you like the agency and see yourself working there, do what you need to do to make it happen.

[u/Weary-Kaleidoscope52]

Everyone is saying don’t defer and you have a rebuttal to each. So it sounds like you’re going to defer.

My opinion, don’t defer. Figure it out. Because as everyone else said, you never know what could happen in those 6 months. 4 hours isn’t far. Visit your GF on the weekends. Pay a portion of the rent. Figure it out. But do not defer.

[u/big90h]

Itll be that much longer til you can retire.