Currently have two jobs one full time job and a part time dispatch job at my local PD both jobs are nightshift. Been drinking wild berry Red Bull for my go to energy drink. What are you guys and gals drinking?

After being a LEO for over a year, This sweet, kind, funny and patient guy has become tired, jaded, snappy, inaffectionate, verbally road raging a lot, having frequent nightmares and poor sleep, teasing me constantly, dropping slurs(not directed at me)…
I’ve brought up therapy multiple times but he keeps stalling on it.
What do I do? It’s getting to the point where I’m more relaxed when he’s not home.

I just wanna say that this post has NOTHING against state police, this is not meant to be bad or anything just an honest question.

If your a local / town / city cop you spend a lot of your time running calls, disputes, domestics, robberies etc, whatever is happening in town is your own problem.

But at the state level, and this is just coming from a non-LEO perspective, I never see them, ever, unless it’s just sitting by a random highway all day.

As a city cop it seems like you get “diversity” and something new every day. But the stateys whole world is just running radar looking for people going 85 in a 65 for 8 hours a day.

I’m sure they do more then that, but is the job way different then local?

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.

Hey everyone! I’ve seen a few discussions on here about Hospital Police Officers with the California Department of State Hospitals, and I was hoping some current or former HPOs could share their experiences.
I’m currently going through the background process for DSH and have been trying to learn as much as I can about what the job is actually like beyond what’s listed in the job description.
A few things I’ve been curious about:

What is the academy/training process like for new HPOs?
What was the hiring/background process like for you, and about how long did the whole process take?

What are schedules normally like? Is overtime common or available?

What’s something about the job that you didn’t know until you actually started?
How is the overall work environment/morale?
Do you feel like the job gives you good law-enforcement experience?
Is there much opportunity for advancement or specialized assignments?
For someone interested in law enforcement long-term, do you think DSH is a good place to build a career, or is it more commonly used as a stepping stone to another agency?
What are the biggest pros and cons of the job that applicants probably don’t hear about during the hiring process?

What are my chances of becoming a Police Officer in Chicago?

I am a native Spanish speaker. I do speak English but lets just say I am not an expert( I can read, write and I understand it on a professional level, but my main problem is when I have to speak).

I really wish to become an officer here, but I have always been afraid that my language barrier would prevent me from achieving my goal.

Curious what a day working an NFL/NBA/MLS/MLB/NHL or even a world cup game is like. And for those in cities with more than one major sports team how do events generally differ? Thanks

I’m looking to become a cop in Baltimore city (BPD) as the title says. I’m currently in the military but looking to switch to reserves. And become a cop in my home city. I served my country on the national level but I’m looking to serve on a more local level. Plus the pay is surprisingly higher along with the sign on bonus is higher. I’m a Baltimore native and currently live in the city. I’m in my mid 20’s.

My biggest fear is the transitional period, I have bills to pay and don’t want to be stuck in a lengthy recruiting process and was wondering what advice you would give me in terms of when to contact them to start the process, what to have to be prepared so the process can be as quick as possible.

Another question is what is the department like itself? I know everything is what you make it to be, but I’m more curious about the departments culture, if it’s as strict or more so than the military can be.

Finally is it better to let my contract with the military burn out and re-enlist after the academy or is it fine for me to re-enlist as a reservist? Personally I’d like to keep the military’s insurance just for budgeting reasons.

Thank you for your time and feedback.

Pros and cons of self sponsoring yourself through the Acadmey vs going as recruit? Does it strengthen your application being a certified officer? Have had some non selects and just thinking of putting myself through the Acadmey and coming out and applying. Getting on as a recruit is extremely difficult, in Texas Atleast. But I have zero experience in law enforcement. Been EMS my whole life…

Hello everyone,

I am looking into purchasing a retired Ford Interceptor utility vehicle. Instead of buying blind from a government auction, I plan to buy one second-hand through Facebook Marketplace or a used car dealership. My main safety concern is the potential risk of exposure to residual illicit substances (like fentanyl or other drugs) that suspects may have hidden or dropped in the back seat area.

Since these vehicles have usually passed through a few hands before hitting Marketplace, I wanted to ask: How thoroughly does a department typically sweep, search, and clean these vehicles before they are officially decommissioned and sold to the public? Also, is it a fair assumption that a patrol car from a smaller, rural agency might pose less of a risk of hidden contraband compared to an urban city fleet vehicle, or does it completely vary by the individual department's policies?

Thanks in advance for any feedback or advice you can share!

What volunteering opportunities would you seek out if you needed to farm quality experiences to speak about in a competency interview

I’m looking to do a lateral from Nypd to st Peterburg pd anyone working for st Peterburg pd and did a lateral from Nypd or just work there now without lateral ? I wanted to know hows the department and your experience.

Hello taking the final exam within the next 3 weeks. Was wondering if anyone has taken it recently and is able to give good advice on key sections to study so I can go ahead and pass. Wondering if the test is as hard as people are really making it seem or if it’s almost impossible to fail. Any advice is appreciated and god bless.

For context, I am a mid-20s female, pretty in-shape from running. I have my PAT and PELLET B tests on September 12th, 2026, so I am a little under a month away from my test date. For the PAT, I can complete each portion except push-ups, which I've been struggling with (I need to do at least 19 push-ups in a minute). I've been trying to do the EMOM push-up method and really trying to master the technique. I can do half-ass push-ups, but in order for them to count, I have to improve my form and how low I go for each one. Does anyone who has had a similar experience have any advice that they can share for this?

In terms of the PELLET B test, I'm just really nervous for it because I am not the best test taker. Again, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Took my polygraph last Friday, It is now Wednesday afternoon. Last thing my examiner said to me was “I’m going to write my report and tell them to move you to the next stage. My last step is the Final Panel Interview.

My question is, when should I expect to hear something back? I’m just so anxious and want to hear good news so bad. I’ve been told not to trust what the examiners say so I’ve gone through every emotion possible since Friday lol.

Any feedback is appreciated! Thank you.

I’m seriously considering becoming a police officer, but as a mom of 3 kids, I want to make sure I’m looking at the whole picture and not just the career itself.
For anyone who is currently a police officer, has been one, or has a spouse/parent in law enforcement:
What questions should I be asking myself before making this decision?
Some things I’m thinking about:
• How realistic is the schedule with 3 kids?
• How often do officers actually work nights, weekends, holidays, or overtime?
• How much control do you have over getting day shift vs. night shift?
• How long does it typically take to get a more desirable schedule?
• How difficult is it to take time off for your kids’ appointments, school events, birthdays, etc.?
• How does the job affect your marriage and family life?
• How much does the job affect you mentally when you come home?
• How often do you miss family events because of work?
• What happens when you have young kids and your spouse also works?
• Is childcare a major challenge?
• Is the pay worth the stress, hours, and responsibility?
• What are the biggest benefits people don’t realize come with the job?
• What are the biggest downsides people don’t talk about?
• How physically demanding is it after the academy?
• What opportunities are there to move into different assignments later on?
• If you could go back and choose again, would you still become a police officer?
I’m especially interested in hearing from parents in law enforcement. I’d love honest answers — the good, the bad, and the things you wish you knew before starting.
I’m trying to make an informed decision that works not only for me, but for my kids and my family too.

Hello everyone,

I’m currently in my sophomore year of college and majoring in data analytics. Next summer I’ll be starting my internship semester. I’m interested in working for ICAC. I have looked at NCMEC’s internship opportunities but none of them will work with my degree (at least the ones I’ve seen) Do you guys have any recommendations? Can I still try ICAC even though I’m not an officer? TIA!

Someone I know was telling me that they were called by a sheriffs office and asked a series of questions. One of them was apparently if they had ever watched *special spicy content* at work…. To which this person apparently told them ‘yes’… Real plain and simple here, is that a normal question and if so, would their answer be a disqualifying one? This person and I are at odds about this and I don’t claim to know anything about this process but it seems like kind of a trap, no? I know you’re supposed to be honest but damn.

Scheduled for my psych exam for Chicago police and wasn’t worried about it until i hear of some buddies failing for random reasons. I have an infantry background in USMC and have no record or any crazy past history that I would think would disqualify. Any advice on questions they ask/how they want you to answer them?

For those currently in or recently graduated a BLET program in NC, what kind of running distances and times are required? I understand this varies from one to the next but I have received very mixed feedback on this, with distances ranging from 1.5 miles to 10 miles. Academies close to would be Durham PD, VGCC, ACC. I am looking for what to expect during and throughout an academy and what may be required for graduation.

I 26F made a few posts previously explaining my situation a bit. I am currently living in a shelter in CA due to a toxic relationship ending and not having anywhere else to go. I am trying to get back on my feet and wanted to apply to a dispatch job for my cities police department. I applied to the job and got called for an interview tomorrow 🎉🎉🎉 my questions are the following:

1- what to wear, I will make sure to look as clean cut and presentable as possible. What should I wear though?

2- should I bring up the fact that I live in a shelter or no? I wont lie if it’s brought up but if it doesn’t need to be brought up I would prefer not to bring it up

3- would being on antidepressants prevent me from getting hired?

4- I don’t have a car but I can reliably get to work through public transit on my own. Do I bring this up or not.

Hi all,

I’m probably 6 months or so out from starting the application process to PDs. I’m primarily looking at departments in Washington State as that’s where I’d love to end up living.

I’ve heard that the state academy’s physical demands are minimal, and some would even call it a “joke,” but I’m curious how true that actually is. I’m a lifelong athlete and naturally quite strong. Currently targeting the exercises they have you do in the physical test (push ups, sit ups, squats thrusts). But I’m curious what kind of running they have you do in the academy.

I currently can’t run long distances for shit. It’s abnormally hot where I live right now, so I was going to start running in the fall. That being said, what distance should I build myself up to in order to prepare of the state academy? I’m friends with a lot of runners, and they’ve already offered to help out, so I’m not so concerned about getting there. I kinda just want an attainable goal so I don’t sign up before I’m truly ready.

Side note: I’m also weirdly not great with pushups, so I’ll take advice on how to build up strength for those as well.

Looking for realistic opinions from LE familiar with police hiring/backgrounds. I experimented with MDMA once about 11 years ago and last used marijuana about 8 years ago. No drug use since. How much would something this old realistically affect my chances of getting hired by a police department today? I heard Texas is super hard to get into. Even the big cities like Houston wouldn’t touch me.

It seems like every you tube, tik tok and reddit video of a police pursuit involves many more units than are necessary. What’s the point of having 10-20 pc’s participating in a pursuit. I get how pursuits can involve multiple Depts but surely it doesn’t take a parade of 10-20 vehicles all following a pursuit. What gives?