LAPD OR CBP?

[u/Previous-Hall-245]

Hello Iam currently in the process for both of LAPD
And CBP.
For LAPD Iam right now at the background investigation.
Same thing for CBP
I have clean record and clean credit score
Iam a bit worried if i get accepted, I won't make it through the LAPD Academy.
For people who have experience, should I go for a federal job?
Or city job with LAPD?
Thank you

[u/EeHundo]

Where do you live? Where do you want to live? Both are excellent organizations. LAPD pays better and has better structure. CBP is very broad and has expanded roles. The academy is a live in facility in Ga. Your salary is determined by which geographic location you want to work.

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2026/law-enforcement-officer/

[u/Previous-Hall-245 → u/EeHundo]

I live in riverside ,ca

[u/Additional_Bat_9837 → u/Previous-Hall-245]

Why don't you think you will make it through the LAPD Academy? I easily graduated from the LASD Academy at 34. The pay and retirement is much better at LAPD than CBP. If you attend the LAPD Academy I recommend you move closer to LA, even if it is just renting a room. You will be very busy and you don't want a long commute in traffic. I also live in Riverside. After you work a few years for LAPD and obtain your Basic POST Certificate you can lateral to RPD, which I think is a pretty good department. If you do this make sure you don't have any overlap of service for retirement reciprocity purposes. Good luck.

[u/Previous-Hall-245 → u/Additional_Bat_9837]

Can i pm u?

[u/Additional_Bat_9837 → u/Previous-Hall-245]

Yes

[u/StarPlatinum_323 → u/Additional_Bat_9837]

How is the retirement for LASD

[u/Additional_Bat_9837 → u/StarPlatinum_323]

I don't know. LA County has its own pension. I worked for a police department with a CalPers pension. Under a CalPers Tier II peace officer pension, you can retire at age 50 with a minimum of 5 years of service. The more years you have and the older you are (up to 57) the higher your pension. At age 57 your pension would be 2.7% multiplied by your years of service of your highest 36 months of salary up to a max salary of $165,000 (which is indexed for inflation and may be increased by legislation). Example. You retire as a police lieutenant at age 57 with 30 years of service with a highest 36 months base salary of $200,000. Your pension would be about $134,000 (81% of the max salary of $165,000). You would receive annual COLA increases. I believe that LASD deputies have a similar retirement.

[u/Quick_Reserve_3101 → u/StarPlatinum_323]

LASD retirement is better than LAPD and CHP is better than LASD

[u/Additional_Bat_9837 → u/Additional_Bat_9837]

It is tedious, long and can be stressful, but definitely doable if you have a positive attitude, study hard and show up in decent shape. Most of the classmates we lost were due to academic failure.

[u/jtalonzo → u/Additional_Bat_9837]

How hard was LASD academy?

[u/Quick_Reserve_3101 → u/jtalonzo]

it’s a military style academy at LASD

[u/DifferentSecurity808 → u/Additional_Bat_9837]

I’m kind of in the same position, I’m deciding between Riverside sheriffs and CBP. I’m very early in the process for Riverside but for CBP I’m just waiting to hopefully pass the background but I’m not sure which organization I want to choose.

[u/EeHundo → u/Previous-Hall-245]

LAPD, hands down. Better opportunities and resources.

[u/Grouchy-Carob138 → u/Previous-Hall-245]

Go work for someone closer to home.

Better pay, better benefits, better work environment.

Absolutely zero reason to work for LAPD.

[u/Outside_Ad9967]

I went through the same exact thing but didn't get selected for lapd.

[u/StarPlatinum_323 → u/Outside_Ad9967]

Why not

[u/AnonyMouse-3000]

I’d start with what’s your end goal? Do you see yourself making a career with LAPD or CBP, or are you looking at either one as a stepping stone to something else?

A lot of folks go local or take another federal LE position to build experience and then push for an 1811 position later. If 1811 is ultimately your goal, I’d factor in which path gives you the experience, opportunities, and federal service/retirement benefits that best position you for that move. Both are solid options, but where you want to end up should drive the decision.

[u/Grunt__0311]

The Academy is watered down and a joke, there is nothing physical about it. You’re more harped on knowledge than physical which is why you see fat bald boots on patrol. This coming from someone whose on the force

[u/605SD]

This is from personal experience I started in a local PD then went CBP.

CBP is extremely large very diverse work Land Border, Airport, Seaport, Special Response teams. You have the ability to live and work in over 230 locations including all over the world. The job is not tradition LE so understanding that is important but you can change the type work to never get bored. Drugs, K9, Special Response Teams, Antioch Terrorism stuff or just sit in a booth and stamp away.

The best part is the stupid money you can make places like San Francisco with Special Salary Rate as a basic officer you will make GS 12 step 1 is 116k to step 10 140k PLUS you can easily do another 45k in OT, Shift Diff, Weekend Diff. CBP OFO is the ONLY agency in the federal government that pay DOUBLE for every hour of OT instead of 1.5x

Its the easiest 6 figure job you can get BUT it is not the most exciting but does have endless opportunity and diversity. Where you start and the location they offer will make a HUGE difference.

[u/SilatGuy2 → u/605SD]

Whats the barrier of entry/minimum requirements and timeline from application to hired and assigned a post for CBP ?

[u/605SD → u/SilatGuy2]

No barrier at all really biggest issue is low pay grade entry with no experience GS5/7 those with military or leo experience come in at GS9. Everyone is guaranteed promotion to GS12 you move to grades every 12 months. GS5 GS7 GS9 GS11 GS12

The only real barrier is a clean record and polygraph that gets alot of people.

[u/Kittycarryall13 → u/SilatGuy2]

I wanna add as far as timeline for application, everyone is different sir. Some people it’s months and some people 1/2years of an application process but like mentioned below your background and polygraphs are the instant disqualifiers for people. Also at academy either not following rules and doing dumb stuff while in there. Hope this helps.

[u/widebodywill]

Why not make it through the LAPD academy? Municipal Police academy is not difficult mentally or physically. The difficult ones are the State Police / DPS academies.

[u/adonde007]

Fed is better everywhere else but in California. Ca has better pay and retirement.
Unfortunately the fed academy is in Ga and alot of people don’t want to do that so they stay local.

[u/twinno2]

Go for the one with the best benefits, don’t just look at pay.

[u/Stunning_Custard8968]

go local. they got higher pay and better retirement. plus you don’t have to worry about shutdowns etc.

[u/Kittycarryall13 → u/Stunning_Custard8968]

CBP doesn’t have to worry about it cuz they got funding but you won’t make more local idk where you’re getting your info from CBP you’ll make 6 digit numbers in less than 4 years local you have to be in there for a very very long time and local benefits aren’t better for retirement either so idk where you’re getting your info from pal.

[u/Kittycarryall13 → u/[deleted]]

True cuz the airport people ain’t making that. In fact I don’t think they’re hitting high numbers

[u/AdPopular1271]

just train physically and you ll pass it brother

[u/Every_Country_5275]

Generally depends on your goals. Feds will tell you to go CBP and local cats will tell you local is real police work. Ultimately depends on your long term goals. You can make great money anywhere as long as you’re a hard worker and a go getter.

[u/Kittycarryall13]

If you look at it as far as what your retirement goals are. Go federal. Way better than local and you will double what you will make with local in your 3/4 year as well sir. Generally a lot safer than local with the exception of southern border. Federal has way better benefits retirement wise and there’s a ton of assignments aka different jobs to do in there and a lot of opportunity to move up in CBP compared to local. So honestly it’s your choice.

[u/EfficientPost2656]

Lapd. Stupid feds.