Fuck It, I'll Become an Officer
Failed in absolutely all endeavors since middle school. Why wouold I not just say fuggeddaboutit and become a cop?
What is this lifestyle like?
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Join the military if you can instead, GI bill will be good for you once you figure out you want to do something else. Don't think being a cop has similar benefits.
Word
Yeah military >>>>> cop
The cops I know say they wished they joined the military first for a couple of years. Being a cop takes a lot of responsibility and they want to see some life experience. If OP just isn't sure what he wants to do but is willing to take on a physically difficult job, the military is better for that. He can always become a cop after or anything else really.
Just read the news headlines for the last several years for a treatise on why being a cop is a bad idea. Not trashing the concept of being a cop, just that the policing paradigm in the US is fundamentally unsound for a number of reasons and that has made the institutions of local law enforcement (including state in local) not something that people capable of getting other, similar work (eg: military, other civil servants, etc) would benefit from in the long-run.
Honestly, while doing the military is a good idea, I've got a different question that's hyper-local for you: How much more difficult is it to be a (paid) firefighter than a cop? I know in NYC it's like a 10 year waitlist, but other places it's less. Firefighters don't get shot at, or hated by basically anybody except the one weird guy who wants to see his grandma roast in her house. Plus, in 99% of places cops and firefighters get the same sweet sweet benefits package.
I’m for encouraging civil service, so why not? There is a shortage of police in many areas and depending on where you live, you could be making $100k+ with overtime your first year.
However, you should really think about all of your career options. Life isn’t IB or bust. Moreover, doing poorly in school in my experience has more to do with effort, study habits, and parental support for most people than it does intelligence. All that to say don’t judge yourself based on your grades and test scores, and if you wanted, you could improve them.
If you are in college or thinking of applying to schools, DM me and I can give you more tactical advice based on my own very non-linear career path.
Cops don’t make $100K+ their first year.
I said depending on where you live and with overtime - not that you are guaranteed to clear $100k everywhere or even that it’s the median outcome. Do a quick Google search and you’ll see.
my dad was a cop in the suburban new england town I grew up in. Never made that much money. we were on food stamps when I was really young, then when I got to middle school, my mom started working again at a Holiday Inn. My dad started as a cop right out of college and stayed a cop until he retired three years ago. Never made more than 75k. I did not get to see him much. He worked long and inconvenient hours. We never went on real vacations. My older brother did not go to college because he couldn't afford to. He works in construction now. My older sister when to college but is 100k+ in student loan debt. I was lucky enough to practically get a full ride for college. We did not have any safety net since my parents did not have much savings themselves. This being said, although my dad worked a ton, couldn't spend that much time with us, and struggled to provide for us financially, he provided for us in the ways that mattered. I looked up to him like a hero. He is the most respectable man I will ever know. He showed me what a good husband looks like through the way he treated my mom and was just a great role model.
I have a ton of respect for cops but just know that you might struggle to afford the lifestyle you want.
Sorry to hear but Cops in my town (not a large city) make good money through overtime. I think the Police Chief clears over 200-250k a year.
Here is a silver banana out of respect for your dad.
You retire when you're like 40 and have a pension worth millions of dollars. If that's not enough, you can double dip and make bank. Just do it in some sleepy town where nothing happens and all you do is bust teenagers and tell people "there's nothing we can do" when someone breaks into their car.
Can do the same thing in SF but say the same thing about most criminal activity lol
If you’re looking into law enforcement definitely be a federal agent. All they want is a degree in anything with a clean record and it’s prestigious with good benefits. Would avoid being a city cop where they hire anyone.
The experience seems to be a lot different depending on the municipality you're in. It's interesting that the per capita crime rate varies much more dramatically between municipalities than the number of police per capita. Some places have much more real crime per police officer than other places have.
Whenever I rewatch The Wire I always fantasize about being a detective and cracking huge cases. Unfortunately from what I hear/research good police are a dime a dozen and the upper ranks in big metro areas are solely composed of slimy fuckers (Valcek, Burrell, Rawls for reference)
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