The truth and nothing but the truth

Venomousgrin

NES Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2010
Messages
270
Likes
317
Feedback: 3 / 0 / 0
I would like truth from you guys, even if it means telling me I am an ass, so be it. I am 41, no prior military experience. I was a Boston special officer, doing hospital security for 4 years, but have been doing IT work for 15 years. I really think I missed my calling and now I am thinking I should try to be in law enforcement. I was thinking of putting myself through the reserve academy this year. I know this doesn’t guarantee me anything but it’s a start. Given my age, and lack of military experience and I wasting my time?

thanks
 
I would like truth from you guys, even if it means telling me I am an ass, so be it. I am 41, no prior military experience. I was a Boston special officer, doing hospital security for 4 years, but have been doing IT work for 15 years. I really think I missed my calling and now I am thinking I should try to be in law enforcement. I was thinking of putting myself through the reserve academy this year. I know this doesn’t guarantee me anything but it’s a start. Given my age, and lack of military experience and I wasting my time?

thanks
I'm not a cop, but isn't the cutoff for being a cop in MA 35? Maybe there are exceptions?
 
Wouldn't it be cheaper and easier to just find a dog to shoot, burn up your SUV, tazer a black guy running away from you, throw the keys on the roof, and go home?
 
I think it depends on the town, i know people that got on at 45

Check carefully. Civil Service has some rules about age last I knew. I was either very close to that or over that when I became a Reserve PO (those limits don't apply).

If the town isn't Civil Service they may have their own rules wrt max age to join up, so give it a hard look where you are interested to see before giving up.

Different towns use their Aux, Special, Reserves differently. Some allow them to carry weapons, give them arrest powers and some don't. I look at unarmed uniformed police work as "targets" since you have a bullseye on your back and no means to defend yourself, others may differ. Some only use them to direct traffic and other towns use them to fill shifts/details when FT POs refuse the work (this was the situation when I worked), so you get some real police experience. What you learn working with a FT PO is quite different than the "book learning" in the police academy. The academy is required and useful, but nothing like street experience to fill in the gaps of how things really are done.

Good luck.
 
I would like truth from you guys, even if it means telling me I am an ass, so be it. I am 41, no prior military experience. I was a Boston special officer, doing hospital security for 4 years, but have been doing IT work for 15 years. I really think I missed my calling and now I am thinking I should try to be in law enforcement. I was thinking of putting myself through the reserve academy this year. I know this doesn’t guarantee me anything but it’s a start. Given my age, and lack of military experience and I wasting my time?

thanks
Slugworthh, if doing law enforcmemt is a dream of yours than you should pursue it and not look back. We need more liberty minded law enforcement officers and you do not want to regret not trying. But the Military and police are not the same thing.(you mention the military in your post) There are too many police officers that think what they do is the same as a soldier. That attitude is what causes our police forces to militarize and think it is acceptable to do so. Please don't be one of those guys.
 
It's true that CS preference goes to minorities, military service and residents. Non-CS towns will frequently use their Aux/Special/Reserve programs to select people that they like that built a good history with that PD. Even though my town is now back on CS, they used the Reserve program to pick officers in the past.
 
Good luck.
Regarding age, today it's a different world. A friend who has been flying small private planes for 30 years just got a job with a small airline flying jets (the smaller 50 seat ones). He's 55!
 
I would like truth from you guys, even if it means telling me I am an ass, so be it. I am 41, no prior military experience. I was a Boston special officer, doing hospital security for 4 years, but have been doing IT work for 15 years. I really think I missed my calling and now I am thinking I should try to be in law enforcement. I was thinking of putting myself through the reserve academy this year. I know this doesn’t guarantee me anything but it’s a start. Given my age, and lack of military experience and I wasting my time?

thanks

Not at all...I have many friends that didn't start their LEO career till their early 40's. You couldn't work a civil service department, but could def work a non civil service department.

Best of Luck
 
Thanks for the encouragement guys!! I am going to go through with it, and see if i can get on in maybe Nh somewhere, and then transfer over to Mass i think that is the best route
 
Wouldn't it be cheaper and easier to just find a dog to shoot, burn up your SUV, tazer a black guy running away from you, throw the keys on the roof, and go home?

You forgot, get suspended with pay came back and do it all over again then collect pension! Hey, where do I sign up?
 
I'd suggest doing some ride alongs or reserve officer stuff.

Make sure your 'vision' of being a cop matches the reality. It's mostly boring with sharp spikes in excitement.
 
Thanks for the encouragement guys!! I am going to go through with it, and see if i can get on in maybe Nh somewhere, and then transfer over to Mass i think that is the best route

Massachusetts very rarely reciprocates training with other states so plan on going to the academy again.

If you are looking to work in Massachusetts you will definitely have to look at the non civil service towns. Most of those are west of Worcester.

Keep in mind some of the other expenses. In addition to the reserve academy, there are additional courses that are required, firearms course, first aid & CPR, less lethal devices. There are also uniforms, leather gear and gun, most departments make the part timers buy their own. So you can be a few thousand dollars into this before you ever work a shift.
 
Slugworthh, There are too many police officers that think what they do is the same as a soldier. That attitude is what causes our police forces to militarize and think it is acceptable to do so. Please don't be one of those guys.

Yeah that's not too cynical, critical, and subjective.[laugh2][rolleyes]

Slugworth, feel free to PM me, as a 55 year old cop and military veteran, I'll try to not be "one of those guys"[thinking]
 
check with mass criminal justice training council they have waivers for certain situations. If you were a rule 400 had the 120 hour course and then get a letter stating how many active hours its possible to waive the reserve and or full time academy.
As for age soem civil service appointments have a max age some do not. As for non civil service depending on how (what ch sec) they used to get out of civil service set the age limit if there is one. Health standards are used by departments that have no age limit. They use a yearly physical to determine fitness as opposed to age. However with civil service department that do not have an age limit in, they do have an age limit out. Forced retirement as of the last day in the month in which the 65th birthday is reached.
The reserve academy is up to approx 360 hours and costs approx 2500.00 Full time is 800 hours and costs about 4500.00.
The difference is reserve is less that 32 hours a week employment and full time has no restrictions on number of hours that may be worked by the graduate.
Self sponsorship is impossible unless really well connected will need a chief of a department to sign off basically approving you of learning the art of law enforcement.
 
If you don't mind moving, some federal agencies will send you to the academy on their dime.
Work a couple of years and then lateral to another agency.




check with mass criminal justice training council they have waivers for certain situations. If you were a rule 400 had the 120 hour course and then get a letter stating how many active hours its possible to waive the reserve and or full time academy.
As for age soem civil service appointments have a max age some do not. As for non civil service depending on how (what ch sec) they used to get out of civil service set the age limit if there is one. Health standards are used by departments that have no age limit. They use a yearly physical to determine fitness as opposed to age. However with civil service department that do not have an age limit in, they do have an age limit out. Forced retirement as of the last day in the month in which the 65th birthday is reached.
The reserve academy is up to approx 360 hours and costs approx 2500.00 Full time is 800 hours and costs about 4500.00.
The difference is reserve is less that 32 hours a week employment and full time has no restrictions on number of hours that may be worked by the graduate.
Self sponsorship is impossible unless really well connected will need a chief of a department to sign off basically approving you of learning the art of law enforcement.
 
Back
Top Bottom