California Highway Patrol (Needles, Mojave: houses, transfer to, buy)

[Lake Conroe resident]

[quote=Charles;5071601]Any idea where you will be living? CHP as well as teachers, firefighters, civil servants are pinched in many parts of California as the rigid salary structure makes it difficult to live in high some high cost areas.

I see you haven't checked with many of the folks who do these jobs lately.. Though I would agree that a teachers salary will not go far in the better areas of the state I can say with all certainty that CHP and especially firefighters salaries are very good; 100K+ for an L.A. City firefighter who works a few "sod" days a month, great retirement also. I know many CHP and firefighters, they all make good $ though most of them still have a hard time making it as they are supporting 2 or 3 ex's..

[sheri257]

Originally Posted by collint

Wow thanks you guys for the opinions and information it's really helping... just a side note i would not be a first time visitor to california if i get a position with chp i have family that live out there and consider california my 2nd home. The area i'm pretty familiar with is ventura county mainly cause thats where my family lives.
I know that when i do graduate the acadamy...(again this is all assuming i get excepted there first).... that i would go where they tell me to go and that they would consider my preferences which would be ventura county, northern california, and the coastal district they have, and maybe san fran.
Again thanks for the helpful inf

Just be prepared for a very thorough background check. They look into everything, including every single traffic/parking ticket you ever had.

[collint]

haha well forunately i'm having my traffic tickets coming off my record this year so no worries with that

[eureka1]

We need good people in law enforcement. The only negative story I ever heard about the CHP was from a woman whose boyfriend has the bad luck to draw Santa Cruz as his first assignment and had to pay those ridiculous rents for the first year or two. He survived. Best wishes.

[Franklyn]

Here's a different perspective, maybe. And I'm taking nothing from CHP, because I've worked with them quite closely and have lots of friends on the department.

You need to be fairly introspective over what you - personally - want to do in "law enforcement". And what you want to get out of it on a long-term basis. Based on my own LE experiences these are my comments.

CHP is basically traffic enforcement and accident investigation. Although they have a few sub-specialties, that is their primary focus. So "traffic officers" [their job title] spend lots of time on the road and working on traffic situations, both good and bad. Their interaction with citizens is slightly on the negative side [perceived as issuing unneeded tickets to "innocent" motorists] and sometimes investigating gruesome vehicle accidents where human bodies [and parts] in all sorts of conditions are part of the scene, and must be accounted for. It can take an emotional toll, sometimes. Their daily work area is usually a traffic beat consisting of a freeway section of from 5 to 15 miles, and in unincorporated [non-city] areas its nearby surface road network.

City police officers - generally - spend most time on crime prevention patrols in commercial zones and responding to general criminal complaints. They usually have closer and more frequent contact with all types of citizenry, and frequently must use threat of force techniques to maintain order or effect an arrest. Overall they probably see the worse side of human nature. Their daily work area is usually a limited beat that will not extend beyond city limit boundaries. There are wide differences in cities and their police agencies, and many sub-specialties in some. Others are more limited. In CA city departments lose officers to "sister agencies" quite often for many factors, but imo its mostly boredom and perceived limited advancement opportunities.

County peace officers in CA, called deputy sheriffs, spend most time on crime prevention patrols in outlying communities and responding to various types of complaints, criminal, civil and custodial. And missing persons. They, too, have daily contact with all types of citizens but of all varieties of officers usally spend more efforts in "search and rescue" operations than others and in some areas are thought of as less intimidating than other agency's officers. They are frequently further away from "backup" and most learn to handle situations in ways that cause less "blow-back" than do more urban-based officers. Their daily work area can be a beat that extends up to 50 miles from a central location.

I'm not mentioning at all the custodial peace officer positions many agencies maintain. That's a horse of a different color, so to speak.

These are all generalities and I acknowledge variations will probably extend to all agencires, but if there are specific disciplines within your degree that interest you these impressions might provide you a little more insight.

Best wishes on your future. CHP is a great agency. And CA is a huge state.

[BobsGL1800]

Originally Posted by collint

haha well forunately i'm having my traffic tickets coming off my record this year so no worries with that

Does not matter that the tickets will be coming off your record. They will review every ticket you got from when you first received your drivers license.
They also check in every other state. But this is the standard background check that any decent police agency would conduct.

[collint]

Franklyn- thanks for the insight i guess i never really thought of that in that nature. As far as the emotional toll i've learned to adapt to things like that. I work with adults and children with dissabilities currently while going through school. And while i don't see bodies in accidents and torn apart. I've had to deal with several kids and adults i've worked with pass on that i was very close too. So as far as the emotional toll i know i can deal with it because of what i do now.
Again thank you all for the information you've provided it's of great help to me so far

[ArizonaBear]

Side note here: several California Highway Patrol officers including their patrol cars live in places like Lake Havasu City, Az.

Remember that the CHP has limited jurisdiction here in Arizona, Nevada and Oregon (40-50 miles beyond the state lines)------and, our AzDPS, etc. have some police powers in California as well.

In other words: if a CHP 'lights me up' in Bullhead City, Az----------I need to pull over. Admittedly; unless it is a serious situation (possible DUI is an example), most out of area cops do not bother.

Back in in 2005; the CHP sent units and officers to Louisiana after Katrina to back up the crippled local PD's. Yes; the ChiP's were sworn Louisiana State Police troopers in the legal sense.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by CA central coast

They're hiring and it's a good job. I've always wondered how many out of state residents come out to the CHP academy. Come here, become a CHP, make 90k a year, work 30 yrs, retire with 90% of your pay, move back to Iowa and live like freakin' king! Why doesn't everybody do it?

Many of 'em would not move back to Iowa after retirement---------we get quite a few x ChiP's here in Arizona.

[collint]

There's actually a good reason for why they don't do that. I have several friends that have already graduated school and have moved out of Iowa. Reason being is better paying jobs and more opportunities. Another reason is alot of people that leave Iowa or the midwest do so because of weather. And yes that is one reason why i'm looking at california. I hate snow and can't stand it. It's more trouble then it's worth and would like to move to a warmer climate. But last but not least. THERE IS NOTHING TO DO HERE IN IOWA lol

Originally Posted by CA central coast

They're hiring and it's a good job. I've always wondered how many out of state residents come out to the CHP academy. Come here, become a CHP, make 90k a year, work 30 yrs, retire with 90% of your pay, move back to Iowa and live like freakin' king! Why doesn't everybody do it?