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I would never be a police officer because it's not my kind of job.
News, Shortages Leave Roads Without a Trooper
ATLANTA -- Interstate 85 south of Atlanta, where traffic roars past places such as Newnan, Grantville, Hogansville and LaGrange on the way to the Alabama border, seems to seduce speeders, especially in the wee hours.
i've driven along i-85 from auburn to atlanta plenty of times during the day, and it's normal to see 6 to 8 cops along the way, but you never see a cop as soon as you get close to atlanta.
my roommates were from atlanta, and they would wait until night to drive to auburn and would drive 120-150mph and only twice did they ever see a cop
There is no way!!! My sister was a police officer in NC for 10 years. She left because she could make way more money working at a nuclear power plant as a security guard (of course she gets to carry a really big gun!) than she ever could have made as a police officer. She usually gets 2 raises a year and bonuses, plus off work every 4th week! Police officers and teachers are the most underpaid and underappreciated public servants! IMO
Yeah, most interesting and exciting job in the world. You're adrenaline's pumping wen dispacthed. Pay can actually be very high. I know State Troopers who are making over 100k a year.
My buddy has been an officer for only three years and he collects OT faster than you can spit. He is making approximately $80,000. It pays big to some times suck it up and risk your limbs patrolling the city ghettos where no one else wants to go work as opposed to being a small town cop.
I was a police sergeant in Milwaukee for 25 years. After the first 10 it gets pretty much the same day after day. It gives you a bad outlook on life because you deal with the worst of society, especially if you work the night shifts. I had several of my friends quit for this reason.
One of the posts said that State Troopers earn over 100k a year. I never heard of anything like that and I knew several. I would have worked 50 years if I was earning that kind of money!
I was a police sergeant in Milwaukee for 25 years. After the first 10 it gets pretty much the same day after day. It gives you a bad outlook on life because you deal with the worst of society, especially if you work the night shifts. I had several of my friends quit for this reason.
One of the posts said that State Troopers earn over 100k a year. I never heard of anything like that and I knew several. I would have worked 50 years if I was earning that kind of money!
Nassau ans Suffolk cops on Long Island make over 100K, but they're not Troopers. That is why there is such a shortage of recruits joining the NYPD where starting pay starts at 25K. On L.I. starting pay is in the high 40's to low 50's.
I don't think I could do it. I've worked in security while in the service and it's an entirely different ball game.
I don't think I have the mind set to keep from writing attitude tickets.
I have two cousins that are state troopers. One has the coolest outlook on life and I've never ever seen him mad. At anything. The other cousin has put his fist through the wall on several occasions. I'm kind of halfway between the two. I've never put my fist through the wall, but I thought about it.
Location: 5 miles from the center of the universe-The Superstition Mountains
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John1960
I would never be a police officer because it's not my kind of job.
Been there, done that. I put in 28 years over a 31 year period, a few years as a city cop but most as a highway patrolman (we don't call ourselves troopers here). Most people can't do it, but for those who can, it's a great career field. If the injuries hadn't caught up with me, I'd still be two years from when I wanted to retire.
Ironically, the least favorite part of the job for me was 'chasing taillights'. I was fortunate that I worked outside the metro Phoenix area because it allowed me to work closely with county and city officers on criminal cases rather than just traffic. Ultimately my niche was as a collision investigator. The most rewarding part of the job for me was working vehicular homicides.
Quote:
Originally Posted by azloafer
I was a police sergeant in Milwaukee for 25 years. After the first 10 it gets pretty much the same day after day. It gives you a bad outlook on life because you deal with the worst of society, especially if you work the night shifts. I had several of my friends quit for this reason.
One of the posts said that State Troopers earn over 100k a year. I never heard of anything like that and I knew several. I would have worked 50 years if I was earning that kind of money!
The pay has finally started getting good here. Just before I retired, my base salary went up to 56k a year. I earned that for two months before pulling the pin. Two months later they got another raise to 60k. I was stuck at $46,107 for 6 years while Governor "Propane Jane" Hull and others were spending the tax dollars on everything but our salaries.
There have been (and still are) DPS officers -highway patrol- here that have made 100k and more by working off duty jobs. During the freeway construction boom these guys were working as many hours at the construction job sites sitting on their butts making time and a half, as they were on regular duty. What's really sad is that here in AZ, the off duty pay is counting towards their retirement because 'technically', they are working for ADOT, not the private companies. The ones who did this for years are going to have huge retirement checks, but the majority of officers such as myself are going to suffer because they are such a large drain on the retirement system. Hopefully that law will be changed back.
Last edited by Marka; 12-19-2007 at 03:24 AM..
Reason: edited quote
My dad was a Los Angeles police officer and later went to Monclair CA to retire as Capt. He was always my hero. They are all heros in my book, but sadly far underpaid for what they have to put up with. I can't understand the city governments that insist they take such abuse for such little pay.
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