Potential cop post

[zdashamber]

I'm back hale and well from ACUS. To address the immediate wonderings I fancy kittentikka and a2macgeek may hold: I made my flight fine. Even though I got to the ticket counter after the 45-minute cutoff, the Frontier lady was on my side, "Here are the directions to the gate, go! Move as quickly as you can!" This is why Frontier is a good airline, unlike United, may its name moulder in infamy.

ACUS was great fun. Slowly I will work on getting the quotes and report out. In the meantime, there are a couple questions I've been meaning to put to you all.

For today, I'll start with the most dramatic: I'm considering becoming a cop. What are your thoughts on the job, and my potential relation to it?

I'm bored with my current job, having conquered all its challenges a year and a half ago. (Currently, I'm a tech at a research institute, tracking mice for alcoholism studies. This came about because I got a degree in biology with the intention of being a genetic engineer, and then found this job, listed as genetic engineering on mice. And having tried it, it's not really what I want to do.)

The vague plan was to keep the current job, build up money, and use the free off-hours to start a business. No movement has been occurring on that so far, however. Then I came across an article in the paper about how Oakland is frantically scrambling to find and train police officers. Pay while in the academy is listed at $62,245, and then $69,162, rising to $87,172 after three years (or possibly one if they really scramble).

Currently I make about $38,500 (I still need to do taxes, ai!). I have enough to live on and put stuff aside and buy pretty much anything I want. In part this is because I don't want much. I thank all my cheap ancestors. ;) Still, another (guessing) $15,000 a year after taxes could put me on the path to having a down payment for a house in a few years, which would be nice... Then I could pour all my money into things like insulation and roof repairs and shed building. Yeehaw! (Yeah, all of you who don't live in the Bay Area where the median house costs $637,000, laugh it up, furballs...)

As to the job itself, I looked into the details as far as I could find on the web. Looks like the work week is generally 4 consecutive days of 10 hours each. Shifts and patrol areas are chosen in a yearly drawing based on seniority. The FAQ says "days off" are drawn, too... I suppose that means Christmas and Thanksgiving are for the less senior people to work. Hopefully it doesn't mean that I'd have to know all the vacation I was taking a year or more in advance. Mom points out that since the department is understaffed I'd probably be in for mandatory overtime; I wonder if I'd have control over when that was scheduled.

Reasons I'd want to do it: I imagine it'd be different things every day. I'd get to help people and be decent in times of stress. I like driving around. I could nail people for the things I personally find reprehensibly dangerous, like tailgating. I like Oakland, and it'd be nice to give back. If the work environment was welcoming, the congeniality of it sounds appealing. It'd be good fodder for stories, or if I ever wanted to go into politics. I'm already planning to be a rock of prepared stability during a major earthquake or disaster, so the job is sort of a natural for me when it comes to that. Three-day weekends would let me get a ton more done.

Reasons I'd perhaps not want to do it: Largest on the list is the potential for a work environment dominated by macho pinheads. Hopefully in a big diverse liberal-ish city like Oakland that wouldn't be so much a problem. Mary points out that I'd run into crap from the people I'd be arresting regardless of whether the other cops were cool or not. I'd have to get in shape, though that would be good for me anyway. People would always drive slow around my car. My job might alarm people I'd randomly converse with.

I surely have not thought of all the aspects, and you folks are clever and varied. What do you think?

Comments

[cochese.livejournal.com]

Sorry if my earlier comment was a little disjointed. I was late for work, and rushed through it.

I guess I often view being a cop through the lens of my experience in loss prevention. And I really didn't like loss prevention. It really takes a certain mentality to want to do that, and I lacked it. I don't thrive on danger or risk. I don't thrive on catching crooks. You're also held up to a higher standard than Joe Shmoe. Who you associate with and what you do in your free time can be an issue.

The pot thing was just one example of that last. I've known at least one person who's gotten in trouble with the law because their roommate/boyfriend/whatever was doing something illegal/illicit.

Plus, you find yourself having to bust people even if you totally empathize with their plight. One of my first arrests during training in loss prevention was an old homeless man who was stealing a six-pack of beer on his birthday.

My recommendation, if you're really serious about this, is to (a) find out what the physical fitness requirements are and start working towards them and (b) take a martial art. I don't mean one of those spiritual chi-channelling ones like tai ch'i or aikido. I'm talking about one of those self defense courses where you do a lot of push-ups and spar with other people. The more nights per week, the better. Learn what it's like to be in a fight in a controlled environment. Maybe go out paintballing a few times. It's fun, and it can be a little humiliating to realize how unprepared you are to run around and shoot other people. =P If you do those two things and think, "This ain't so bad" then you may be able to handle being a cop. If you think "I totally hate this" I'd take that as a sign from above.

[zdashamber.livejournal.com]

The Javert thing would suck, yes.

I have actually taken some martial arts; about this time last year I started taking Kali, a Philipino martial art like Escrima except with longer sticks, for four hours a week. I stopped around November... I was the only new person in the small group, so I felt like someone was wasting their time with me every class I was at, and also 7ish months is apparently about as long as I can go being the suckiest at something in a reasonably supportive environment. I like being good at things. ;) But I wasn't inspired to practice outside of class to get better, so, vicious cycle. And I didn't necessarily get that "oo it feels so nice to have moved around" thing that people talk about, and I found I had things I'd rather do with my time.

I like the thought of paintball, but I don't think to go do it. If I did, my tactics would be more along the lines of ambushes and snipers.

It is my impression that fighting and shooting people is not a terribly large part of the job, which is a plus for me.

[cochese.livejournal.com]

Javert? I get that this is a Les Miz reference, but I've not seen/read Les Miz.

I'm not saying that being a cop means a lot of fighting. But there's a lot of opportunity confrontation when you are a cop (verbal, emotional, physical). The martial arts and paintball and stuff? Exposing yourself to confrontation. Me? Not a confrontation guy in any sense of the word. I couldn't handle the shitty confrontations you get when dealing with shoplifters in a department store. I cannot even imagine the bullshit cops deal with.

A routine traffic stop could get you shot at. Coming in to deal with a domestic dispute could find you on the receiving end of some drunk and pissed off dude's attitude and/or fists. Just a concerned check-in on a homeless guy could get you a whole lot of attitude. As a little white, blonde-haired woman in a cop uniform, some people will just hate you on sight. Don't you live in Oakland? How do low-income ethnic neighborhoods feel about the police? Do you feel you can handle that situation?

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Les Mis geek here to clear up the Javert thing -- he's the police inspector who arrested Valjean for stealing a loaf of bread, and the one who pursued him through the rest of the story. He's Justice in opposition to Valjean's Mercy. One of his key lines is "I am the law and the law is not mocked."

Not a pleasant fellow, although I have some sympathy for him anyway.