REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

chileanwinehous · 03-08-2009, 05:34 PM

Has anyone in here been there for training? was it tough? Can a 5'5 ft guy fit in? this is a question for us short guys (with big hearts) that want to become a rcmp officer.

Thanks.

deviant1 · 03-08-2009, 05:35 PM

Im seriously considering it right now too, im a little over 5'5'' though. I would like to know as well

skidmark · 03-08-2009, 07:34 PM

Back in my day 5'5" was too short. These days all you need is height proportional to your weight, no minimums anymore if I understand correctly.

It was 26 of the longest weeks of my life. I can remember standing at the bottom of the staircase in the Academic Building at about 2 or 3 weeks in and wondering if I could walk to the top of the stairs. My body hurt everywhere from the exercise I was not used to.

That said, if you want to finish, you will finish. It taught me that I could do a lot more than I ever thought I could.

racerman88 · 03-08-2009, 07:47 PM

don't worry about your height. The most important is that you are a desirable candidate to them. Two of my girlfriends went through and they are around 5'4".

BabyblooLexus · 03-08-2009, 08:04 PM

they are working on recruiting more visible minorites right now, (mostly that of asian descent) and as we all know alot are of smaller stature. so i would assume that they are not as discriminatory as before. and ive came across a couple of rcmps that cant be taller than 5'6. as for fitting in, it totally depends on the ppl u encounter right, so thats hard to say.
a good idea wud be to start making connections u know join the cadets volunteer at shelters, victim services all that. the earlier u start building on ure portfolio the better.

chileanwinehous · 03-08-2009, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BabyblooLexus

they are working on recruiting more visible minorites right now, (mostly that of asian descent) and as we all know alot are of smaller stature. so i would assume that they are not as discriminatory as before. and ive came across a couple of rcmps that cant be taller than 5'6. as for fitting in, it totally depends on the ppl u encounter right, so thats hard to say.
a good idea wud be to start making connections u know join the cadets volunteer at shelters, victim services all that. the earlier u start building on ure portfolio the better.

ill look into that thanks!

willystyle · 03-09-2009, 03:16 AM

Weight proportionate to your body? well, 5'11", asian descent, a little bigger for a guy my size, so does that mean I would have a tough time entering depot even if I pass the PARE?

let's just say if im good for everything else, except for physical stature.

sho_bc · 03-09-2009, 03:42 AM

There were some ....heftier people who made it through Depot fine, but you'd better be in good shape before going, and not thinking that you'll get in shape while there. I remember seeing one guy that looked like he'd weigh at least 240lbs (and not of pure muscle) and was ~5'8". He SLAUGHTERED the PARE and was reasonably quick in the longer distance running. So, looks/weight can be deceiving.

Overall, the training was tough, but not super hard. I was expecting something more like what skidmark had gone through, but these days there is a lot of classroom and scenario-based training on the schedule. They do expect you to keep up a minimum level of fitness on your own time as well, outside of the "learning hours" of the day.

Some people were able to fit in all their assignments/homework/studying and working out and still get to bed by 10 or 11pm, and then there were others who were up until past midnight frequently trying to fit it all in. ...and then wake up at 5am or earlier for classes.

willystyle · 03-09-2009, 03:56 AM

^ Thanks, Sho_bc, I'll work on it.

Five-Oh · 03-09-2009, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chileanwinehous

Has anyone in here been there for training? was it tough? Can a 5'5 ft guy fit in? this is a question for us short guys (with big hearts) that want to become a rcmp officer.

Thanks.

As long as you are deemed a good candidate by the recruiting section and pass all the parts of the application process, your height won't be a factor about getting into the RCMP.

Once you are at Depot as long as you work hard, can lift the weights they ask you to lift, and do everything they want you to go, even a 5'5 guy can get through. My recruit right now, there is no way she is 5'5 and she made it through.

That being said, I don't think Depot is where you should be worried about your size. Actually being on the job is what you should be concerned about because that is where there are severe consequences. I myself am not the tallest guy either but I train lots to make sure that if the situation calls for it, I can defend myself. But for the most part, I am a good talker and can usually talk a person down to avoid use of force. So as long as you believe you have the ability to handle yourself on the streets, I would say go for it. The RCMP is a great job with endless opportunities open to you and I would recommend it to anybody who is interested in helping people out and having fun/getting paid while doing it.

Gh0stRider · 03-09-2009, 04:20 PM

Just ran my pare on the weekend, and there were some big guys there. They were able to pass the time, but it looked like they gave everything they had. They didn't give up so that goes for the same at training. Dont give up and show that you are working your hardest.

zulutango · 03-09-2009, 04:21 PM

"It taught me that I could do a lot more than I ever thought I could." and a LOT more than I wanted to do!!!

In addition to physical overload, there is mental overload and it is all deliberate and planned. They want to see you handle more than you thought possible and develop extreme time-management skills. You will need them on the job.

PHO? · 03-11-2009, 08:54 AM

is it true when it comes to patrol, RCMP officers usually travel alone, as oppose to lets say VPD, where they have a partner? How does partnership work?

Adsdeman · 03-11-2009, 09:10 AM

Im pritty sure they will take whatever they can get in times like this... even women!!! jkjk

willystyle · 03-11-2009, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHO?

is it true when it comes to patrol, RCMP officers usually travel alone, as oppose to lets say VPD, where they have a partner? How does partnership work?

You work alone mostly.

You call for backup when you need it.

zulutango · 03-11-2009, 09:20 AM

One of the reasons we are hired by so many municipalities is that we come cheap...trained, subsidsed anywhere from free to only 90%, we're non-union, work "vountary OT", work for anywhere from 1/2 time to 1 1/2 time on a stat and come one to a car...unless on RFT.

willystyle · 03-11-2009, 09:46 AM

What do you mean by Voluntary OT?

I thought u guys get stat pay.

zulutango · 03-11-2009, 10:18 AM

"VOLUNTARY" OT means, when because of pride of work, concern for the victims, desire to help your community and make it a better place, or pressure from your supervisors or peers, to get the rats off the road...you work, unpaid before or after your shift or come in on days off...without any $$$ for it. If you work a 10 hr normal shift and work ona Fed Stat, you get 1 1/2 for the first 8 hours and one half hour's pay for the remaining 2 hours of the 10 hr shift. In other words, other fed Govt employees get double time for their 10 hrs= 20 hrs pay, you get 8hrs @ 1 1/2 = 12 hrs...and 2 hrs @ 1/2 time = 1 hrs for a total of 13 hrs...missing 7hrs of pay that others get.

sho_bc · 03-11-2009, 10:58 AM

Supposedly, Surrey is starting to have 2-man cars. I can check on that tonight. But the rest of us are solo in the car.

Gh0stRider · 03-11-2009, 12:37 PM

Sho_bc, zulutango, Five-Oh,

Do you guys like working solo? Or would you prefer a partner?

sho_bc · 03-11-2009, 03:22 PM

In Richmond, for the first 4 months of service you ride with a trainer before you're punted out on your own (the 4 months is a Richmond policy, most other places are 2 months). When I first got punted, it was weird because I'd gotten used to having someone there to talk to and share stories with. However, I got along really well with my trainer, and I know not everyone does. I'd hate to be stuck for 4 months or more with someone who got on my nerves, or shared different ideas of policing etc.

Now, I love being on my own. I can listen to the music I like, patrol where I like within my zone, find my own trouble when I'm not on calls. There are lots of things I haven't done before, but if ever I have a question on how to do things (most things are common sense and are built off of skills previously acquired), my trainer and my co-workers/bosses are a message on our computers or a phone call away.

In my first 4 months, I'd taken calls and worked on files that my trainer with a couple years of service hadn't seen or done before himself, so the learning never ends, which is what I love about this job. Every day and every file is different or could be handled slightly differently, no matter if you take the same type of call 3 days in a row.

Five-Oh · 03-11-2009, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRD604

Sho_bc, zulutango, Five-Oh,

Do you guys like working solo? Or would you prefer a partner?

To be completely honest, I don't know. In the RCMP the only time you really have a partner is when you are a recruit or have a recruit, which I wouldn't really consider a partner just due to the dynamics of it. When you are the recruit it sucks because you are constantly being bossed around and then when you have a recruit it sucks because everything is painfully slow (ie. some of our reports take a recruit 4-5 hours to write and you are just sitting in the passenger seat making sure it has everything they need for that whole time).

The few shifts I have had an actual partner I was working on a special detail with one of my best friends and we had a great time. It's basically hanging out with a buddy the whole day and we went around and arrested a ton of people for different stuff so that made it pretty fun to begin with. But, that was only a couple shifts together. If you are with a full time partner keep in mind you are going to be in a car with that person everyday for 12 hours a day. I don't care how much you like somebody, after a while they are going to get on your nerves in a confined space like that. Also, if you don't like somebody to begin with, it is going to be miserable going to work.

My experience on my own in the car has been great though. You can do what you want when you want, you can focus on doing the things you like, and you hang out with more of a variety of people you work with. You generally park together and talk when writing reports, so it isn't like you are bored/lonely. As for the safety concern, there is generally a cover-car available and they send multiple cars to higher risk calls so I feel comfortable with the safety aspect. That being said, one time I did have things turn sideways on a low risk call where I was alone and ended up in a fight for my life. Even though backup was only two or three minutes away, it felt like an eternity to be alone for that time. Even though that happened, I still feel like I have the training and the tools to handle myself if need be.

There are definitely pros and cons to both, but depending on if you join a muni or the RCMP you will only know one way so it won't really matter.

sho_bc · 03-11-2009, 03:38 PM

To hit on what Five-Oh said about the trials of being a trainer, I know my trainer suffered greatly for the first while, and I've seen/continue to see trainers suffer greatly with their recruits.

While I am no seasoned veteran, I got a first personal whiff of that feeling of frustration the other day when working on a rather serious file and trying to co-ordinate a couple of people and their contributions to the file. There were some tense moments, as it was a file that took the whole day, a few hours of overtime, and then a few more hours the next morning to get all the information together.

I've been told by this time next year, I'll have already started with my next recruit..... I look forward to it.

zulutango · 03-11-2009, 08:15 PM

As I worked Traffic Services on rural HP and we are always hugely understaffed, working with another Member on the same shift was a rarity at times...,and there is no room for a passenger on a Harley Road King. I spent as much time on the bike as possible. I only spent 22 months on GD and then had the lobotomy and went over to Traffic. After the lobotomy they don't trust you with real people anymore. I did spend a lot of time with recruits doing their 4 day rotation and I got lots of time as an Instructor on the Police MC course. The only RFT I did was my own and I was going solo after about 3 weeks. I had spent 8 years as an Aux Cst in smaller Detachments so it was an easier move for me personally.

Gh0stRider · 03-15-2009, 10:58 PM

Thanks for your insight