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Vancouver Off-Topic / Current EventsThe off-topic forum for Vancouver, funnies, non-auto centered discussions, WORK SAFE. While the rules are more relaxed here, there are still rules. Please refer to sticky thread in this forum.
Hello revscene, thought I'd post this here to get some more feedback, Mods please move if necessary. I am seriously thinking about getting into policing as a career in the near future. Anybody have stories or in depth view of what being an officer really is on AND off duty? Other then all the faqs etc on the VPD website.
Go and talk to an actual police officer. A lot of them are more than happy to sit down and talk with you for a bit. And if you are serious about it, (and younger than 30), I sincerely hope that you are in post-secondary right now. Even though a degree isn't mandatory, the guy with the application next to you will have one, making them not care about you essentially. A bunch of the Criminology faculty at Kwantlen are ex and current officers. Email the head of the dept, and I'm sure they will be able to give you lots of info, and point you in the right direction.
There is one story which really stuck with me from one of my teachers. He has been an officer for 25+ years, and is probably going to retire in the very near future once his doctoral dissertation is approved. His very first year as an officer, he was 22 years old. Then, it was easy to join the force. In his very first few months, long story short, he was the lucky guy to help a 15 year old girls father discover her body hanging from the change room showers at school.
He also said that once you smell a dead/rotting body/burnt flesh, you will NEVER forget that smell. Just some of the things that have made me put some more serious thought as whether or not policing is for me.
It's definitely not a career for just anyone. You need to have thick skin, and a family that understands the demands of the job. Quite often a 12 hour shift drags on for 15 or 20 hours depending on what's happening. The four on four off schedule sucks, you spend your first day off catching up on sleep, and the other three days trying to adjust to your first day back.
None the less it's a rewarding career and the best part of the job is the variety of situations you deal with. If you're seriously considering it, start volunteering with your local police department. You'll be in a police environment without the responsibility. Furthermore,post secondary degree/diploma is good to have. Although not a requirement for the RCMP, and certain muni forces it does make you a better applicant. Check out the JIBC law enforcement program, it's more of a hands on policing program than anything out there. Most of the profs are in service police officers.
In terms of a ride along, as far as I can remember most police forces do require you to be an applicant. I know for sure the RCMP strictly enforces that rule. However if you know someone who's a cop and is willing to take you, that's another way around it.
Unsure how old you are, but the jist of it is, get an education, lots of life experience, and a ton of volunteer work. They're not hiring like how they used to, it's a stiff selection process with the amount of applicants they have. Ontop of that a lot of the muni forces won't even take you if you're under 25. Unless you can articulate a ton of life experience.
Hello revscene, thought I'd post this here to get some more feedback, Mods please move if necessary. I am seriously thinking about getting into policing as a career in the near future. Anybody have stories or in depth view of what being an officer really is on AND off duty? Other then all the faqs etc on the VPD website.
Go and talk to an actual police officer. A lot of them are more than happy to sit down and talk with you for a bit. And if you are serious about it, (and younger than 30), I sincerely hope that you are in post-secondary right now. Even though a degree isn't mandatory, the guy with the application next to you will have one, making them not care about you essentially. A bunch of the Criminology faculty at Kwantlen are ex and current officers. Email the head of the dept, and I'm sure they will be able to give you lots of info, and point you in the right direction.
Where this would have been the case 10 years ago, it is not anymore.
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Biggest thing to consider. How is your temper? You will be pushed sooo far by stupid people, and you can't snap, or even slightly overreact, because you are under a microscope. My temper was what kept me from finishing my practicum to be an emt. You need to go on to every scene with a level head and can't be judge, jury and executioner as much as thats the natural reaction. Its the same for police. You need to be very collected and be prepared to want to put a bullet into someone, without being able to. Not trying to deter you. Also, thats probably not going to be a factor in you getting the job, its going to be a factor in you being successful in the job.
I read this blog post a while ago and I feel it offers insight not many civilians know about the job:
Quote:
Surviving you relationships by Sgt. Betsy Branter Smith
Cops have a notoriously high divorce rate, but divorce statistics are only part of the story. Think about all the engagements, live-in boyfriend/girlfriend situations, or same-sex partnerships that don’t work out either. Let’s face it, we tend to be lousy at intimate relationships.In the Street Survivalseminar, we talk about surviving this job not only physically and tactically, but emotionally, and a large part of our survival is dependant upon the success of our personal relationships. I can’t tell you how many officers have come up to me after a seminar and said “All this time, I thought it was all my wife’s fault that we don’t get along, but now I’m beginning to understand that it might just be me.”
The majority of the research and writings on this topic tend to focus on what our spouses can do to make our marriages better. If only our partners would change their attitudes, be more understanding, learn to communicate better, and deal more successfully with the day-to-day stressors that “we,” the cops, face we’d all be happier.
I’m suggesting that those of us with the badge look in the mirror, look into our hearts, and try to figure out what we can do to improve our relationships; here are a few suggestions:
•Watch how you talk to and treat those you love. Do you give orders or make requests when you get home? Do you work your tail off to help out a citizen while you’re on duty but when you get home it’s just too much trouble to help fold the laundry or take out the garbage? Sometimes we treat strangers, our co-workers, or the citizens better than we do our own families. I had a revelation a few years ago during a heated argument with my husband, a former police lieutenant. He said to me “Don’t talk to me like one of your officers!” And I spontaneously shot back with “I would never talk to my officers the way I talk to you!” Holy cow! I really like the guys who work for me, but I adore my husband, and yet here I was, talking to him like some incompetent rookie that was about to get terminated. Take a good, hard look at how you communicate with your loved ones. Pay attention not only to your words, but your gestures, your tone of voice, your general demeanor. Do you talk to them like the precious people they are, or do you need to do some work on your communication skills at home?
•Have a “going home” ritual. It can be hard to transition from crimefighter to spouse, partner, or parent. I used to come home immediately after a twelve hour shift to my family who was waiting to have dinner with me. My husband would cook a great meal, hand me a glass of wine as I walked in the door, and ask me about my day. Sounds perfect, right? In reality, it drove me nuts. I’d arrive home still in “cop mode,” either wired or exhausted, and more than a little surly. All I wanted was to go through the mail, wolf down something to eat, and enjoy my glass of wine in total silence and solitude…not exactly the happy homecoming that my family kept anticipating night after night. I had to develop a new “going home ritual” before I no longer was welcome in my own home! Now, a couple of nights a week after work I go to the gym and on the other nights I at least take a shower at the police department and change into my favorite sweats before I drive home. I get a home a little later, but my family agrees that I’m a whole lot more pleasant to be around, and I’m much more engaged from the time I walk in the door.
•Don’t get too caught up in your own self-importance. On average, less than two out of every one hundred police applicants actually get hired, so by the time we get “on the job” we already feel like we’re pretty darn special. Add to that the public’s fascination with our profession, the danger factor, and the power and authority, and it’s easy for us to lose perspective. After all, how can anyone’s day compare to yours? So what if your spouse had to deal with 25 second graders on a field trip today, or your partner had an argument with her boss, or your teenage son got turned down for the freshman dance by his not-so-secret crush? That stuff is petty compared to the traffic crashes, the suicides, the child molesters, and domestic violence calls you went to today! Obviously, the family needs to get a little perspective! Or maybe you do? It’s easy for your family members’ trials and triumphs to get overshadowed by the serious nature of your profession. In fact, they may begin to trivialize their own issues because they don’t want to “bother” you with them. Take the time to find out about their day, truly listen to what they have to say, ask questions, show empathy, make them feel valued. They’ll be much more ready to listen when you’re ready to talk about your day, which brings me to my next point.
•Bring your family in to “your” world. Very often cops hide what we really do from our families. We don’twant to worry them or frighten them or make them cynical or paranoid, plus sometimes we just don’t feel like talking. But it’s a mistake to keep your family at arm’s length. Tell your spouse about your frustration with that battered wife who just won’t let her husband be arrested; bend your partner’s ear about why your sergeant was such a jerk today, but try to find something positive to talk about too. Tell them how great it felt to find that lost little girl or finally solve those string of residential burglaries. And don’t forget your kids. Sharing your day with them in an age-appropriate manner can result in some great parent/child bonding. I use my work “stories” as teachable moments for my kids. In fact, my youngest daughter and I have developed a routine as we’re getting ready for bed when I tell her “Tales of Stupid Decisions by Teenage Girls.” I get to vent, she learns how to stay out of trouble, and we both understand each other’s world a little better.
•When you make a commitment to spend time with your family, honor it. Treat it like a court subpoena, a call-in for overtime, in-service training; or whatever mental game you have to play with yourself to make family time “mandatory.” Yeah, you might be tired; sure, you’ve got a lot going on; but if it was the department telling you that you have to come in and do something, you’d do it. Consistently make your family a priority. Cops tend to put off family time until “tomorrow” or “my days off” or “when I’m on vacation” or even “when I retire,” and sometimes by then, it’s too late. Given the precarious nature of our job, time with your loved ones should rarely be put off until some other time!
•Keep in touch. A “thanks for packing me a lunch” note left on the kitchen table, a brief text message to say “I miss you” or a quick phone call to say “We’re really busy out here tonight but I can’t wait to see you and the kids in the morning” are short, simple ways to stay in touch with your family even while you’re out fighting crime. Our families worry about us and miss us when we’re on duty, and it only takes a few seconds to let them know that you’re okay and that you miss them, appreciate them, love them, and can’t wait to get back home to see them!
•Don’t be afraid to get help. Years of poor communication, job stress, resentment toward the agency or maybe even each other can leave a relationship badly damaged. The writings and teachings of both Dr. Ellen Kirschman and Dr. Kevin Gillmartin are excellent resources for police officers and their families looking to improve their relationships. And before you join the ranks of the 75% of us who gave up on a marriage, give counseling a try. You spend your time at work helping others, so let a professional therapist or your minister or your department’s employee assistance personnel give you a hand.
Just like officer survival training has been instrumental in reducing police officer injuries and deaths, relationship survival can help our profession reduce that high divorce rate. Train for your relationships like you train for your survival, because both are worth fighting for!
go for VPD if you're not willing to relocate.
my school constable told me last year that she would take me for the 2013 vpd student challenge
that depends.
i was talking to an officer the other day and i mentioned the relocation thing (he was from the RCMP).
he basically told me they technically 'can' make you relocate but if you're asian and can speak some sort of asian language.. face it they aren't gonna send you to prince edward island.
99% of the time you will staying in lower mainland.
I highly doubt they hire anyone that has a criminal record. You better have a super clean record and not assoisate with anyone that does either.
I also look into joining the RCMP as you probably have a better chance than vpd.
they wouldn't. I have a friend who's rcmp now. When he was applying he took a lie detector and was asked if he knows anyone who smokes weed. He said yes. He was told he has 6 months to not be friends with that person.
He cut off all ties, took the lie detector again and was accepted to go to boot camp.
As for boot camp, in regina, he said it was fulla alpha jock types and was pretty brutal lol. Next, he was given a choice of 3 provinces where he would be stationed. BC was one of his and he got his first choice. Unfortunately it's salmon arm LOL
he says in salmon arm there are 3 officers and on a friday night, 2 bar fights, 1 domestic abuse and 1 public intoxication at any given time lol
to get to be accepted he worked first as a security guard at a supermarket in whalley (which sounded scary as balls)...he did this while getting a degree at kwantlen. Next he worked as a night guard at a jail (the place where people go for months at a time while waiting trial, not actual legit prison)
i was talking to an officer the other day and i mentioned the relocation thing (he was from the RCMP).
he basically told me they technically 'can' make you relocate but if you're asian and can speak some sort of asian language.. face it they aren't gonna send you to prince edward island.
99% of the time you will staying in lower mainland.
I have family members landed via the PEI immigrant investor program. There are many mainlanders living on PEI.
I highly doubt they hire anyone that has a criminal record. You better have a super clean record and not assoisate with anyone that does either.
I also look into joining the RCMP as you probably have a better chance than vpd.
Quote:
Originally Posted by drunkrussian
they wouldn't. I have a friend who's rcmp now. When he was applying he took a lie detector and was asked if he knows anyone who smokes weed. He said yes. He was told he has 6 months to not be friends with that person.
He cut off all ties, took the lie detector again and was accepted to go to boot camp.
At the same time, an internal memo obtained by CBC News reveals the RCMP has changed its policy on drug use "to permit consideration of mitigating factors in all cases of criminal activity, which may include drug trafficking, etc."
Thanks for the response guys. I currently just came out of high school. Is the RCMP training the same boot camp you would attend if applying for VPD ? If I was to apply for the RCMP, chances are I would have to move away from the lower mainland ? Everything else seems pretty straight forward and up to the candidate.
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Anybody have stories or in depth view of what being an officer really is on AND off duty? Other then all the faqs etc on the VPD website.
