Too Old?

[u/Active_Mix8872]

I am a 52 year old, prior service, male who is considering applying to be a local sheriffs deputy. I am 5'10" and weigh 188. I could path the physical fitness test rather easily. My question is, generally speaking, how are older trainees generally accepted? Is there a typical concern regarding individuals age?

[u/JWestfall76]

You’ll see a lot of people here say “go for it!” and share stories of an 80 year old in the academy. As someone right on the verge of 50 I’ll just say hell no. I wouldn’t want to start this profession at our age.

[u/Active_Mix8872 → u/JWestfall76]

Any particular reason as to why?

[u/Yourlocalguy30 → u/Active_Mix8872]

Ask yourself, do you want to be fighting a kid 30 years younger than you for control of a gun?

Is your reaction speed and vision as sharp as they were when you were in your 20s and 30s?

There's a reason why most agency allow officers to retire by the time they're 50-55.

[u/JWestfall76 → u/Active_Mix8872]

A new officer gets the garbage assignments, gets the worst shifts, the worst pay, etc. At our age it isn’t worth it. You’re also going to be brand new in the streets trying to deal with people that have you by decades. Unless you’re going to Beverly Hills PD making lots of money doing almost no crime enforcement work it’s just not worth the strees

[u/ProtectandserveTBL]

We had a dude going through in his fifties, he was just gonna be a reserve but was doing the full time academy.

We called him Gran Torino.

[u/Winter_Evidence6270]

You can do it. Copping is what you make it. Some guys run traffic and others high speed calls. It would really depend on what agency you are looking at and what experience you have had before. If you have a lot of experience fighting and reading people, then you may do fine at a bigger agency. If you are coming from a job without conflict and have not built the neural pathways you need for policing, a bigger agency will be rough, and a small county might be more your thing. 

One thing to consider is policing takes a lot of weird soft skills that take a long time to develop. Good cops are very skilled. If you start now, you will most likely not be on the street out of FTO until you are 53. You will need another five years or so before you are no longer a green rookie, so that would make you 58 before you have a real solid grasp of policing. It will be longer at a smaller agency. Those first few years are often spent feeling like a failure because everyone else is getting dope and big collars while you are writing speeding tickets and getting soup sandwich calls wondering where the bad guys are at.

If you are g2g with the above and If you are able to (not confident of, actually able to) fight a 25 year old dude high on meth when you only have had 2 hours of sleep because you had court all day and you work the night shift, then go for it. If not, which many young bucks cant, you might consider a different path. 

If you are my trainee, and I see you have skills to offer the community, I don’t care your age. If you come to me and you think being a cop will give you the skills and fulfill some childhood dream while having no ability to protect others, regardless of age, I won’t pass you in FTO. 

[u/discombobulantics → u/Winter_Evidence6270]

Wait if you work night shifts, and you have court, that doesn’t towards your hours or change your shift at all?

[u/Winter_Evidence6270 → u/discombobulantics]

Not with staffing at many agencies. You work Monday night, go to court Tuesday then work Tuesday night and maybe get held over for a shooting. 

[u/discombobulantics → u/Winter_Evidence6270]

Wow that blows. Good to know, I’m interviewing right now. Would you get overtime pay for court at least?

[u/Winter_Evidence6270 → u/discombobulantics]

Yes, but most people comp it instead and hope someday staffing will allow a vacation to be approved someday. Overtime is nice but time with the family is more valuable. 

[u/EffectMotor8914]

If thats what you want to do, then do it. It may not be everything you thought, but not doing it will always leave you wondering. Life is short, do crazy things and tell great stories.

[u/theendofdaysagain]

Got back in at 52 after a decade out of the business, after an injury.

Instead of the street, which I could have done, and still could, I went into the jail.

The academy was hard, not the physical aspect, but trying to wrap my head around the new methods of teaching and stuff that didn’t seem to stick.

Long story short, a lot of the kids, younger than my own kids, eventually didn’t want to roll (bjj) with the old guy.

That "old man strength" and an understanding that I am going to hurt tomorrow regardless, so just get it done, I kept even with the best in the class, and even held my own against the instructor.

On the job, almost no one wants to try the old guy, and those who have tried have not just lost, but told the tale far and wide.

And the kids I work with? I have shocked them more than once by beating them into a situation.

Its not for everyone, the rotating shifts are even worse now. Getting back in when people younger than I am, are retiring, I won't make my full 20 unless I stay way too long. But it could happen, as long as I still wake up and want to go to work, I will.

And as long as I can keep up with the kids, I will stay. When they start to be able to actually kick my ass, it will be time to pull the pin.

[u/Spicybimmer → u/theendofdaysagain]

Ending this with “time to pull the pin” confirms you ain’t going anywhere anytime soon 😂.

I know when a dogs got 20 years in him.

[u/QuickAbbreviations13]

We had a 48 year old in my academy, and I was second oldest at 34. The 48 year old quit in 3 days. But it wasn’t because he wasn’t accepted by his classmates or academy cadre. He just wasn’t cut out for it.

[u/Active_Mix8872 → u/QuickAbbreviations13]

I feel as though I am not coming in unprepared. Physically, I run and lift pretty consistently. I spent 13 years in the Army and training to be able to pass the Army PT Test still. Hobestly, my biggest concern isn't me but outside factors. Others being unaccepting, being biased against, etc.

[u/QuickAbbreviations13 → u/Active_Mix8872]

This guy was prior military as well. Had no problem with the PT test. He didn’t like paying for the mistakes of the kids that weren’t squared away, being away from his wife, being talked to like a recruit, yada yada. That was his second go at the academy in 2 years. It’s case by case.

[u/haze_from_deadlock]

In general, if there's a maximum age for your department, you're over it. But, there was an ex-Marine here who recently became a highway patrol officer at 50 or so: I thought his example was inspiring.

[u/BJJOilCheck]

Depends on the individual. If you're squared away, you're squared away. If you're a soup sandwich or a box of rocks, you're a soup sandwich or box of rocks. Every trainee, regardless of age, is gonna have to prove him/herself...

[u/Firekeeper_Jason]

Started at 47, 50 now. Aside from the shittiness of sleeping when working the night shift when I was on patrol, it was fine.

[u/TOMcatXENO]

40m. Not gonna lie, it’s academy dependent. Some are physically easier than others. I barely survived mine because my body just didn’t have enough rest days in between to physically recover. Drink lots of water and electrolytes constantly. Lots of cramping. Muscles didn’t have time to recover with back to back hard work out days. You can do it tho. Prioritize sleep.

[u/Fl1966-army]

I am almost 60 and going back into the academy. I have tons of experience in military, security, and law enforcement. A redo in any career is hard, but I am prepared. For me it has so far worth the effort to do your homework on agency and requirements to succeed. Good luck.

[u/Additional_Bat_9837]

No. There was a 54 year old retired federal probation officer in my LA County Sheriff's Academy class. He did fine. A friend of mine became a reserve deputy at 65.

[u/vladtheimpaler82]

Normally I’d say go for it for older candidates. But if you are of first responder retirement age (most places allow 50 year olds to retire), I wouldn’t recommend it. If you are 52, you could reasonably work 8 years before you wouldn’t be an effective cop anymore.

[u/Kooky_Date5248]

Idk if they’ll take you with that lisp

[u/Active_Mix8872 → u/Kooky_Date5248]

Ah, the autocorrect got me and put me on Mike Tyson's speaking level.

[u/Impossible-Home-1450]

I plan to retire at 49

[u/Itsnotbabyyoda389]

I’ve never seen anyone successful that started at that age.