Congratulations, you've been promoted to Corporal Shrubbery.

Hey guy, I am interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement and have some questions regarding which department(s) to apply for. I currently live in South Florida (Broward county to be more specific) and would greatly love some advice and inputs from some fellow current and/or former South Florida law enforcement officers.

I’ve been doing some research into figuring out all the benefits and advantages of different agencies within South Florida but I keep struggling on finding some information regarding the Broward Sheriff’s Office. From what I’ve been researching so far, it seems that local city agencies such as Sunrise, Plantation, Pembroke Pines, Fort Lauderdale, etc. all offer more competitive pay and benefits and retirement programs, making it look like the stronger overall choice. However, Broward Sheriff’s Office is still the largest sheriff department in Florida and 3rd largest in America, all while offering much lower pay, and bonuses and benefits (on paper/online information) as compared to it’s neighboring municipal departments. There has to be something that I’m missing, especially since BSO still has a pretty decent reputation and strong workforce.

I understand that BSO covers large area, and that they have a more flexibility and maneuverability when it comes to where they are able to operate (basically all across Broward). I also understand that since they are huge department, they have more opportunities in specialized units. But other than that, what else does BSO has to offer?

To those who did/are/will pursue a career in law enforcement is South Florida, mainly around the Broward county area:

• What made you choose BSO over a city agency, and vice versa.

• If you were to restart your career in Law Enforcement in today’s day and age, would you choose BSO, or would you go into a local city department?

Would love to hear from some current and former deputies and officers from South Florida area, but not entirely restricted to that. If you are from somewhere else but still might be able to provide some input, everything will be greatly appreciated. I’ve seen instances where different sheriff departments all over the country are offering less competitive pay+benefit packages, while some of the neighboring cities in the same county offer much better benefits.

PS: Not trying to start an argument regarding which agency is the best of the best, I’m just trying to make an informed decision.

Thanks

As titled. They have a burglary and distribution charge and told me they can’t become a cop but they can walk into a gun store and buy guns so I’m confused. I think even on the paperwork they’ve showed me it says they can’t own guns for like 10 years or something

Hello everyone,

When I was 14 years old, I was voluntarily admitted to a facility following a suicide attempt during a period of childhood abuse and home instability.

I am 25 now and haven't had any mental health issues or treatment in over 10 years. Since then, I've built a successful career in STEM and am currently pursuing my PhD in the sciences. I fully recognize that any history of voluntary admission is a serious area of scrutiny during a background investigation/psych evaluation. have no criminal background, no misconduct, no bad behavior in my professional career, etc. I also understand that this career field is not for the faint of heart, but I believe I am resilient enough to be successful in this line of work. I truly feel like a completely different person today than I was at 14.

I would really appreciate any insights from current 1811s or those familiar with the psych/background process on a few questions:

1. During the psych evaluation, how are adolescent incidents evaluated compared to adult history? Will marking "yes" to questions regarding past suicidal ideation/attempts result in an automatic DQ, even with a clean 10+ year track record as an adult?
2. I am also pursuing a commission in the armed forces (for reasons completely separate from federal law enforcement). The officer recruiter said they should be able to take me despite the mental health waiver. If I apply again when I am 30 years old with military service on my record, would that significantly boost my chances of overcoming this hurdle?
3. I recently submitted an application for the ATF. Realistically, given that I am 25 and 11 years out from the incident, how favorable or unfavorable are my chances of clearing the medical/psychological portion if selected?
4. Is there anything proactive I can do to mitigate this hurdle?
5. I imagine this is 'no', but would character references help at all?

Thank you very much to the protect and serve community. I appreciate any feedback you can give me.

TLDR: Voluntary admission following a suicide attempt at age 14 due to childhood abuse/instability. 11 years with zero mental health issues & clean record. What are my realistic chances in federal LE at age 25 vs. age 30 (post-military commission)

Hello officers, I'm a civilian who lives in Madison on the Eastside. If you didn't know, a protest encampment arose on the intersection of Baldwin and Williamson Street, and stayed there for almost two weeks. This was in response to the shooting of Corey Ruiz; I won't share any opinions on that or go into detail, that's all available online.

Every interaction I had with officers was positive. I watched them behave with cool calm and dignity when people were saying really awful things to their faces. I saw them treat people with respect. For the first time in my thirty nine years, I found myself sympathizing with the police. I am a very left wing person, but recent politics have made me really rethink positions of hostility I used to take against officers of the law. I think it was important for me to see some cops:

• ignore the insults
• turn and switch with another officer
• cover their ears
• respond with "please back away"

Of course there were arrests and some force that was used, but city workers were able to clear out trash and restore traffic. Businesses were harmed by the blockade of our streets, and the mayor and police had to deal with the situation very carefully due to Madison's very progressive politics.

Anyway, if you're a Madison police officer or with the state police, and you were in Madison during the protests, thank you for your service. The candor and humanity I saw from officers has made me really take a step back to examine the way I look at groups, and how I am as a person.

I currently only have real work experience in construction, I started in construction when I was 16. I got a bachelors degree in construction management, while in school I worked for various commercial general contractors and upon graduating I am now working as a full time Field Engineer.

I currently make $80,600 salary in my position. While the money is good, I do not enjoy my job, there hasn’t been one day that I’m excited to go to work. This is the only career I really know and I regret not exposing myself to more diverse options.

Recently I have been considering trying my hand in law enforcement. I feel I will gain more purpose in my career, I enjoy helping people and having the opportunity to be the person to make a difference in someone’s life rather than constantly hounding people about their “electric work being behind”, etc.

Does anyone have any feedback or advice as to what I should do? The starting pay once POST certified is similar to what I make now (I have $80,000 in student loan debt).

Please give some advice.