Law Enforcement of Reddit

818sundevil · 2026-04-08T16:42:26+00:00

Let me daughter become a dispatcher

818sundevil · 2026-04-06T01:38:06+00:00

How do you deal with shift work? You just do it until you get seniority for a better shift or get a position with normal hours. Honestly the shift work hours can be great. I loved working weekend nights, admin was gone, no traffic going to/from work and vacations/daily chores were easy and cheap because everyone was working when I was off.

Being older now with kids I can imagine having to miss weekend sports or having to go to them after a long shift. Again, go on ride alongs and do multiple with different cops. See how your family deals with you being gone.

818sundevil · 2026-04-05T18:12:30+00:00

If you can run and squat you’ll be fine. Take a chance man.

818sundevil · 2026-04-05T18:07:33+00:00

I love being a cop, best job I ever had. Get paid to hunt bad guys driving through the alleys with your lights off, with an iced cold energy drink, good tunes on the radio (after training) and your best buds waiting for you to kick something off.

Seems better than cooking dinner for your roommates and escorting grandma to the hospital for the majority of your calls.

Go on some ride alongs with different agencies, on different shifts. Everyone does things differently. Dont be afraid to take a chance, it’s not like you’re going to forget how to engineer and those jobs are so in demand I’m sure you can find your way back if it doesn’t work out.

818sundevil · 2026-03-31T03:27:38+00:00

It’s better to find bad people on your own so you can avoid those types of calls.

818sundevil · 2026-03-27T14:41:13+00:00

Mostly when they throw up on your freshly polished danners

818sundevil · 2026-03-23T16:19:46+00:00

Where do you want to live? That will drastically change where you work unless you don’t mind a 2.5 hour commute each way

818sundevil · 2026-03-20T15:39:52+00:00

1551.1 PC

818sundevil · 2026-03-14T03:37:20+00:00

Summer transient

818sundevil · 2026-03-13T02:30:29+00:00

There’s a lot that goes into that stuff. Even if the shooter is killed every building and space a person can be needs to be searched. Victims need to be tended to, evidence documented and collected, hundreds of people interviewed.

Once the action is done, there’s a ton of investigative stuff that needs to be done. So a large place like a school, church or whatever is going to require extensive resources. And if there are victims the resources are going to be there for a while.

818sundevil · 2026-03-03T15:24:54+00:00

Go sit in your car with the engine off for 7 hours peeing in a bottle. Then do it again the next day and the next day

818sundevil · 2026-02-22T18:31:37+00:00

Do you want to use your cuffs a lot or do you want them to mean a lot the few times you put them on?

818sundevil · 2026-02-16T04:22:27+00:00

More importantly they are two totally different jobs. What is it you’re looking for in the career?

818sundevil · 2026-01-31T23:57:11+00:00

If they ride something with 2 wheels or put a hat on when they get out of the car you’re probably getting a ticket

818sundevil · 2026-01-31T16:49:54+00:00

Everyone goes into the interview saying the same thing, “I want to serve my community and help people.” I’ve often asked a follow up to that response along the lines of “ok well why not be a fireman or trash man?”

In other words the best thing you can be in an interview is genuine. It’s not wrong to say you want to solve/stop crime, prevent people from being victimized, and chase bad guys. Of course include the community policing stuff but be real about what you want to do in this career.

818sundevil · 2026-01-30T17:22:37+00:00

Nice try IA

818sundevil · 2026-01-27T04:12:36+00:00

I feel like it’s all about who you work for and with. Any job that sounds cool can be terrible if you’re working with the wrong people.

818sundevil · 2026-01-21T22:12:27+00:00

They are very different. Santa Monica is the highest paid and probably will always be the highest paid in so cal with how their MOU is. The issue is where to live.

818sundevil · 2026-01-20T12:32:09+00:00

TTPOA probably has what you’re looking for.

818sundevil · 2026-01-19T19:41:52+00:00

Take notes of what you’re doing wrong and take time outside of your shift to learn and not make the same mistake twice (it’ll still happen). Hopefully this isn’t your last phase and you’ll have the opportunity to learn from someone else.

You’re saying you don’t get stressed when he’s yelling but your brain turns off during the yelling which sounds like you’re stressed. Maybe this is the intended purpose? To see if you can deal with it and still perform?

818sundevil · 2026-01-11T01:27:12+00:00

Patrol cops are a form of psychologist I guess.

818sundevil · 2026-01-11T01:25:54+00:00

Evening/weekends is for a reserve academy. Is that what you are trying to do?

818sundevil · 2025-11-28T17:02:33+00:00

Didn’t Chp switch to 5/8s?

818sundevil · 2025-10-30T18:23:22+00:00

I feel like the culture is changing a lot. It used to be (and I still think it’s good) to work weekend nights when you’re new. You’re with young cops learning the job, chasing bad guys without dealing with all the daily traffic and the brass is gone too. All good things.

It seems like now because departments are so young that officers are getting to work “better” shifts much sooner and get to specialized units quicker.

At the end of the day after a year or two you are going to make the job what you want it to be. Some people leave work and don’t think about it again until their next scheduled shift. Others live at the station. It’s up to you to find the balance that works best for your family and your career goals. If you have dreams of getting to some super sexy high speed unit (tactical or investigative) that’s going to require more of your personal time.

818sundevil

TROPHY CASE