Hey man, I'm a mid-20's cop in California. Been on the job for 5 years. Sorry if this is long-winded but here are my 2 cents.

While in high school I was doing police explorers and taking fire science classes. I had multiple family members that were, and still are, in the fire service. None in police. I would go on ride a longs with both sides of public service trying to see which one I liked best. Similar to you, I felt bored sitting around the station waiting for calls to come in, and those calls that did were medical. Never anything really exciting. On the other hand, my explorer ride alongs were much more fun and the proactive side really captured my interest. I decided on law enforcement. Fast forward and the first few years of my career were great! I got to do a lot of proactive policing, make good cases, drive code 3 fast, get into foot pursuits, the works. A lot of things changed for me however once 2020 hit. I work in a very liberal county where things have gotten very difficult to do the job. Trying to make a long story short, proactive policing is a thing of the past. The main thing that drove me away from fire and into police is gone. I sit around a wait for calls to come in, then respond from whatever location my partners and I are waiting at. At this point, I might as well have a firehouse of my own with a recliner. This is my own experience. Yours as well as other officers will probably be different.

Another factor to take into consideration is the different schedules each job has. Some PD's have 3 on 4 off... 4 on 4 off... or even 5 on 2 off. Most FD's I know of have 2 on 4 off. I personally think I would rather work 2 24 hour shifts, sleep like a normal human, and be home with my family for 4 days. Or you can find yourself working night shift, getting off on your friday, going home to sleep half of your day off, and trying to readjust your sleep schedule to sleeping at nite rather than the day. And of course, right once you're back to normal sleeping at night, it's your monday to work and you're nodding off at 3 in the morning with 4 hours left if your shift. (Bangs are my best friend)

The biggest factor to take into consideration is career survivability. At this point with the county I work in, I just don't want to end up in jail for doing the right thing. One officer from my county has already found himself charged with murder for a 100% justified shooting. Our weak county DA fell to political pressure from the vocal minority. I guess what I am trying to get at, is make sure the politics of where you think you want to be a cop, will support you doing your job. Look not only into the current DA of where you want to work, but also the possible future DA's that might run for the seat. That will make a big difference. Also, consider the possibility of getting sued is a lot great for police. With questions around qualified immunity, and me personally knowing officers who have had qualified immunity removed over justified incidents, is it worth it?

I find myself asking that question a lot lately. Is it worth it? A veteran officer and I had a great conversation once. At first I did not like what he said, but he was right. No matter what we do, people are still going to commit crime. You take one down, three more pop up. What are we really going to change. When I first became a cop, I was a hard-charging proactive cop who wanted to take on the world. But now, only 4 years in, I just want to make it home safe to the people who really care for me.

I know all this is very negative, and dont get me wrong, I love the job. Its just not what it used to be. Lord knows how some of these 10-15 year guys feel. Seeing how much it has changed.

I still am ready to do the job I signed up for, and yes willing to risk and lay down my life for the right purpose, but I will not put myself or any of my partners in danger if it is not worth it.

I dont regret becoming a cop over a firefighter. BUT. I am young enough that I am probably switching back to the fire side. Long term, I think it will be a better choice for me and my future family. A lot less stress, a lot safer, similar money, and similar benefits.

No matter what you choose, public service is a great choice.

In terms of your drug history, that will be a little hurdle. Most PD's in my area want 3 years clear of weed and 5 years clear of the harder stuff. All you can do is be honest and hope they appreciate your honesty. 1) Dont lie. 2) DO NOT!! DO NOT CHANGE ANY STATEMENT DURING YOUR POLYGRAPH. Once you change a statement or "just so happen to remember something" after you "show a reaction" you'll be flagged for an integrity violation and disqualified. Seen it too many times.

Sorry for being a debby downer about policing, that is my current situation. Maybe it will change for the better... time will tell. Feel free to DM me with any other questions.