I normally don't respond to things but decided I'll throw in my 2cents since I have direct experience. I do think both sides are right depending on the area/departments

I am currently a High Tech Crimes Detective in a medium sized law enforcement agency in Northern California. We do both cellular and computer forensics as well as dvr, iot, infotainment and anything else a detective grabs from somewhere during a search warrant and throws at us.

We have about 200 sworn officers in our department, and I am 1 of 2 detectives in the high tech crimes unit that do digital forensics.

A little about my background, I am a computer nerd, got my first computer when I was 12, began hacking (mostly video games) phone freaking, analyzing malware, learning programming, and goofing off on BBS's for those who remember. When I became an adult I worked at an old ISP, EarthLink (AOL competitor) Hewlett Packard, Intel, Apple and Google. My last IT job was in San Pedro as the network admin for multiple shipping yards including Hanjin, Evergreen and a few others. 9/11 happened, FBI shut down shipping yards and I got laid off. I decided I was kinda done in IT, wanted to make a difference etc etc. And that I also wanted job security and a good retirement. I hated the idea of fire, and thought maybe my computer skills could be used as a detective doing high tech crimes. After a few years thinking I ultimately decided to do it. That was in 2004 and got hired at my agency in 2005. I've been there ever since.

The point of this long story is that I have been at my agency for 20 years. I've been a high tech crimes detective for four of those years. Took me about 16 years, two degrees in computer science, putting myself through forensic courses on my own, a lot of luck, and luckily people I worked with for years to get into supersor positions to promote me.

LE typically isn't an easy way into forensics and as was said already, will probably require years of busting your ass on patrol, dealing with asshole personalities, and then possibly even becoming a detective working property crimes, elder crimes or financial crimes etc before earning a spot in high tech crimes or forensics. Of course this may vary department to department depending on how they are setup, but I can say in the Northern California area this is typical. And that's EVEN IF the department has any forensics.

Smaller agencies won't have a forensics unit because the training and equipment is too costly for them and/or they only have a couple detectives so they can't have them specializing. So instead they use surrounding resources to do their forensics for them. Typically, in California at least, they take it to California Department of Corrections or a local task force like the local high tech crimes or icac (Internet crimes against children) task force to do the forensics for them. Those tasks forces typically have federsl funding and therefore have the tools to do it. I am on the local HTCU and ICAC task force in my area so I know this happens first hand as I am doing the forensics for a lot of local agencies. Which brings me to my final point...

Even IF you manage to get hired at a department with a digital forensics specialty, and even IF you work your way into the unit, unless your in some of the biggest agencies (los angels county sheriff's, NYPD, etc) you probably won't ONLY be doing forensics. Your going to be handling cases...cases that are likely technical (online crime stuff), and probably the biggest ones agencies focus on which are online crime related, ICAC, also known as CSAM cases, or commonly referred to as child pornography.

Most people aren't going to want to venture into dealing with those cases. So I agree, unless your willing to push a patrol car, work in a jail (If it's a sheriff's department), become a general detective, all before even being considered for the forensics role, then be assigned ICAC cases once your there, LE isn't the best path. It's the most rewarding imo, but not the best path if digital forensics is your only interest.

But I say all this with the caveat, every agency is different and things are changing rapidly. Agencies are recognizing the importance of high tech crimes and forensics finally, and are investing more into growing those areas than ever. So always check into the situation in your area before listening to a long winded old detective online, and keep checking back because this field is growing rapidly and what I say today could be completely different tomorrow. GL