[Panzergrenadier1979]

If you are a state corrections officer and a trooper candidate:

Don't get arrested for retail theft.

And if you do, at least let it be for something worth more then $20.00.

And don't have it all go down in front of your girlfriend.



At least he had his carry permit to go along with his G30........

Can you say "would you like fries with that?"

[Bruce M]

Events like this are a blessing to those who decide who gets a seat in the academy when there are more applicants than there are spaces in the academy.

[4949shooter]

Originally Posted by Bruce M

Events like this are a blessing to those who decide who gets a seat in the academy when there are more applicants than there are spaces in the academy.

Yep. Now maybe someone who truly deserves the position will have as chance.

[Vigilant]

That's quite a surprise. I thought all the Troopers wanted to be COs.......

After all, we do have such great pay and hiring standards....

[KiloBravo]

Did this happen in PA??? If so, I wonder if it was one of my potential classmates for this coming January?! That would be pretty crazy. My birthday is this weekend, and I have already politely declined several invitations to go to bars. I hate them anyway, so it was easy to say NO.

[Vigilant]

Originally Posted by DeerPredator

Did this happen in PA??? If so, I wonder if it was one of my potential classmates for this coming January?! That would be pretty crazy. My birthday is this weekend, and I have already politely declined several invitations to go to bars. I hate them anyway, so it was easy to say NO.

I never made it to the point of becoming an alcoholic, and I have never had a DWI. But almost 10 years ago, I decided I could do without alcohol. Life is good.

[DaBigBR]

Originally Posted by DeerPredator

Did this happen in PA??? If so, I wonder if it was one of my potential classmates for this coming January?! That would be pretty crazy. My birthday is this weekend, and I have already politely declined several invitations to go to bars. I hate them anyway, so it was easy to say NO.

One thing that you're going to find, which I suspect that you have not yet found from some of your posts, is that not everybody wants the job as bad as you do. You seem highly motivated, careful, conscientous, and thorough from your posts. You appear to have a high expectations of conduct and ethics both of yourself and of others. The sad fact is, that not everybody that you're applying with, or everybody you're working with, is going to have as high of standards. It can be difficult to reconcile in the early stages and it can be damn near impossible to except when you start working...but you have to.

[A6Gator]

Originally Posted by Panzergrenadier1979

If you are a state corrections officer and a trooper candidate:

Don't get arrested for retail theft.

And if you do, at least let it be for something worth more then $20.00.

And don't have it all go down in front of your girlfriend.



At least he had his carry permit to go along with his G30........

Can you say "would you like fries with that?"

Is there a story with this or are you just passing along an important safety tip?

[Patchman]

Originally Posted by DaBigBR

You seem highly motivated, careful, conscientous, and thorough from your posts. You appear to have a high expectations of conduct and ethics both of yourself and of others. The sad fact is, that not everybody that you're applying with, or everybody you're working with, is going to have as high of standards. It can be difficult to reconcile in the early stages and it can be damn near impossible to except when you start working...but you have to.

Damn, DaBig, realizing this, plus the fact that most civilians will lie to you (as a LEO) even when it's not necessary to, will lead a normal person down the road of cynicism.

But I have not allowed this life to affect me one iota.

[Patchman]

One standard of my agency that I am surprised about is any serving LEO who gets caught shoplifting will get fired.

You can do pretty much anything else and will just get a slap on the wrist (or so it seems).

[merlynusn]

Originally Posted by DeerPredator

Did this happen in PA??? If so, I wonder if it was one of my potential classmates for this coming January?! That would be pretty crazy. My birthday is this weekend, and I have already politely declined several invitations to go to bars. I hate them anyway, so it was easy to say NO.

One of the guys who was going to be in my academy class got locked up at a bar for intoxicated and disruptive. I don't know if he also got a resist charge or not. But either way, he did not start the academy with us.

[KiloBravo]

Originally Posted by DaBigBR

One thing that you're going to find, which I suspect that you have not yet found from some of your posts, is that not everybody wants the job as bad as you do. You seem highly motivated, careful, conscientous, and thorough from your posts. You appear to have a high expectations of conduct and ethics both of yourself and of others. The sad fact is, that not everybody that you're applying with, or everybody you're working with, is going to have as high of standards. It can be difficult to reconcile in the early stages and it can be damn near impossible to except when you start working...but you have to.

Thanks for the kind words. I actually never gave this much thought, but I can totally expect you to be right on about everything you stated. It is a shame some folks cannot realize what a great career opportunity this is. I can only assume that there will be days that I hate, and co-workers that I don't get along with. I appreciate everything you guys/gals here have to say. Knowing what you have to offer going into things, I think it will help make the adjustments that you refer to much easier.

You are right about something else as well...I do have a VERY high set of standards for myself when it comes to being a good person, and doing the best job that I possibly can, no matter what it is that I am doing. In this field, I would expect everybody to adhere to high morals and ethics, even though I know that will only happen in fairy tale land. I am making a promise to myself right now, that I will try my damnest to always try to maintain a positive outlook, and never deviate from my own morals and way of living.

[KiloBravo]

Originally Posted by merlynusn

One of the guys who was going to be in my academy class got locked up at a bar for intoxicated and disruptive. I don't know if he also got a resist charge or not. But either way, he did not start the academy with us.

Such a boneheaded move...even more so when he was THAT close to making it to start his career. I am always open for suggestions and constructive criticism from the good folks here at Cop Talk. I soak up as much advice as you all have to offer.

[toddmog]

Originally Posted by merlynusn

One of the guys who was going to be in my academy class got locked up at a bar for intoxicated and disruptive. I don't know if he also got a resist charge or not. But either way, he did not start the academy with us.

Many years ago (late 80's) when a buddy was at the academy, another guy got a DUI driving a DARE car. It's one of those stories that is still shared at the academy today.

[Panzergrenadier1979]

Originally Posted by A6Gator

Is there a story with this or are you just passing along an important safety tip?

We arrested the guy last night at a major department store. He was legally carrying, but that's not really important to the story; it just made loss prevention really nervous.

He's a PA resident but works for the state corrections of a state located between PA and VA..... . And that's where he's supposedly in the final stages of the trooper application process.

It's a mixture of sadness that "we" snapped this kid's LEO dream like a toothpick and pure anger that he would throw such an opportunity away over something so freaking trivial.

[4949shooter]

Originally Posted by Panzergrenadier1979

It's a mixture of sadness that "we" snapped this kid's LEO dream like a toothpick and pure anger that he would throw such an opportunity away over something so freaking trivial.

I know you have the word "we" in quotes, but I will say it anyway...he snapped his own dream. Good riddance, otherwise we would be seeing the headline five years from now, "Veteran trooper busted for theft."

Good riddance.

[4949shooter]

Originally Posted by DaBigBR

One thing that you're going to find, which I suspect that you have not yet found from some of your posts, is that not everybody wants the job as bad as you do. You seem highly motivated, careful, conscientous, and thorough from your posts. You appear to have a high expectations of conduct and ethics both of yourself and of others. The sad fact is, that not everybody that you're applying with, or everybody you're working with, is going to have as high of standards. It can be difficult to reconcile in the early stages and it can be damn near impossible to except when you start working...but you have to.

One of the most accurate, thought provoking posts I have read in a long time.

Right on the money, Brother.

[DaBigBR]

Originally Posted by DeerPredator

Thanks for the kind words. I actually never gave this much thought, but I can totally expect you to be right on about everything you stated. It is a shame some folks cannot realize what a great career opportunity this is. I can only assume that there will be days that I hate, and co-workers that I don't get along with. I appreciate everything you guys/gals here have to say. Knowing what you have to offer going into things, I think it will help make the adjustments that you refer to much easier.

You are right about something else as well...I do have a VERY high set of standards for myself when it comes to being a good person, and doing the best job that I possibly can, no matter what it is that I am doing. In this field, I would expect everybody to adhere to high morals and ethics, even though I know that will only happen in fairy tale land. I am making a promise to myself right now, that I will try my damnest to always try to maintain a positive outlook, and never deviate from my own morals and way of living.

I'm going to add in here that a lot of applicants, hell, probably most applicants, consider themselves to be the "best man for the job." Those with lower standards will always be slobs and those with higher standards will always be goody two-shoes boy scouts. It's kind of like how everybody that drives slower than you is an idiot and everyone that drives faster is a maniac...

[RocPO]

Originally Posted by DeerPredator

Thanks for the kind words. I actually never gave this much thought, but I can totally expect you to be right on about everything you stated. It is a shame some folks cannot realize what a great career opportunity this is. I can only assume that there will be days that I hate, and co-workers that I don't get along with. I appreciate everything you guys/gals here have to say. Knowing what you have to offer going into things, I think it will help make the adjustments that you refer to much easier.

You are right about something else as well...I do have a VERY high set of standards for myself when it comes to being a good person, and doing the best job that I possibly can, no matter what it is that I am doing. In this field, I would expect everybody to adhere to high morals and ethics, even though I know that will only happen in fairy tale land. I am making a promise to myself right now, that I will try my damnest to always try to maintain a positive outlook, and never deviate from my own morals and way of living.

Keep this mindset and you'll do well in this career bro.

Some people want to be on the job, and some want a job.

[Panzergrenadier1979]

Originally Posted by 4949shooter

I know you have the word "we" in quotes, but I will say it anyway...he snapped his own dream. Good riddance, otherwise we would be seeing the headline five years from now, "Veteran trooper busted for theft."

Good riddance.

+1

It's a lousy situation, but today is a new day and there will be plenty more knuckleheads perfectly willing and able to flush their futures down the toilet.

[KiloBravo]

Originally Posted by RocPO

Keep this mindset and you'll do well in this career bro.

Some people want to be on the job, and some want a job.

Thank you Sir as well. I hope to be able to do a great job both during, and after the academy.

[Hack]

This is why I think they need to increase the hiring standards at the state level. I don't know about other states, but Missouri's standards at the time I got on was not very high. If you cleared a rudimentary background check, and otherwise met the standards, mainly, (common sense), you were hired, and probation was only for six months. But, if they did at least a more thorough background check, kind of like with the BOP, and maybe a psych eval, there would be a little less of this kind of thing in corrections. We do not need thieves in corrections, at any agency.

Deer Predator you seem to have good standards from what I read. Keep those standards, even after you are hired somewhere and considered a vested employee. Do not be like some of the folks who think they can get by with XYZ about fifteen years into the job, so to speak. It seems many times the ones who have had more time on the job in my agency are the ones who get in trouble, simply for the reason that they think they can, are more knowledgeable about junk they might be able to get by with.

[cowboywannabe]

damn, there was a johnny reb named guy on here from maryland....worked as a c.o. i thin and was trying to become a cop of some sorts...hope it wasnt him.

[Hack]

I thought he was county.

[Cochese]

Originally Posted by cowboywannabe

damn, there was a johnny reb named guy on here from maryland....worked as a c.o. i thin and was trying to become a cop of some sorts...hope it wasnt him.

It ain't Johnny.