Failing probation

Panzergrenadier1979 · 07-23-2012, 13:10

What is the quickest/most idiotic ways that a probationary officer/trooper/deputy has been booted from their department?

I'll go first:

An off-duty probationary officer has a single vehicle crash and flips his POV in a neighboring jurisdiction. He gets arrested at the scene for DUI and canned the next day. Total time on the job: 6 weeks.

txleapd · 07-23-2012, 13:15

DWI coming home from academy graduation party. Less than a day on the job, before ever reporting to their first shift, and having never actually taken police action.

blueiron · 07-23-2012, 13:26

My earliest example was a fellow recruit who had a part time job working retail security for a large store chain. He decided to accept an offer to make tax free money by some store associates who were moving merchandise out of the store through the back door without paying for it. His role was to look the other way and to inform them of any investigation.

He did this in a neighboring city and was arrested for burglary and the subsequent conspiracy. My favorite lieutenant went down to the central jail to pay him a visit during visiting hours. After asking about his welfare and checking on how he was being treated, he showed the recruit the notice of termination and had it entered into his jail property. The recruit's police ID was removed from inmate property and confiscated.

Patchman · 07-23-2012, 13:30

Graduation parties seem pretty consistent cause.

CJStudent · 07-23-2012, 13:33

We had one that was fist-bumping inmates in the middle of the main courtyard of the institution (daywatch, no less). He was asked to resign while still on probation.

txleapd · 07-23-2012, 13:33

If we're talking recruits/cadets, that's a whole 'nother set of stories.

blueiron · 07-23-2012, 13:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by txleapd

If we're talking recruits/cadets, that's a whole 'nother set of stories.

They are still on probation though and some of them have the sense to get fired early, before meeting and embarrassing the agency with their antics.

blueiron · 07-23-2012, 13:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJStudent

We had one that was fist-bumping inmates in the middle of the main courtyard of the institution (daywatch, no less). He was asked to resign while still on probation.

Fist to face or fist to fist? The former can be remediated...

RetailNinja · 07-23-2012, 13:43

A probie here, before I got hired, female, fighting a strong male resisting arrest. He tries spitting on her so she pins his head to the side against the back seat headrest with her forearm/elbow.

Puts in her report later that she elbowed his jaw that night.

Ho hum bumbledee dumb SGT (from back when 'the list' and hires used to be based on campaign contribution size) reads the report and OK's it and sends it up the chain.

SA calls sheriff the next day and she's terminated by that afternoon.

You can be F'd even if you do no wrong.

CJStudent · 07-23-2012, 13:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueiron

Fist to face or fist to fist? The former can be remediated...

Fist to fist, unfortunately. The sad part is he's a retired deputy sheriff.

GunFighter45ACP · 07-23-2012, 13:44

A kid graduates from college, then shortly thereafter, graduates the academy. He mistakes the station house for a frat house, dispatchers for sorority girls, and well, you can guess the rest...

blueiron · 07-23-2012, 13:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by GunFighter45ACP

A kid graduates from college, then shortly thereafter, graduates the academy. He mistakes the station house for a frat house, dispatchers for sorority girls, and well, you can guess the rest...

The Tri-Lams meet the Omega Mu? Blech.

blueiron · 07-23-2012, 13:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJStudent

Fist to fist, unfortunately. The sad part is he's a retired deputy sheriff.

Someone should have their retirement revoked.

nikerret · 07-23-2012, 14:09

I made it a month after graduating the Academy, at my first agency before I was fired. Next month will be four years at my second (current) ageny.

Alcohol in my system when I showed up, on my day off, for Taser training, on the clock. The Sheriff that hired me and fired me said he would have gone with a lesser punishment, but I was on probation. Stand up guy, all around. Was instrumenal in getting me my second LE position.

There used to be a thread I started on it. Several posts were very insightful in response to my fessing up, to everyone on here, about my first major official f-up. If it is still around, I recommend everyone read it; especially, newbies. Some people on here were harsh, some were inspiring (some were both). I still feel a huge embarrassment, but I hope others will learn from my mistakes.

To avoid mis-represening myself, me and trouble are in-cahoots. Next month, I'll be back off my second probationary period, at this agency.

***Dragoon44*** · 07-23-2012, 14:31

We had a guy that lasted about two weeks on the job. He stole some money from a dispatchers purse.

My fav story though is not a probationary cop but a Public Defender that had just graduated law school and got hired as a public defender in a neighboring county. the weekend before he was to start his new job he came to our city and decided to buy some MJ to celebrate. The locals though he was a cop so when he asked for some "Grass" they sold him a bag of grass clippings.

He came to our dept. to file a complaint about being ripped off. Struggling to keep a straight face we told him he would have to sign an affidavit describing his complaint. He did. we forwarded it to his new employer and he was fired when he reported to work on monday.

Mayhem like Me · 07-23-2012, 14:40

We had a guy just out of the academy in FTO drunk doing doughnuts ( the kind you do in a car) in front of one of our Deputys one night..
He was arrested and followed home when he bonded so we could pick up our stuff...

Guess he thought those police academy movies were real.....

Officer X · 07-23-2012, 15:04

We had a guy during his last two weeks of the probationary period let go. This guy had a few issues during the first year but nothing really serious.

During his last week, his car broke down and he needed to get into work. He somehow figured it would be a good idea to drive his hobby car that he was working on in his garage into work. Unregistered, uninsured, no headlights in the front grill. The brass saw it parked in the lot and he did not make it to the end of his probationary period.

Ftttu · 07-23-2012, 16:23

There was a guy in my class who was either in FTO training or had just been released when his little buddy was arrested for PI at a well-known gay bar. He flashed his badge and raised all kinds of hell and he it appeared he wasn't taken in himself due to courtesy. It that wasn't bad enough, he went to the jail where he continued demanding for the release of his buddy and that's where his LEO days ended.

Patchman · 07-23-2012, 16:34

Wow, in any other profession, most of the above described indiscretions would have gotten the actor an "atta boy" and a pat on the back from his co-workers.

In LE they got fired? Damn hard.

trdvet · 07-23-2012, 17:24

New boot, first day of the first week of FTO. Which consists of going to the various departments and learning where the buildings are at. First order of business for the first day of the first week of FTO is to tour the jail. Pulls out his pistol and rides the hammer down on a live chamber to put the weapon in the sally port safe.......

BANG!!!!!!!!

Made it an hour and two minutes, give or take.

k9medic · 07-23-2012, 17:54

Two instances that I can think of -

One guy who who barely passed the academy lost his issued gun when he hosted a open house party the first week we were on the job. IA showed up two weeks later to see where he was storing his newly issued gun so he showed them. It was underneath the cushion of his couch where his 3 year old was playing. Job change #1. Time on job - roughly 3 weeks

The next guy was called into the Sheriff's officer to disuss a complaint he had against him. He showed up in cut off shorts and a tank top along with his little lap dog. The Sheriff asked him if he drove his marked patrol car there - of course he did. he got a ride home by the Sgt so the Sgt could reclaim his gear. job change #2. Time on job - 3 months.

CLoft239 · 07-23-2012, 18:20

We had a guy from a previous department I worked at that figured "hey, pay day is in 2 days, I have the next 3 days off. I'm short on cash; I think I'm gonna pawn my department issued firearm"

I don't think much explanation is needed. He had only been out of the academy for 1 1/2 weeks...

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Ohio Copper · 07-23-2012, 18:23

I can't speak on one because it is still being adjudicated.

Not too many people around here bomb their probation period since FT jobs are hard to come by. Plenty of reserves get canned cause of everything from DUI to gross sexual imposition.

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lpo · 07-23-2012, 18:38

Had a guy in my reserve class get busted for having underage girls at his house drinking a week after we were sworn in. He had also gotten a full time gig at another PD and was waiting to go to the full time academy for them. He got let go from both.

So depending how you look at it, he made it a week or didn't make to first day of academy.

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***Sam Spade*** · 07-23-2012, 18:39

Rookie having trouble with his reports. On approach of the Sgt to critique another sub-standard work he (jokingly, he says) whips out his Asp, snaps it open in a textbook guard position and says, "What is it this time?"

Humor was taken about as well as hijack jokes in the TSA queue.