BlueSheepdog
10 Years Experience
Around the Way, FL
Male, 40
Cheating death and fighting communism: that is how a fellow officer once described our job. It was meant to be funny, but as time went on it seemed all too true.
I spent more than ten years in law enforcement, all of it on the street in uniform patrol. I've been a patrol officer, instructor, sergeant and lieutenant.
Do not report crimes here. Nothing here should be considered legal advice. All opinions are my own.
Hinder you - possibly. But they won't rule you out completely. If one agency turns down your internship request, keep trying. Everyone makes mistakes, but if you haven't been using drugs or been involved in illegal activity since then, you can likely land an internship somewhere. If you want it - don't give up.
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Not typically. Many restaurant owners choose to offer certain people discounts, such as members of the military, firefighters, paramedics, police officers, etc. Those are individual choices a business owner makes and there is no hard and fast rule. Some businesses do offer a free meal to officers, but they are an exception. Some kind of discount is more common, and most places do not offer that. I have been honored to have my meal purchased for me by a kind (and always anonymous) citizen on occasion. Those are always appreciated and humbling.
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Speeding is not a crime, so no, I do not arrest anyone for speeding. Its not my job function to make value judgements on what is and is not a crime. Society does that through its elected officials. If you think marijuana should be de-criminalized, then I would encourage you to contact your elected officials and like minded citizens to work to change the laws.
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Some work better than others - I'd suggest checking out the online reviews of them before spending your money. I'd actually rather see people drive at reasonable speeds, especially since speed tends to be the largest factor in fatality accidents. Regardless, do your research before spending your money. Some are a complete waste of dollars, while others offer some advanced notice. RADAR/LASER detectors are illegal in some jurisdictions, but not all. Check your local laws. Yep, I've stopped a lot of people with a detector in plain view. They are legal in my area, so its no big deal. Personally, I don't care one way or another about them. Sometimes people get flustered when they realize I can see it - it is mildy amusing. One guy got really angry about how his detector didn't work, even though I didn't even have a RADAR/LASER in the patrol car (he had an expired tag.) I think he had unrealistic expectations about the detector.
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Border Patrol Agent
Do you ever feel sorry for the illegals you catch trying to cross the border?
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
How often do people wake up during surgery?
Bracketologist
Why have there been so many 15-2 upsets, but no 16-1's?
If the officer is acting in an official capacity and is not in uniform, you can certainly ask to see his credentials. For example, a plainclothes detective shows up at your house and asks to come in and talk - you better make sure you know he or she is a police officer. If you have any doubts - and I mean any - politely explain that you need to confirm his or her identity with dispatch first. Then call the non-emergency line for the police/sheriff's department and make sure the person is who they say they are.
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Only you can make the decision on how much it affects you. If you have passed the physical, then the department does not seem too concerned about it.
I will say that I have serious concerns for your safety if you are unable to hear in one ear. If you have a radio mic plugged in your "good" ear, how will you hear anything going on around you? At night when it is difficult to see, and you rely more on your hearing, how impaired will you be? If someone is walking up behind you on your deaf side, will you be able to hear them?
These are questions I cannot answer. I do not want to discourage anyone from getting into police work that has a genuine interest, but I don't want to see you get hurt or killed because of the deafness. FYI - If it is only partial deafness and your hearing can be enhanced with a hearing air of some kind, I don't see any problem.
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Yes, you will need to attend a police academy. Every state's academy is different in length of time, course of instruction, residency requirements, etc.
Some departments run their own academy that meets the state's requirements and then adds additional course material specific to the department. For example, a state highway patrol is likely to add in-depth accident investigation courses that go beyond the basics.
I am not familiar with the requirements for Ohio, but it looks like your state requires a minimum of 568 hours (14+ weeks) to obtain a peace officer certification. Check out http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/OPOTA for more information.
Good luck!
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