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.
I don't know Virginia law, but in many (most?) states, you can pass all of the tests and still not be hired. If you think about it, say 100 people pass all of the tests but there are only 10 positions open. 90 people passed but won't be hired.
I have no idea what your department's background investigation requirements are. If he/she was convicted of domestic assault or domestic battery, he/she is not allowed to be in possession of firearms by federal (and probably Virginia) law. A department might not want their firearms to be around a prohibited person. You should probably talk to your recruiter about your situation for more information.
It is impossible for me to tell you where you might like to work. If you've never lived in a large city, you might love - or hate- it. Same thing about working in a smaller area.
From my personal experience, I would prefer a smaller department of 50-75 officers if I was starting all over. Ideally, it would be suburban to rural. I've worked for a very urban area and for a smaller department in a suburban bordering on rural area. You get a lot more of the exciting calls in a short amount of time in the urban areas, but you can also burn out much quicker.
The upside to a large agency is you get a lot of opportunity to work in specialized units that you don't have in smaller areas/departments. For example, a marine unit, aviation unit, SWAT unit, etc. But smaller areas will sometimes pool resources for multi-jurisdictional units (like SWAT teams formed with officers from several regional departments.)
I'd suggest doing a few ride-alongs with different departments in different areas and get a feel for what things are like.
Dealing with a violent person is a fluid and dynamic sitation. There is no easy, one-size-fits-all answer. Generally speaking, a police officer is authorized to use any force, up to and including deadly force, when he or she believes it is reasonably necessary to stop an armed person who poses an imminent threat to the lives of others. That may include shooting the violent criminal.
You should probably contact a criminal defense lawyer. Most attorneys will talk to you free, and only charge you if you have them perform some action (such as contacting the victim) for you. If you (through your lawyer) act before the company realizes they have been defrauded, there is a possibility you can square things with them before they call law enforcement. A lawyer can help with this.
School Teacher
Do you think teachers are underpaid? Why?
Hospice Nurse
Which terminal diseases are the most painful to watch people go through?
Auto Mechanic
What car brands are most/least likely to end up in the shop?
If no evidence exists, and no witnesses have presented themselves, then what additional actions would you suggest the officers take (within the confines of the law)? Maybe your neighbor did it, maybe she did not. People should never be arrested for "maybe."
IF you neighbor damaged your tires, and IF she admitted to tampering with your mail, it sounds like your best bet is to file a report with the postal police and see if they develop probable cause to arrest her. IF they do, then her probation can be revoked also.
It won't likely keep her in jail for very long, regardless.
No, stopping someone without reasonable articulable suspicion would be a violation of the 4th Amendment of the US Constitution and a bunch of state laws and department policies.
Speeding, even if "everyone does it" is still illegal, hence the reason why you were stopped.
I suspect the requirements are very similar. Click here for the Tampa PD recruiting page.
-OR-
Login with Facebook (max 20 characters - letters, numbers, and underscores only. Note that your username is private, and you have the option to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
(A valid e-mail address is required. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone.)
(min 5 characters)
By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Jobstr.com’s Terms and Privacy Policy.
-OR-
Register with Facebook(Don't worry: you'll be able to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)