Becoming a highway patrol officer

[ask92]

Hey guys i'm looking into joining the chp(california highway patrol) and an just wondering if is there is anyone who has been or is in the highway patrol, or even just a cop that could give me some advice in which way is the best to start out.As of right now I'm thinking of getting my associates in criminal justice then applying for the academy, and if I cannot get in in will go for the bachelors degree. Thanks guys!

 

[Compton74]

well im no police officer but am very good friends with many of them and feel i can give you some information. First of all you'll have to apply (obviously) and if selected youll have to go through a physical, a sight examination and a polygraph examination. if you pass all that you will be accepted into the academy. Now CHPs academy differs than your normal LA county academy. You will live at CHPs academy which i believe is in riverside or corona for 6 months and will not be able to go home(maybe weekends but im not positive to this). Now having a degree in anything will guarantee you a pay raise, and speaking another language will also get you a pay raise, so get that degree and start learning spanish! Good luck my friend i hope they are hiring.

 

[7Mboost]

We don't need anymore useless pigs, ticketing America along our highways. Highway patrol is a useless police force sucking up innocent taxpayers money. Try for another career. (Police jobs don't pay for shit anyways, why the hell would anyone want that fucking salary)

 

[Dunckel]

What is it about highway patrol that interests you?

 

[ask92]

What is it about highway patrol that interests you?

I enjoy the sense of helping others, I like driving, I am fine being isolated, i plan to get at least an associates degree so my pay will be fairly good. I also have an utter hatred for math .

 

[GrimJack]

Hmm... this raises an interesting question. How is the LE community separated down there, and what is each group responsible for? I know you have city / state / HP / FBI at the least. Don't you also have a Sheriff department?

It's much simpler up here... one national force and city departments. The national force will supply your city for a fee as well.

 

[ask92]

Where I am at least we have City/sheriff/HP and they are really all that is around to enforce anything. CHP tends to stick to the large highways and large city's, city cops obviously are in there respective city's and the sheriffs patrol the small towns that don't have enough to run there own PD.

 

[Dunckel]

I enjoy the sense of helping others, I like driving, I am fine being isolated, i plan to get at least an associates degree so my pay will be fairly good. I also have an utter hatred for math .

Just make sure it's what you really want to do. Read up on the positives and negatives of a career in Law Enforcement. Make sure you can handle shift work and make sure your significant other can handle you doing shift work. You're going to see things that most people shouldn't see, and experience things most people can't understand. Just do your job the best way you know how. Try to stay out of the political bullshit, and under the radar.

I have an Uncle that retired as a Sgt. with the Orange County Sheriffs Department. He was making 104K/year as a Sgt., and has a pension of 85k/year plus medical for the rest of his life.

I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Supracentral]

Hmm... this raises an interesting question. How is the LE community separated down there, and what is each group responsible for? I know you have city / state / HP / FBI at the least. Don't you also have a Sheriff department?

Actually it depends on the county, city, state & town here... There are some locations that have so many different "types" of law enforcement here it's bewildering.

In some places you're simultaneously the jurisdiction of The FBI & Federal Marshalls (US Wide), State Police, GBI & Public Safety (State wide), County Sheriffs & County Marshalls (County wide) and City Police, City Public Safety, City Code Enforcement (City wide). Inside of each of those you've got sub groups with specialization (Special Weapons & Tactics (SWAT) , K9 (Police with dogs), etc... )

With all due respect to Dunck, we've got too many goddamned cops here and way to many fucking laws.

 

[IBoughtASupra]

On a side note, the Chargers that patrol the highway are badass. The most intimidating highway patrol car I have seen.

 

[CTsupra]

50-60k out of the academy with a 24 month step-pay max of somewhere between 70-75k a year for a PATROLMAN (that means everyone under the rank of Sergeant) is pretty good f-ing money. Who wouldn't appreciate that salary? And most of you with whatever benefits you think you have at your current job wouldn't come close to the benefits and early retirement offered to LEO's.

 

[IBoughtASupra]

We fix the LT car for the local preceint, it is only four blocks away, and he refused to turned Captain many times because he makes more than the captain.