Overrated Career: Police Officer

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You have no idea what you are talking about.

Me of PA 8:03AM February 25, 2013

I am a 15 year veteran police officer with the City of Los Angeles. I have a great eBook out for anyone who wants to enter into law enforcement. I will show you the ends and outs of getting hired. log on to www.policementor.com.

Mike of CA 3:46AM July 30, 2011

Being a police officer is very rewarding! It is not always an easy job, but is worth it for someone that has what it takes! http://www.peaceofficerjobs.com has great information about becoming a police officer!

T of OH 10:00AM September 06, 2010

How tragic that in our society we value super models, and celebrities moreso than Educators, Scientists, Police officers, and healthcare personnel.
Back when i was a Paramedic in NYC i encountered the best and worst of humanity. We were frequently placed in physically, mentally, and emotionally high risk situations in order to save or otherwise help our fellow human beings.
It was a low paying job, at the time, and still is when you consider the danger and "sacrifice" involved.
An acquaintance of mine, on the other hand, who worked in a safe and comfortable work environment, made anywhere from $5-30K in ONE DAY.
She was a Model who averaged a monthly income of around $15-20K for just a few days of work. In a year she cleared 6 figures even with an "unemployment" lapse of 2-3 months. She was offered the world by men and companies simply because she was ~beautiful.
It didn't matter that she was not very intelligent or that she never attended college and barely made it through high school. It didn't matter that she was egotistical, self absorbed and wouldn't lift a finger to help someone.
The only thing that mattered was her beauty.
Now at the age of 44 she is "retired". Having earned so much money during her teens through her 30's there is no need for her to ever work again- anywhere.
She married a wealthy stockbroker who manages her money since she has no idea how to do it herself. (lets hope he doesn't met a "younger model" and walk out of the marriage with all the money). She has, in her life, made 0 difference in the life of another human being.
Ironically, years ago, i used to be envious of her but not anymore. Now i kind of feel sorry for her- though financially secure she is broke in so many other ways.
In contrast here i sit, in my 40's, unable to retire (though i wouldn't want to at this age anyway) yet excited at the prospect of another career change.
Unlike my Model friend, I have always had a "purpose" my whole life and have had so many amazing experiences in the course of fulfilling that purpose. Though i am not financially rich, i am rich in ways that truly matter and are much more meaningful.
I have the essentials --- a wonderful home, a healthy family, the desire, health and strength to continue working in ways that will positively impact the lives of others. I don't want for anything and prefer to have few material possessions (much less cleaning involved).
It's so important for people to stop wanting less of what they don't have and to start appreciating more what they do have. Try it and believe me you will start seeing the world in an entirely different way.
Live for today, anticipate and prepare for tomorrow but don't become so fearful of not having a million $ in your 401k.
As long as you're healthy there's no reason why you can't work into your 70's and 80's. My grandparents did and loved every minute of it!
Their secret?:
1. They had a purpose
2. They loved what they did for a living.

JackieNeutron of TX 5:19PM June 05, 2010

I served four years as a patrol Officer between my enlisted Army time and now my Army officer time. While not denying the negatives, I would tell a young person considering Law Enforcement there is incredible variety in the field. One can do K9 work, forensics, investigator, schools/crime prevention educator, as well as the more "sexy" stuff like SWAT, underwater recovery/ search and rescue, deep undercover ops, and even aviation. As a State Trooper, one can do accident investigations or guard a state governor. At the federal level, one can learn a foreign language and culture in the Border Patrol (now Customs and Immigration) and even travel abroad and conduct special operations with the DEA, ATF, FBI, Air Marshals and State Department Security. One can qualify as a Secret Service agent, or simply serve a small community as a patrol officer. The right combination of military time, accredited police academy and a four year degree can open many doors.

Pete Martinez of FL 3:51PM April 08, 2010

I would never be a cop. Just the daily stress, then add the idea of putting my life in danger everyday (unless I work a completely boring desk job as a cop) and it's nothing I would ever consider. On the other hand, as a college professor I make about half of what police officer makes, will work for 40 years and won't get near as good a pension. So much for my 11 years in graduate school and my daily fight to contribute to society by educating people.

KH of NY 9:54PM March 23, 2010

Um, NYPD cops get a pension after 20 years, and it's 50% of final salary plus $12k. So if you join at 22 after college and if you make it to captain by taking multiple choice exams and end with a salary of $176k in today's dollars, your annual pension will be $100,000 a year, plus some health coverage, for the rest of your life, from age 42 onward. This is with no financial risk whatsoever; state law mandates pensions be paid before most anything else.
So where else can you get an investment that will yield you $100,000 a year in perpetuity, with no risk whatsoever? 5% is basically a safe return. Without even counting the value of the health insurance, this is a $2,000,000 nut.
So if we back this off 20 years, it would be like putting aside $300,000 at the age of 22, in a 5% risk-free return investment, AND adding an additional $40,000 every single year for the next twenty years. Or, on the other hand, not putting aside anything up front, but just saving about $60,000 a year every year for 20 years, after taxes, in a 5% return vehicle. If you think of it this way, a lieutenant making $130k a year is really making $190k plus the value of his health insurance.
And go buy yourself some health insurance while you're at it.
And policing gives you unlimited sick leave, great in-service insurance, free life insurance, and 27 vacation days a year, plus another dozen or two dozen depending on the chart you work while you're in service. Plus MBA's are tools who watch cop shows at night and drive fast cars so they can drive like cops and buy big houses to prove they're worth something.
Now that I think of it, I don't want someone inclined to be an MBA to join the force.

Eddie Lorenzo of NY 3:58PM March 23, 2010

This is 2010 dude, you can no longer simply graduate high school and apply for the police department when you turn 21. No days you've got to have a four year degree in many US cities to even apply for the police department. New York City has more police officers than any city on the planet and they require a four year degree now.
Maybe back in 1994 you could score really high on the public service, physical and oral board tests and get a job on a department somewhere. I started out as a campus cop at Weber State University. I transferred to the Ogden (Utah) police department after I graduated from Weber. Fast forward three years and here I am in Los Angeles on the infamous LAPD. Right now, 60% of the officers I work with have four year degrees or higher. While 30% are from the military and the other 10% were hired on before 1985.

John of CA 9:07AM February 02, 2010

Bernardo, for someone who knows so much about finance I find it funny you forgot that pensions are only paid after 30+ years of working. The lump sum of $1.5 million you calculated is for a pension starting 30 years in the future. Discounting that back to today's dollars and it's only $261,000.
I'm sure that over the course of 30 years, the present value of a USC MBA's salary will be $261,000 greater than that of a police officer.

of 7:18AM December 21, 2009

Being a policeman in America is a tough job. You deal with people at their worst, few people like you and for much of your career you are out driving around in weather when all if the sane folks are home in front of the fire. Every once a while a drunk takes a swing at you. If you are really unlucky, a couple of times in a 30 year career you may be in real danger. Remove automobile accidents from the mix, which are, after all the drivers fault and its a low risk job-does not even crack the top 20 most dangerous jobs. Talk about danger- work the late shift at a Stop and Rob and for minimum wage. Policemen in large cities are earning in the low six figures-not bad for a high school grad.

John Early of TX 6:02PM November 08, 2009