My 32 year old kid wants to be a cop

H

Hal

New member
I think he's an idiotat worst,,,dreamer at best..

Anybody want to talk him out of it,,, or me into it?

As an objective aside - based on some of the stories he's told me of his fellow classmates - I hope,,, I mean I REALLY hope there's some head-shrinker tests some of these clowns need to pass....

You wouldn't believe...

One guy was so convinced he was going to be nominated as the class leader he spent a week "talking trash" about how he was going to "shape up" all of the others in class. When it came down to the nomination and the guy didn't get it, he got so upset he barfed all over the floor.:rolleyes:
 
I've played with the notion of being a LEO ever since I got out of the army (another job parents usually don't want their kids to do), but I've always held out for something else. Alot of people are drawn to law enforcement and the military because they feel they are doing a greater good, they want a chance to protect, maybe to feel like a hero. No one does it for the money,no one does it for the glory, you do it for you and everyone has their own personal reason. I don't know how to talk you into it, nor would I talk him out of it. If I had let people talk me out of joining the army I would not be who I am today and that is for the better. The only thing you can really do is accept it as tough as that may be. When I left for basic my mom openly wept in front of me, but I still got on that bus and did my duty, because in my heart I knew why i wanted to be a U.S soldier, even if noone else understood.:)
 
What's his reason for wanting to become a cop?
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$$$ mainly.
He thinks every Podunk PD pays like LA or NYC.

Pretty much though his reasons are all leaning towards the negative side.
- Only a paycheck.
- Get's to wield power.
- Chance for some "Action".
- Etc.

He may have other reasons that for whatever reason he's keeping them to himself that he hasn't discussed with me though. It's possible he has reasons that lean towards the good side, and just doesn't want to come out and say them.

I've played with the notion of being a LEO ever since I got out of the army (another job parents usually don't want their kids to do
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LOL! I gave him 3 choices when he turned 19.
#1 - Army
#2 - Navy
#3 - Air Force.
He took choice #1.
Since he had no college plans, I felt the Army offered him a chance to get away from home and be on his own. It worked out well.
 
The main thing is for him to give serious thought to what he wants to do and why. Of course, the amount of effort put into choosing a career field should be directly related to the amount of effort required to get a job in the chosen field.

If your son has the qualifications to be hired right now by a PD, let him give it a try if he thinks he is interested. If he needs to go to school or otherwise invest a good bit of effort in preparing to get a job with a PD, encourage him to clearly think about what he is getting into and why.
 
He's 32, he's not a kid and it's not your job to talk him out of doing something like becoming an LEO. You're acting like he's 15 and wants to join the circus. You don't have to like his decisions, just live with them.
 
I have a lot of friends in various police forces (fed, state, local). Even a small town cop can make decent money with OT. If the 32 year old kid has no focus an is still working in BlockBuster it may be a good thing for him. He has a real slim chance however due to his age .Most guys he will be competing against will be about 10 years younger than him, some will be Vets coming back from Iraq who will be in decent shape and get extra credit for their service in wartime. He also needs to be in shape now. He should look up the army requirements for running 2 miles and complete that on a daily basis. If your son is fat he might as well forget about it, unless he becomes extremely dedicated now.
 
Leo

Wow, alot of different comments about this situation. If this is really what the man wants to do, be an officer, then so be it. Since I was about 10-years old, I've wanted to work as a police officer. Went into the USAF at 18 as a Security Policeman, and while stationed in Fort Worth, went to the police academy at 19, taking the night academy. Started working as a reserve officer while in USAF for a city right outside the base at 19 and never looked back. Been doing it now for 26 years and its great. Now I will say after 26 years, I would like to retire and do nothing but hunt and fish, but wife doesn't think thats a good idea.

As for tests, they give mental and physical, and if you don't pass either one, you don't get the job. One guy I work with applied at another department and had to go through the same procedures as he did with us. Got into an argument with the doctor over an issue and he failed him on the "sike" saying he had a bad attitude. He still works for us and worked for me for years and probably one of the best officers with a good head on his shoulders and makes very good decisions. Just because you have a PHD in "siking" people, they went with the doctor. Oh well, he still likes his job, was just looking for a better retirement.

Anyway, if this is what your son wants to do, then you should support his decision.
 
As someone who was in a similar situation once, all I can say is make sure you really want it before you start the process. I got so wrapped up in whether I could make it through and get hired I didn't stop to think if I should. There's "cop people", and then there's everybody else. Make sure your personality and motivations are in the right place; otherwise you're wasting your time and putting fellow officers and the public in jeopardy.
 
his choice

he may not make it. I think the part about lookg for some "action" may indicate he is not quite mature enough emotionally. Not everyone is. No shame there. This is why they have "experts" evaluate applicants. While they can and do err, I think it is important. When someone is legally authorized to use deadly force when his judgment warrants it, we want the most stable individuals available.

I shudder to think about someone with a "mall ninja" attitude actually making it as a real cop.

Nothing against your son, but at 32, he has wasted his best decade for getting into this field.
 
Re: The age.

Yep. That's been my main point of contention. @ 32 plus being male plus not being a minority he has lots going against him. His one plus in that respect is that he is a US Army vet.
He's also in pretty decent shape.
 
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