CF experience relevant to RCMP, civ policing? (merged)

[paracowboy]

I base it on several sessions i had with cst.'s and commissioned officers. ranging from inspector to superintendant in charge of the every detachment in North District.(Northern BC). These sessions were all simply question and answer periods where you get to pick the brains of senior officers and members to see what their opinions are on how to get in adn anything else you want to know about the RCMP.  And most of all i base it on a classroom lecture i atteneded at the RCMP youth academy three months ago. This lecture was given by the man in charge of recruiting for north district. The lecture was in short. "this is what were looking for in a candidiate. this is what you should do".

AAAAARRRGGHHHHH! Then state that in the first post! I was seeing flames from everywhere coming down on what I was hoping would be (and has turned out to be) a very informative thread.

My bad, too, but I'm still gonna blame you. (MCpls are never wrong.)

 

[zipperhead_cop]

Para, did you notice the poll?  Both options are "99", unless the problem is with my computer.

 

[paracowboy]

I changed the poll to "Yes", "No", "I don't know" - albeit with some humour, and I clicked the wrong thingie so there's an extra option that nobody should use (but some smartasses will anyway, which isn't too bad, really, because it'll keep them from messing with the real options).

 

[len173]

(MCpls are never wrong.)

hahaha, so I've heard. Lesson learned, don't argue with a MCpl.

 

[len173]

It is a bit interesting that Certain canadian police agencies state on their websites that military experience does not make you more or less qualified, but some American forces ( i believe the NYPD for one..i was on their website and saw this) accept certain amounts of service with a honorable discharge instead of University or College credits. I imagine you'd be a damn good candidate if you had a degree and service. But interesting difference in the way things are done.

 

[Red 6]

Veterans' preference is by no means universal in the US. If you're a veteran with expeditionary/combat service or a service connected disability and you apply for federal civil service, then you are eligible for 5 or 10 additional points. But state, county and municipal agencies are all over the place. I think it boils down (as mentioned above) to how well you package your experience on your application.

 

[zipperhead_cop]

It is a bit interesting that Certain canadian police agencies state on their websites that military experience does not make you more or less qualified

I would be very interested to see a link to any or all of those sites. 

 

[len173]

I would be very interested to see a link to any or all of those sites.

I'll try and hunt it down for you. It was just a day or two ago i was on a website reading the FAQ and that question came up. I just gotta remember which agency it was, i was on a bunch.

 

[len173]

Peel Regional Police. FAQ

https://erecruit.peelpolice.on.ca/psp/ps/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/e/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.peelpolice.on.ca%2funiformrecruiting%2ffaq.html

 

[paracowboy]

Peel Regional Police.

5 RCR  ;D

 

[zipperhead_cop]

Peel Regional Police. FAQ

https://erecruit.peelpolice.on.ca/psp/ps/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/e/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.peelpolice.on.ca%2funiformrecruiting%2ffaq.html

From that site:

Will my experience in the Military help?

Each applicant is viewed individually. Military service is neither an advantage nor a disadvantage.

IMO they are just trying to be neutral.  Probably because of the 5 RCR jokes, they threw that out there just as a disclaimer, so some winy puke can't bleat about not getting hired because he/she didn't have military service.  I still think on average the army guys will do better in the interview, though.  More so if they have a leadership course under their belt.

 

[Michael OLeary]

Perhaps the original question should have been:

"All other aspects being equal, would military service help with a police application?"

Followed by:

"Can anyone state from personal experience what kinds of military experience were found to be helpful in police applications?"

 

[canadianblue]

From what I've been told the military really doesn't give you anymore of an advantage or disadvantage for law enforcement, it is just a job. Personally I found that my previous job probably gave me more experience that would help me in any career in LE. I'm thinking of joining a police service once I'm done my contract, and I think that doing volunteer work as well as post secondary would look better on an application then just military service.

 

[The_Falcon]

I posted this http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/32733.0.html a while ago, and I have no new info other than I applied and have been deffered, the info still remains the same, the military allows you the opportunity to experience a broad range of life experiences, it still up to YOU, to relay that info to the recruiters during your interview if you are granted one.

 

[noneck]

see, now, here's the thing: a few posters have stated what they know based on personal experience. You jump in with conjecture apparently based on nothing, while contradicting the former.

Future Trooper I defer to PARACOWBOY  by quoting him above. Several former CF members have spoken about their personal experiences, all of which completely negate your last post!

 

[canadianblue]

I really don't see how what I'm doing right now will really help out my chances in the future with applying to any police service, my options if anything are probably more limited by being in the military. I think that my last job working at Safeway will probably be more of a benefit to me if applying to a police service. With any post secondary as well, if I want to do any evening classes I won't get many options if I'm posted in Petawawa which is more of a probability then anything. All in all if I had to do it all again I would have gone to college, upgrade my marks and done some time in the reserves.

 

[The_Falcon]

I really don't see how what I'm doing right now will really help out my chances in the future with applying to any police service, my options if anything are probably more limited by being in the military. I think that my last job working at Safeway will probably be more of a benefit to me if applying to a police service. With any post secondary as well, if I want to do any evening classes I won't get many options if I'm posted in Petawawa which is more of a probability then anything. All in all if I had to do it all again I would have gone to college, upgrade my marks and done some time in the reserves.

How are your options limited? How would Safeway be better? You can get plenty of (life) experience in the military, which is what recruiters are looking for, and that does not always equate to post-secondary. Granted there are plenty of folks who become Police Officers with no military background, and that is fine too, but the key to remember it is up to YOU to make the most of your experiences, and relate them to the recruiters/interviewers if and when that time comes for you.  As well when it comes to the competency interviews, it is not at all necessary to have some grand elaborate story for each competency.  Simple stories can and do suffice as long as you give them the info they need.  So suck it up, quit your moaning and bitching, and make the most of your situation.  Go over the competencies that the service your interested in uses, try and memorize them, so when you do something or involved in something that you believe fits the competency (and remember these can be small incidents), make a note of it somewhere with the date (very important cause you can only use events that have taken place fairly recently [2 years] in most cases), the particulars and who else was involved (recruiters tend to prefer incidents that can be verified by third parties).

 

[paracowboy]

my options if anything are probably more limited by being in the military...All in all if I had to do it all again I would have gone to college, upgrade my marks and done some time in the reserves.

so get out.

 

[Red 6]

I retired from the US Army (22 years- 16 active, 6 reserve) and I've been a police officer for almost 10 years. My agency is a progressive, community oriented municipal department. if you don't think service in the armed forces is beneficial, you haven't widened out your thought process. Here are just a few examples:

1) problem solving (bread and butter for law enforcement officers)- In the military service, you have to think creatively to get missions accomplished. You have to be flexible, an independent thinker, but be able to work in a team setting to get results on a time sensititve basis.

2) dependability - As a Soldier, Airman, etc, you're supposed to be at your appointed place of duty on time, in the right uniform and ready to do your job. You're expected to do your job, even if nobody is standing right over your shoulder. Integrity, honor and loyalty mean something in the military.

3) cultural awareness/diversity - In the service, you work with people from all over the country, and around the world. You learn to relate to people from all racial backgrounds, socioeconomic groups, and different political viewpoints. You learn from day 1 that the color of your skin isn't important, but how you do your job.

These are just a very few isolated examples. If you look on almost any job posting for a police officer, I bet you'll find words very similar to what I've written above. I could go on and on. I was an FTO for several years and there was a distinct difference between veterans and people with no military background. Veterans in general know how to take *** chewings (in cop talk, "Daily Observation Reports") They are more adaptive thinkers and generally more mature than other people their age who come from the civilian work force. If you think, "All I do is hump a rucksack and go to the field," open up your perspective.

I was a cavalry scout before I went into law enforcement. Since I began in my current career, I'n become a firearms instructor, rifle armorer and ops support officer, all based on my military experience. Here's a picture of me at the range in May, having more fun than one guy should be allowed to.

 

[canadianblue]

my options if anything are probably more limited by being in the military...All in all if I had to do it all again I would have gone to college, upgrade my marks and done some time in the reserves.

so get out.

Not really much of an option, since I doubt any police service wants to see a dishonurable discharge on my record. I was looking forward to a career in the military after BMQ, but then just started to think that being treated like a ten year old for the next ten years of my life. I'm just going to make the best of my time in, and then get out once my contract is done.