I sincerely hope that I don’t have to tell you what today is. Today, May 17, 2008, is Armed Forces Day. I will briefly make the argument that it is one of the most important days of the year, any year. It isn’t my intention to use Copcorner.net for political purposes but the subject of being grateful for the job very well done by our American Armed Forces transcends politics. It also ties directly into most themes that I have been discussing here and will discuss in the future. So read on!
Unless you are an anarchist, an antisocial or some variation of complete idiot, you can’t live your life in today’s world without knowing that there are forces of evil and destruction at work in our world. Forces that would like to destroy our culture, our freedoms and our future. When I say “our”, I am not just referring to the way of life we enjoy here in the United States. I am referring to free peoples everywhere in the world who can exercise self-determination, pursue education and personal goals and live life free of tyranny and domination.
What stands between liberty and freedom and the darkness of subjugation and domination? Who makes it possible to worship in any church we want, eat where we want, send our kids to the school of our choice, work at the profession of our choosing, spend our time any way we damn well please? I hope you answered this easy question correctly. It is the American Armed Forces, of course! And here domestically, it is the law enforcement professional.
There is a timeless cliche which I love – the soldier guarantees everything. Think about how true that saying is. Without that soldier standing guard over freedom and liberty, it would be impossible to conduct commerce, vote in orderly elections, transfer awesome power every four years, freely associate with friends, attend schools and participate in the free exchange of thought and ideas, and on and on. This list is endless. If you haven’t given thought to this lately, pause and reflect on how true the statement is.
There is an incredibly rich history of heroism and sacrifice by our American Armed Forces. That history of sacrifice goes on today. I have two cousins who have already served in Iraq, and they may have to return. Great job guys! Personally, I don’t care what your personal feeling is related to our presence there but one thing that nobody can deny is that our armed forces have done an incredibly great job, by any measure.
Conducting war operations is the most complex thing that modern day man undertakes. There is no military held to a higher standard or looked at more closely than ours. And even with that, our men and women have performed to near perfection. My heart aches constantly for the young men and women who have been killed in the line of duty. I wish their lives could be spared and I wish I could offer comfort and thanks to their families. Each and every one of them are my heroes!
When I speak to someone in uniform, I always thank them for serving. You should do the same. While the average American has come to be very good at enjoying freedom, he or she has forgotten how do defend it. For that reason these dedicated military professionals deserve our thanks, maybe a hug and a heartfelt “Thank you!”
A few days ago, I was excited to read that volunteer recruitment has gone up substantially in the early part of 2008. The Marine Corps in particular has recruited very well and is already ahead of their goal for 2009! If I could, I would turn back the clock thirty five years and also volunteer. I don’t think they’ll accept a fifty-five year old soon to be ex-cop though! That’s ok, I’ll find other ways to support them.
I mentioned two of my cousins. My father fought in World War II and received a “million dollar wound”. That means that his injury was so serious that he was sent back stateside to endure surgeries and do his recovery here. He is also my hero and always will be! Thank you Dad! (I also get to thank him each November on Veterans Day.) There he was, a 19 yr old private with a leg wound that would greatly limit him for the rest of his life. The Army surgeons did such a good job that he has the leg to this day in his 84th year. Beyond impressive.
My father’s quiet heroism has been an inspiration to me. Like millions of others who have served with honor, he never talks about what he did. I see that quality in those who served many years ago and those who have recently separated from the military. Many of my fellow officers are former military and I admire their service. They are a welcome addition to my agency.
In the prior postings related to preparation for employment in law enforcement, I have mentioned that I believe it is a definite advantage to have served in our military. That experience definitely gives a veteran a leg up on the competition for the few available openings. It serves to set a direction for a young person’s life that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. I consider it a huge advantage.
Those self-loathing America haters who seek to undermine our way of life and cry like little babies each night on the pathetic media “newscasts” need to remember one thing. If today they enjoy the right of free speech it is because the American military stands ready to defend that right, and others spelled out in our Constitution. They should consider life under some other, tyrannical, facist, bigoted or blood thirsty social organization that competes with freedom and liberty in other parts of the world. Let them voice their ideas and feelings there and see how fast their blood hits the ground! I guess you can tell dear readers how much these ”haters” disgust me. Remember, I’m being tactful here! It’s those people who should thank the members of our military for allowing them to pollute their lives with the radical garbage that they so readily inhale. They can only do that in the free world. True to their clueless nature, they don’t get it.
That’s ok. Our military will continue to guarantee our freedoms on into the future because the call to do good is always answered. The free world, and the U.S.A. in particular, continues to produce the finest young people on the planet who become far and away the finest military professionals in the world.
To each and every one of them who have served, or will serve in some future time, I say “Many, many thanks!” Copcorner.net salutes you, your families and your dedication to duty. I stand with each and every one of you and urge my readers to do the same.
This time, a special thank you for reading this! See you again soon!
All the best, Tim
Hey, I’m back! Greetings everybody! It’s time to crank out another article. After a long stretch of work days, I look forward to doing the relaxing thing – which is writing to my readers! Today I am going to stick with the present theme which is how to develop a successful approach to getting hired in law enforcement.
But before we jump in, I want to diverge for a moment and mention that the two El Segundo Officers wounded recently, Lieutenant Ray Garcia and Detective Scott O’Connor, are both healing up nicely. It is anticipated that they will return to work in the near future. It is wonderful news for the law enforcement community everywhere! Everyone’s prayers and hopes for their recoveries have been answered. Don’t forget that somewhere else in this great nation of ours other communities are going through the same trauma after other violent confrontations with armed, determined criminals. Those of you who truly understand the sacrifice that our peace officers make each day know that somewhere else your prayers are needed and greatly appreciated. Always keep them in your prayers!
The follow up investigation has uncovered compelling evidence that the suspect intended to provoke the confrontation with the officers and was prepared to have a lethal shootout. Taking all of the facts together, there are elements to label this encounter as a “suicide by cop”. That is a topic that I will discuss at length in future postings, so stay tuned to Copcorner.net for that.
Where were we? Oh yeah, getting hired. I mentioned briefly in a prior posting that it is very important to know yourself ahead of time, before taking the first step toward attempting to get hired by an agency. This is a tough subject. I hope that I don’t offend anyone (too much) by what I have to say about this. Here goes…
Recruitment for peace officers is an imperfect science, to be sure. What makes it so different is that this isn’t a job selling shoes at Mervyn’s, or Christmas help at Toys R Us. No indeed, this is much different. Maybe it is appropriate to borrow the recruiting line from a very well done U.S. Marines commerical: we don’t accept applications, only commitments. I think it is. The applicant must be committed to taking on problems, working through them and dealing with all kinds of people that the general public just can’t imagine. Personally, I love it but it’s not for everybody. In fact I would say that only a small percentage of the present day population need apply. Read on and you’ll understand why.
Applying for police work is the ultimate in public service, along with serving in the military. I hope that I don’t have to press this point too much. My reason for feeling this way should be painfully obvious. In contrast, over the years, American society has gradually slid toward narcissistic, self-centered behavior characterized by an obnoxious catch phrase “what’s in it for me?” Now, maybe I’m exaggerating a little here but consider the following. The population of the United States recently surpassed the 300 million figure meaning there are more people living in our wonderful country than at any time in history. Why then would the pool of available, qualified job candidates be so limited, as most recruiters will tell you is the case today? Well, I’ll tell you why. The for-profit machine that is our economy has learned that there are fortunes to be made selling products and services that glorify the concept of the individual, which cater to each person “doing their own thing”. This trend has made mediocrity the new standard, especially among young people who today feel more comfortable being a face in the crowd rather than stepping forward and being a leader. And that’s precisely what a peace officer is: a leader in their community.
Young people are more tuned to keeping up with empty trends, such as the latest video games or gossip web sites, rather than investigating and becoming informed about important collective issues such as our place in this world. Many, many young people today even deny the existence of a God, and disrespect the wisdom of elders. Their behavior frequently reflects this moral deficiency.
Parents are also largely responsible for fostering this go it alone attitude. They express the pervasive cynicism about the current state of things both in public life and around the home. Are things really that bad? Recent surveys suggest that 60-70% of the American public are happy with their lives. I have heard these results quietly reported in the past few months. This message doesn’t get widespread attention, does it? The fact is that the American public enjoys the highest standard of living in history, and the number of people living in conditions of poverty is decreasing, not increasing! But you’d never know it listening to the media each day, would you? This is where our prospective job candidates come from.
Ok, so I’ve revealed myself as an optimist. Yes, I am. And darn proud of it. History, and my own life, have taught me that as often as the dark clouds gather on the horizon, things have a way of working out for the better. Good generally trumps evil. So why not approach your life optimistically, brightly? Why not consider being part of something greater than yourself, with noble and worthy goals such as the betterment of society? Is your life really meant to be lived in front of a computer screen each day, or a television? Ugh! What a waste.
Ask yourself, and answer honestly, if you really have what it takes to serve your fellow man. If you don’t, then maybe you just need to experience life and mature a little. It is not uncommon for some job applicants to still be living at home with their parents. I’m talking about people already in their mid 20’s. Some have held jobs which don’t involve working with the public. Some apply right out of school, many never having finished college and gotten their degree. Are these good traits, or less attractive ones? Do you fall into one of these groups? Most importantly, how do you feel about it?
This is what a recruiter will see when you try to begin the application process. There are many other important issues that will also be noticed. Have you experimented with drugs? What type and how often? Is your financial situation orderly or chaotic? Have you broken the law in other ways, i.e. traffic citations or misdemeanor arrests? What is your attitude toward the things that are generally considered to be negative traits for a law enforcement applicant? Is this no big deal, or are you executing a personal plan to rectify these things? After all, everybody stumbles in life, especially when they’re young. The question to ask is whether you are learning from these experiences and applying life’s lessons, or are you just adrift?
My point in posing these types of questions is to get you (the applicant or the interested party) to be more introspective and self examining. If these things describe you, then you should be asking yourself what do I have to do to be more squared away. If I want to commit to seeking employment in law enforcement, where do I need to improve? As things presently are in my life, will I look like a good candidate or should I wait some period of time, maybe a couple of years, to straighten up some things and then really pursue my goal?
These are not easy questions. Each one provokes a great deal of thought and a need for personal honesty. I know, I’ve been there. One thing that I had going for me was a lot of life experience going in. In my twenties, I was a party guy. Also, all of my adult employment involved public contact. I knew quiet a lot about people, especially how to talk to them. Being more mature was a distinct advantage. Some of my wilder times were farther in the past, not just last month or last year. Being a little older gave me greater confidence to present myself to an organization that takes its work seriously. In a lot of ways, it’s all about growing up.
If I had my way, law enforcement wouldn’t hire anybody under about age 25. So much maturation takes place in the 20’s. On the other hand, I have met a few very squared away people in their early twenties who approach the job with respect and maturity. Good for them. I wasn’t one of them. In life, we figure out who we are, what we believe in and what we’re made of at different stages. I was definitely a late bloomer. Now that I’m nearing the end of my career, I would have liked to have hired on sooner, but I wasn’t ready.
Those of you reading this may feel that this profile also fits you. Don’t worry, you have plenty of time to straighten your life out and firm up for a long, satisfying career in law enforcement. At this point, don’t do the expedient thing, do the right thing. Wait if you have to. Grow up some, walk away from juvenile habits and aim for one of the most important jobs in our society. Do it right and you won’t be disappointed. Law enforcement will always be seeking good people. One day, that will by you.
Ok, enough preaching for one post. In the next one, I’ll discuss how to prepare for the hiring process which will include some tips on how to ace the interviews. Remember, if you want to know everything you can about doing real police work, keep it here at Copcorner.net.
See you in a few days, Tim