Agencies within Orange County

I am looking to relocate to Orange County. I have submitted my pre-screener to the SO, but I was curious what agencies within the county other LEO's would recommend. I have heard good things about Apopka and Ocoee. My goal is the SO, but I am applying everywhere so I've got options. I am currently working as an officer in N. FL. Thanks, be safe

Apopka = no take home

apopka also = no union

APOPKA PD- HAS NO TAKE HOME..IS NOT GONNA CHANGE ANYTIME SOON, THE PAY IS OK $38K BUT THEY HAVE A PENSION THAT WILL KILL YOUR TAKE HOME MONEY,BARELY ANY OFF DUTY,NOT MUCH DIVERSITY WITH THE OFFICERS, AND IF YOU DON'T SPEAK SPANISH,YOU WILL AT LEAST NEED TO LEARN BASICS..EVERY OTHER CALL YOU WILL NEED A TRANSLATOR.....THE BRASS THERE IS COOL AND IT MAKES YOUR JOB EASIER..BUT THE FTO'S ARE KIND HARD AND SOME THING THAT THEY ARE THE CREAM OF THE CROP..NOT!!!! OH YEAH..2 YEAR CONTRACT!!!,NO SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL,10 HOUR SHIFTS,YOU WORK EVERY FRIDAY NOT MATTER WHAT.
OCOEE IS SMALLER AND IS UP IN COMING,ALSO THEY HAVE TAKE HOME,SALARY IS ABOUT $36 PLUS 1300 ON SHIFT DIFF,500 FOR BILINGUAL,PUTS YOU AROUND 37-38 MARK,THERE IS OFF DUTY AND THE FTO IS ONLY 14 WEEKS,THEY ALSO ARE GETTING NEW VEHICLES. DOWN SIDE,WELL THEY HAVE A 3 YEAR CONTRACT,CHIEF IS LIL' OFF BUT A GOOD GUY...
I HOPE THIS HELPS TO OTHERS...DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU PICK YOUR DEPT. IS NOT JUST A CAR LOOK FOR THE PLUSES AND CONS

does anybody knkow anyting about winter garden

Don't be fooled by Apopka. Very little diversity....try NO diversity. The brass= "Good Ole' Boys." Definitely do your research.

AS FAR AS I KNOW WGPD GOT A NICE CHUNK OF MONEY WITH THEIR NEW CONTRACT, SO IT MADE IT THE PLACE TO BE, IS VERY COMPETITIVE TO GET IN, TAKE HOME VEHICLE AND FOR WHAT I SEEN SO FAR .THEIR VEHICLES ARE BRAND SPANKING NEW, I EVEN SAW A '08 GMC SUBURBAN AS WGPD, BEFORE THE NEW CONTRACT THEY DID NOT HAVE TAKE HOMES SO IS A BIG SALE POINT FOR THEM NOW, ALSO THEY JUST BUILT A NEW SHOPPING AREA, THEY ARE BUILDING A NEW TOWN HALL AND THE AREA IS NOT BAD TO WORK AT. IF YOU WANT MORE SPECIFIC DETAILS, I DON'T WORK FOR THEM SO I WON'T KNOW...GOOD LUCK

AS FAR AS I KNOW WGPD GOT A NICE CHUNK OF MONEY WITH THEIR NEW CONTRACT, SO IT MADE IT THE PLACE TO BE, IS VERY COMPETITIVE TO GET IN, TAKE HOME VEHICLE AND FOR WHAT I SEEN SO FAR .THEIR VEHICLES ARE BRAND SPANKING NEW, I EVEN SAW A '08 GMC SUBURBAN AS WGPD, BEFORE THE NEW CONTRACT THEY DID NOT HAVE TAKE HOMES SO IS A BIG SALE POINT FOR THEM NOW, ALSO THEY JUST BUILT A NEW SHOPPING AREA, THEY ARE BUILDING A NEW TOWN HALL AND THE AREA IS NOT BAD TO WORK AT. IF YOU WANT MORE SPECIFIC DETAILS, I DON'T WORK FOR THEM SO I WON'T KNOW...GOOD LUCK

Winter Garden PD has no "contract" just a good Chief.

Well Apopka my not have take home vehicles but they do have the best pension in the State. The pension is a City pension plan that all sworn officer participate in and the officer is credited with 3.6% for each year of service up to 10 years and 4% for each year thereafter. Officers can retire with 20 years of service no mater their age and if you start your career later in life normal retirement is age 45 with no penalty after 10 years of service or early retirement at age 40. So the bottom line is you get 76% of your salary at 20 years, 96% at 25 years and if you elect to stay to 26 years then you can get 100%. And then there is a 8 year drop plan on to of that. And the starting salary is not that bad $38,088 which does not include double time on holidays and overtime money.

Many of the officer work close to 20 years and then go to other agencies because they can start drawing their retirements and earn salaries elsewhere and work on another retirement. There is not another agency in Florida that has this retirement benefit that I am aware of.

Well Apopka my not have take home vehicles but they do have the best pension in the State. The pension is a City pension plan that all sworn officer participate in and the officer is credited with 3.6% for each year of service up to 10 years and 4% for each year thereafter. Officers can retire with 20 years of service no mater their age and if you start your career later in life normal retirement is age 45 with no penalty after 10 years of service or early retirement at age 40. So the bottom line is you get 76% of your salary at 20 years, 96% at 25 years and if you elect to stay to 26 years then you can get 100%. And then there is a 8 year drop plan on to of that. And the starting salary is not that bad $38,088 which does not include double time on holidays and overtime money.

Many of the officer work close to 20 years and then go to other agencies because they can start drawing their retirements and earn salaries elsewhere and work on another retirement. There is not another agency in Florida that has this retirement benefit that I am aware of.

Yea but you contribute a lot, and to top is off, you pay a lot in health care. FRS is a lot more stable and you can take 7% and walk away with a lot more money than any city.

Well Apopka my not have take home vehicles but they do have the best pension in the State. The pension is a City pension plan that all sworn officer participate in and the officer is credited with 3.6% for each year of service up to 10 years and 4% for each year thereafter. Officers can retire with 20 years of service no mater their age and if you start your career later in life normal retirement is age 45 with no penalty after 10 years of service or early retirement at age 40. So the bottom line is you get 76% of your salary at 20 years, 96% at 25 years and if you elect to stay to 26 years then you can get 100%. And then there is a 8 year drop plan on to of that. And the starting salary is not that bad $38,088 which does not include double time on holidays and overtime money.

Many of the officer work close to 20 years and then go to other agencies because they can start drawing their retirements and earn salaries elsewhere and work on another retirement. There is not another agency in Florida that has this retirement benefit that I am aware of.

Yea but you contribute a lot, and to top is off, you pay a lot in health care. FRS is a lot more stable and you can take 7% and walk away with a lot more money than any city.

Pensions are nice, but give it time. They way our world is going there won't be any pensions for LEOs. As it is the cities are crying that the can't afford what they have. I see the future of Law Enforcement with a 401k.

AS FAR AS I KNOW WGPD GOT A NICE CHUNK OF MONEY WITH THEIR NEW CONTRACT, SO IT MADE IT THE PLACE TO BE, IS VERY COMPETITIVE TO GET IN, TAKE HOME VEHICLE AND FOR WHAT I SEEN SO FAR .THEIR VEHICLES ARE BRAND SPANKING NEW, I EVEN SAW A '08 GMC SUBURBAN AS WGPD, BEFORE THE NEW CONTRACT THEY DID NOT HAVE TAKE HOMES SO IS A BIG SALE POINT FOR THEM NOW, ALSO THEY JUST BUILT A NEW SHOPPING AREA, THEY ARE BUILDING A NEW TOWN HALL AND THE AREA IS NOT BAD TO WORK AT. IF YOU WANT MORE SPECIFIC DETAILS, I DON'T WORK FOR THEM SO I WON'T KNOW...GOOD LUCK

I was given a conditional offer of employment with Polk County S.O. and took their offer, but was immediately given one by WGPD where I first applied. I took the S.O. since I wanted to be a deputy at the time, and they had better pay and benefits. At the time, starting pay at WGPD was 30k or so. Sometime soon after starting at the S.O. I saw I would be making around $42,000 a year or so with WGPD if I went with them, compared to my $38,600 now. Sometimes I kick myself in the a$$ for not taking that.. lol