Not discouraged

[kiwi]

I am a retired cop from out of state and am on the SFPD list just below the 100 mark. I found the testing process efficient for the number of people they had to process. The oral board was good and appeared to be fair. I did well for an old white male. Physical agility was OK too. I didn't have to run 1.5 miles! My only complaint was that the Bill Graham Auditorium was as cold as an ice box during the written test. I think SF is a great place, despite the hoards of EDPs and homeless on the streets! My father was going to live there after WWII after returning from the islands but changed his mind for some reason and returned to the Northeast. I like the climate (including the fog) and plenty to do within walking/bus/tram distance. If I am hired I will live in the city as there is only the wife and I (and a couple of small dogs). I do not know how a family could afford to live in SF. You guys must do massive amounts overtime if you live in city and own a home. The academy is in a good neighborhood with a Safeway next store! No room for a range or driving track, though! It seems to be too small in size for the number of recruits they want to train. I don't mind training for 6 months at the academy as the SFPD doesn't take laterals. (neither does Oakland). At least it won't be a live-in boot camp. I see the gripes on the board and they are same gripes I hear from cops all over the states and the world. It appears to me POA has allot of clout and stands up for the guys considering how "PC" the city government is. Consider yourself lucky to have a union that can protect its members. Most can't or won't. I know several SFPD cops and they are great guys. Went on a ride along, including a trip to the notorious Bayview/Hunters Point. I even got to meet Chief Fong and attended a Police Commission meeting. So, even if I am not hired, what I did during my visits for testing were worth the airfare. Stay safe

Your entry is nice, and relatively forthcoming, except from where you stand, you only have a glimpse of the realities that take place at the SFPD. If I were to offer any advice to any newcomer to this political battle field, I would say run, don't walk, as far from it as possible. There are many agencies in the area who are looking for cops and who support them as well. Don't be fooled.

[copfactor]

I have bad news for you. You will not be able to afford to live in the city on a cops salary unless you plan on renting a small apt. But most will not accept dogs. Oh yeah, in SF you can not "own" a pet, you are only a "guardian" (I'm serious). As for the POA, they are pretty good but are so involved in city politics that their objectivity leaves something to be desired. Not as powerful as you think. The pay is good, but you can make more in nearby agencies like San Jose, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, etc., and you can afford to actually live in the city you work. The homeless are a massive problem and have more clout then the POA! I love SF, and was raised here and went to school here. But, if I was vested 15 years in the city retirement plan I would be out of here. chief fong (lower case on purpose) is the worst chief and has done nothing for the department and the police commission is an anti-cop group of leftist liberals who are out to screw the cops whenever they can. Please, in all seriousness, reconsider our department. It once was the best in the Bay Area, but not anymore :(