I'm a Florida officer and I'm interested in applying with the SFPD, anyone willing to answer some questions?
Printable View
I'm a Florida officer and I'm interested in applying with the SFPD, anyone willing to answer some questions?
Go ahead with your questions....I'll give it my best shot.
First of all, I believe that no matter where you come from even if its from within california you still have to go through the SFPD academy, is this correct?
Do you guys offer expediated testing?
I am well aware of the cost of living out there, and I have family that lives there that are brokers. Does your pay afford you to rent/buy anywhere in the city other than Hunters Point or the Tenderloin? If not, where do you live? Oakland?
How is the union? Do officers frequently get fired for BS?
What are your positives and negatives about the department?
How highly would recruitment look upon someone with Out of State experience, and would being a W/M with only a little college effect my chances or do I still have shot?
I let you go with these and I'll be back for more, thanks for your time brother!
Q. "First of all, I believe that no matter where you come from even if its from within california you still have to go through the SFPD academy, is this correct?"
A. I don't remember what is happening with that I thought there was some sort of lateral with FTO/OJT if you held a current POST certificate but I could be wrong. It has been a while since I dealt with any of that stuff. Expect to go through the academy, Diamond Heights is awesome and the shopping center below has great donuts and sandwiches. Now you only have to jump over a 3 foot wall (hoo ray for woman's lib), who really jumps over walls anyway? I just pin them with my car and pray that the OCC never hears about it.
Q. "Do you guys offer expediated testing?"
A. For a city that is down 700 Officers, they are pretty slow on everything. If you want real expediated hiring/testing check out Contra Costa County Sheriff (8 weeks from start to finish!!). LAPD also does bulk testing etc. SF however lives to pay it's cops overtime rather than pay them a realistic living wage, and the POA likes it as well because if money is good more money is better, but remember all money is not good money. Gary and his crew have forgotten that it is unhealthy for cops to work 60 hours a week just to make it.
Q. "I am well aware of the cost of living out there, and I have family that lives there that are brokers. Does your pay afford you to rent/buy anywhere in the city other than Hunters Point or the Tenderloin? If not, where do you live? Oakland?"
A. That would be a no unless you are on the take, Gay with two incomes or work lots of 10B. Most live with others or outside the city.
Q. "How is the union? Do officers frequently get fired for BS?"
A. The POA is good some of the time but not always. It is like everything else in the system. Check out the Police Commission hearings at sfgov dot org to see what it is like for Officers that are under investigation etc.
Q. "What are your positives and negatives about the department?"
A. I love the Men and Woman on the street. The command staff can be great (Sgt's) or terrible (Lt's and Cpt) depending on which station you work out of. The citizens vocally have no respect for PD, they will curse you out (HP/Northern/TL), spit on your cruiser, talk trash etc but there are some amazing citizens that I have met (such as the 85 y/o wfa who hugged me and thanked me for my service). The ones that I am responding to calls for can be pretty evil...
Q. "How highly would recruitment look upon someone with Out of State experience, and would being a W/M with only a little college effect my chances or do I still have shot?"
A. Heather Fong made it why not you? WM Straight in San Francisco makes you a minority, were you born in the US? If so state that you are Native American on the application! Honestly, I would look at Oakland Police. I have many friends there that tell me that there is way less BS, the pay is comparable, the Lt's actually work the streets for fun, the citizens are a lot less politically correct and there are way more hot Ghetto chicks to look at. I would rather work at OPD but would love way to much coming over there as I have too many years in at this point.
No. Definitely look at other agencies. SFPD is a political cesspool of bull-crap. Nothing makes any sense and the lowly police officer is continuosly shit upon. OPD works hard, paid quite well and continues to be a respected department. 1 plus 1 still equals 2 in oakland. Nothing adds up in the city by the bay.