No one is happy!

To Guest FDLE Worker in North Florida,

You may not be aware of it, but ALL overtime in Miami has been canceled, Even reimbursable Overtime being paid by Federal or Municipal agencies. The disparity between Operation Centers being allowed overtime needs to be addressed by the Union, because from your posting, the North Operation Centers aren't even aware of it. We can't work Ovetime and we have limited off duty jobs because FHP and the other State agencies need those just to survive. I'm glad you're doing well with 20K overtime up North, but in Miami you'll be lucky to make a few thousand in OT the entire year.

To Miami Guest,

What would the approximate take home pay be for a new agent assigned to Miami Regional Operations Center ? Ball park figure given standard deductions.

Also, regarding pay issues are cost of living adjustments a yearly thing or are the salary increase issues one and the same as the COLA ? ie. is there still some sort of yearly raise even if it is just cost of living allowance?

Is there any other info you an share as it relates to Racino work? ie. how long would one have to work in a "racino" before they could move onto other investigative duties?

Thank you for any information.

To Guest and Miami Guest...The truth about FDLE is that while it is an agency made up of some fine professionals, it started losing its experience and expertise several years ago with Commissioner Tim Moore. Commissioner Tunnell tried to turn things around with a real cop attitude, until a good ole boy attitude got him in political hot water. Commissioner Bailey is little more than a Tim Moore clone. FDLE can't pay to recruit experienced cops, so they recruit secretaries internally and train them to become certified law enforcement, or Law Enforcement from other agencies with degrees, but limited experience...Who else can you afford for $50K with no step plan and no career path. Again, it is an agency made up of several fine individuals, but as an agency, it is smoke and mirrors....a lot of fluff that looks like a police agency stuffed with civilians in cop's clothes. I am not sour grapes, I gave much of my life to FDLE. The real cops stick together trying to make a difference...But, the system is what the system is....Good luck with your career decisions. If I had to do it over, I would have gone to a large police department long ago...

By the way, I would seriously doubt the Guest comments about working unlimited overtime in North Florida. Miami used to be the only region where you could get away with that...As for reimburseable overtime....HIDTA, DEA Task Force and Drug Control Council all have caps....it is impossible for a $50K agent to make $30K in overtime with FDLE....And, if a senior agent is making $60K to $65K a year I still find it difficult to believe they made $10K in overtime and "if" they did, they are alone...Trust me....Every Agent at FDLE will NEVER be able to make that OT....Anyone that says otherwise simply doesn't understand the system....

A 10 Year Agent with all of the bonuses and pay incentives that have been awarded won't make more than $60K. Honesty is the best policy....Again, good luck to you.

FDLE will make you happy as long as you know what you are getting into. If you are looking for a police career, you need to go to a police department....

Real Deal,

I was a so called "real cop" for 10 years at a PD, and I do still consider myself a real cop. I work cases and am in the street every day, although it's not patrol. There are ups and downs like any dept, but where else do you get the freedom and flexibility to work cases? and not hump bs burglaries and hump cr's. OT is an issue and I agree it needs to be fixed. I also whole heartedly agree with the SAT program being crap. We do not need assistants and clerks as Agents. Let them pay their dues like most Agents. You can either be part of the problem or part of the solution. I've been down the *****in and griping route at my old dept and would rather not go down it again.

North Florida Guest here. Sorry you doubt what I say "Real Deal" but it is true. I have been on going on 18 years, not 10, and I really have averaged about $20,000 in O/T for the past 5 years or so. My final salary last year was just a hair over $78,000 last year and last year was a little lower in O/T than the previous couple of years.

You are correct, "every" FDLE SA will not be able to make that in O/T because you actually have to work the hours to earn it. By the way, there is no longer the $10,000 cap on OCDETF and the cap is $10,000 on VCDCC, per case. Can't tell you about HIDTA, not in on that one.

I was an SAT many years ago and while I do know that there have been some screw ups that came from that program, there have been some stars also. I feel that in my region, I am as good or better an agent than any of the "real cops". But we could argue about that all day, we should just agree to disagree on that one.

Again, FDLE, like any other job is what you make of it. You can *****, complain and call everyone else liars, or you can do you job, work hard and have a little fun from time to time. The ones doing the bad mouthing of the agency are usually the ones who sit at their desk, constantly *****ing about how unfair everything is and never putting anyone in jail. Try to ease up a little and appreciate what you have instead of complaining about what you think you don't have and you might feel a little better.

North Florida Guest,

Would you happen to know anything about the Miami Operations Center as it relates to morale, variety of cases etc...

Also, would you happen to know what newly hired agents are generally assigned to in the Miami Office?

Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry, all I could tell you about Miami is that if you doubled my salary I still wouldn't want to work there.

I am glad that you have done so well. I know a few SAT's that have done great things. Please do not take offense to my comments about the direction of the Agency. FDLE lost the COP vision a long time ago. The COP vision is held by the few, and you appear to be one of them. You are the exception not the rule with the SAT program. As for the pay, with 20 years on and living in south Florida, of course I believe you pull down $80K. But, it is unrealistic to allow a new Agent to believe that money is out there for them. The HIDTA and DEA Task Force assignments are few and far between. The DCC cases can be generated only if you work drugs and there is an annual cap on that as well. A worker bee can get into these assignments when all the stars align. I am not sour on FDLE, just honest about it.

why is it you would not want to work in Miami, is it the work itself, or just that it is "South Florida"? ie. cost of living...