Daily Duties

Unregistered · 06-02-2015, 05:53 PM

What does a day look like for a uniformed officer working an Interdiction Station? I understand that there are a lot of you who have strong opinions about the work atmosphere, but I'd really appreciate unbiased straight-forward/frank information. Also, since there's no take-home car program, do a lot of you commute far to your stations or try to live close by? (Not asking for specific home addresses per officer safety).

Thanks again for your responses. Stay safe.

Unregistered · 06-03-2015, 07:56 PM

You get to work, you check off the ragged out patrol cars and hope they have gas, you work the window sitting there talking to every driver and the length will depend on amount of officers - usually 4-6 hours per shift. You sit on that stool in front of the window, 1) what you got, have a good one 2) what you got, pull to the side 3) what you got, let me see your bills. You scan bills of lading hoping that you will hit the jackpot for tax revenue and keep your boss off your back- they post who collects the most tax revenue from bills and will hard time you if your numbers are down. You look in the back of rental trucks, animal trailers and food trailers also possibly stopping a bypassed truck and at the end of the day you clean the station (take out trash and mop floors and clean bathrooms - that are also used by the public). The 1-4 supervisors that supervise 4 or 5 officers will walk over from their offices and tell you everything you do wrong that day. You will catch yourself thinking that they do nothing, but in reality they will critique anything from how you wash the patrol cars to how you open the window to greet truck drivers. You will answer to a corporal (everywhere but Pensacola), sergeant, lieutenant and captain who all supervise just a handful of officers. You will only see the captain and lieutenant on day shift for about 10 hours per week as that's all they work. However the corporal and sergeant will be looking to find fault in your capacities as a way for them to promote as there's no other way to distinguish yourself as a supervisor here. If your relief shows up on time then you go home at the end of 12. Make sure that you cleaned the bathrooms, mopped and took the trash out properly or that corporal who's eying that next sergeant spot will make sure to write you up to show the command staff that he's got what it takes to keep everyone in line. If you've got what it takes and show up to work on time then I can't wait to have you on board.

Unregistered · 06-03-2015, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by Unregistered

You get to work, you check off the ragged out patrol cars and hope they have gas, you work the window sitting there talking to every driver and the length will depend on amount of officers - usually 4-6 hours per shift. You sit on that stool in front of the window, 1) what you got, have a good one 2) what you got, pull to the side 3) what you got, let me see your bills. You scan bills of lading hoping that you will hit the jackpot for tax revenue and keep your boss off your back- they post who collects the most tax revenue from bills and will hard time you if your numbers are down. You look in the back of rental trucks, animal trailers and food trailers also possibly stopping a bypassed truck and at the end of the day you clean the station (take out trash and mop floors and clean bathrooms - that are also used by the public). The 1-4 supervisors that supervise 4 or 5 officers will walk over from their offices and tell you everything you do wrong that day. You will catch yourself thinking that they do nothing, but in reality they will critique anything from how you wash the patrol cars to how you open the window to greet truck drivers. You will answer to a corporal (everywhere but Pensacola), sergeant, lieutenant and captain who all supervise just a handful of officers. You will only see the captain and lieutenant on day shift for about 10 hours per week as that's all they work. However the corporal and sergeant will be looking to find fault in your capacities as a way for them to promote as there's no other way to distinguish yourself as a supervisor here. If your relief shows up on time then you go home at the end of 12. Make sure that you cleaned the bathrooms, mopped and took the trash out properly or that corporal who's eying that next sergeant spot will make sure to write you up to show the command staff that he's got what it takes to keep everyone in line. If you've got what it takes and show up to work on time then I can't wait to have you on board.

OMG that's terrible!

Unregistered · 06-04-2015, 03:02 AM

That's why I got a few years of college, completed the police academy, and worked to become a veteran cop....so I could join the FDACS and clean public toilets. Where can I sign up?

They just posted AGAIN to fill a slot in NE Florida. Less than $32k a year. They want current certified Florida LEOs to basically staff a tollbooth. For 12 hours a day. No take-home car. AND you get to clean public toilets. Certified LEOs for this? Look, I can possibly understand a non-certified getting this job to get their LE certification and then leave as soon as something better comes along, but CERTIFIED? So, my question is....what certified LEO leaves their department to work here, which is also probably the lowest paid state LEO job there is (then again, it's probably the only LEO job that requires toilet cleaning). Why would a certified LEO want this job? Is it because of the advanced training and experience one gets? Or the multitude of assorted various assignments and units they have? The high tech equipment? The opportunity for advancement??? WTF?

So, to the question what certified LEO would take this job? No offense, but the only type I can think of would be a cop that can't survive anywhere else. One that gets fired but doesn't get their certificate pulled, and can't get hired anywhere else. Maybe I'm wrong, but that is the only way I can see a certified LEO taking this job.

Who stays in this job for 25-30 years? Someone that can't leave because no one else would hire them.

Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me I don't know what I'm talking about. PLEASE...prove me wrong.

And then go clean the toilets.

Unregistered · 06-04-2015, 04:02 PM

As far as take homes go, supervisors get them. This means that they get to "start" their clock when they leave the house. Many live far off and some even in other states. So while they stop and get breakfast etc, you arrive to work and sit on that window, check cars off and do you various tasks. This is nice because you don't have someone breathing down your neck for however long they drag their feet or however early they leave. But it is depressing because even going down to the exit to get food or to have a break can be an ordeal and must be scheduled around the hours that you aren't "working the window" you're also not able to sit down and eat, get that bag of calories and get back to the station or else!

Some shifts are good about relieving people on time and others are horrible. Working 20 extra minutes one day isn't a big deal, but 20 extra minutes for two weeks extra tacks on hours that you don't get paid, that a supervisor doesn't see because they're long gone off in the wind in their take home car.

Also, side station / relief officers that have to fill in on the interstates get to start their clock when they get to the side station. Many show up as much as an hour late and leave early. This means extra window time for you and allows them to skirt some of the redundant tasks of cleaning toilets and checking off these cars etc.

Most of us are simply here for the insurance. While state LEOs don't get paid like the large agencies, we make more than these local rural agencies near our stations, rarely go to court and it's not a dangerous job. We've actually had an officer lock himself In a side station when a female on drugs showed up and he waited for the Sheriffs office to come and assist. Stop by a station sometime, you'll see what I mean - these aren't the sheepdogs of the thin blue line.

The reasons already listed greatly contribute to our extremely high turnover rate.There's no telling how long till you promote or get a side station so most don't want to stick around and find out. If there's a constant influx of new guys rather than folks that have been here then there are far fewer challenges for promotions and transfers to the "gravy" stations. So new employee retention is not exactly a priority.

Im a family man who can pay the bills, so that's all I really need. Go hangout at a station before you take the plunge is my piece of advice.

Unregistered · 06-04-2015, 06:21 PM

Thanks for the details, everyone.

Some of you advised to visit a station, I guess kind of like a momentary "ride-along." Is that actually possible to drive to a station and check it out without having any business to be there?

I am thinking about applying for this job and I do feel like there is potential at this agency, primarily because it's a state agency that's specialized towards a specific mission. My goal is to become a detective/do investigative work, but I really don't have a passion for patrol like in a traditional PD or SO.

My main concern is also living situation... I'm not far removed from college and I'm more so used to living in populated areas. I understand that the stations are primarily located in rural areas, but would it be feasible to live somewhere near Gainesville and commute to the station on I-10, for example?

Unregistered · 06-04-2015, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Thanks for the details, everyone.

Some of you advised to visit a station, I guess kind of like a momentary "ride-along." Is that actually possible to drive to a station and check it out without having any business to be there?

I am thinking about applying for this job and I do feel like there is potential at this agency, primarily because it's a state agency that's specialized towards a specific mission. My goal is to become a detective/do investigative work, but I really don't have a passion for patrol like in a traditional PD or SO.

My main concern is also living situation... I'm not far removed from college and I'm more so used to living in populated areas. I understand that the stations are primarily located in rural areas, but would it be feasible to live somewhere near Gainesville and commute to the station on I-10, for example?

Scared to do patrol work / learn the basics but want to jump right into investigations. You're perfect just go ahead and apply.

Unregistered · 06-05-2015, 05:48 PM

There is a big divide at this agency. What's this you may ask.? The agency is made up of old road guards and younger officers that are actually police officers. The problem is, the road guards are in control of this agency. The younger officers want to do more traditional law enforcement, while the road guards want administrative violation. Most of the road guards will be gone in a few years and hopefully the agency will change for the better. However ; the job is what you make it.

Unregistered · 06-05-2015, 08:34 PM

Originally Posted by Unregistered

There is a big divide at this agency. What's this you may ask.? The agency is made up of old road guards and younger officers that are actually police officers. The problem is, the road guards are in control of this agency. The younger officers want to do more traditional law enforcement, while the road guards want administrative violation. Most of the road guards will be gone in a few years and hopefully the agency will change for the better. However ; the job is what you make it.

This is a false statement. There are plenty of people in supervisory spots here that have a long way to go that have either no traditional law enforcement experience or couldn't cut it at a traditional agency. By the time they get to command positions they will (much like the current staff) be completely consumed about not rocking the boat also. To assert to the readers that this place is going to get better and turn some sort of imaginary corner is completely misleading. There have already been specialty units like K-9 and Vacis that were allowed to be cut and they aren't coming back. There have been other agency LEOs just hanging out actively run off from our ramps by supervisors because of the fear of "losing our administrative authority." This type of behavior is puzzling and is how my toddlers act when I take their toys away from them - and it's certainly not indicative of some glorious era that BUS is about to embark on following a key retirement or two.