Recruits Hear This

[Unregistered]

So you start at the same salary than your brother who has previous LE experience and that after you got sponsored by this SO, you are one lucky guy, most SO in FL don't start you anywhere near 57k a year, more around 40k, some less than that.

You might not want to tell that's fine but I am still asking, which SO? Palm Beach?

Lalaland Sheriff's Office is my guess

the guy makes as much as previously certified LEO, 57k a year I know only a few SO in FL starting you over 45k a year, and it is very competitive to get sponsored and hired by those SO

Even a huge SO like Hillsborough starts you at "only" 48k/year if already certified

Orange Cty SO you start at 43k with 10 years of LE exp!

I think Palm Beach SO gives you around 47k

Broward 48k


What a troll!

[Unregistered]

I don't know about having to pay that 10k.
I would certainly get an attorney involved with that because when you're a "recruit" you are considered an employee. This is work being performed and hours being worked.

I don't think any employer has any right to "bill back" or collect any monies paid to an employee for labor he/she performed.

Again, I'm by no means a legal expert but seems rather "fishy" to me.

Actually, I wouldn't worry about paying back 10K.
Most agencies would gladly pay the fine for you. They love troopers, specially if you only have two years of experience because they can mold you to their own specifications.
Miami Dade has hired a lot of troopers and even a seasoned trooper like Carlos Gascon!

[Unregistered]

You guys get paid for exactly what you do. You guys work accidents, do dui's and write tickets. You guys do not do anywhere the amount of work a sheriffs office or pd does. You guys spend most of your time driving between counties to handle accidents. The state could save a lot of money if they just disband the agency and mandate that the agencies that don't handle crashes in their jurisdiction just handle them. When you guys had the off duty job at a Walmart in our jurisdiction, we had to go out there and handle simple shoplifting calls because the troopers there did not know how to handle a simple shoplifting arrest. Once again, you guys get paid enough for exactly what you guys do.

Ok, let's suppose you are right. Most troopers that joined FHP did so not to work crashes and write a few a tickets. We want to do more, but our hands are tied due to agencies like your and our upper management that got too comfortable with the status quo. I challenge you, your agency, the burecrats in Tallahassee to demand that we do more.
You will see that we will do a better job than people like you who have nothing but free time to critique FHP.
Oh, by the way can you describe what you do every day that troopers can't?

[Unregistered]

Thank you. I agree with you. FHP can be a great agency if we have people who care!

[Unregistered]

Actually, I wouldn't worry about paying back 10K.
Most agencies would gladly pay the fine for you. They love troopers, specially if you only have two years of experience because they can mold you to their own specifications.
Miami Dade has hired a lot of troopers and even a seasoned trooper like Carlos Gascon!

Were some of you too lazy or too poor to sponsor yourselves to an academy and get hired by a PD or SO?

I don't get it, 6 months in Tallahassee, then doing stuff you don't enjoy somewhere in FL and not necessarily in your favorite area, you wanted Polk County? Well enjoy Orange and working crashes around Orlando! There are plenty training centers in FL, you can get fin aid, use your GI bill, the program takes 5 months, if you are serious about it you WILL pass and get hired by an agency, and many agencies will start to process you during the Academy.

Something else, if less candidates went the FHP way knowing they would go elsewhere after 1 or 2 years, Tallahassee would struggle a bit more to fill the positions and MIGHT think "we need to offer more", not a guarantee but a possibility. Because they don't care that many Troopers use FHP as a stepping stone, they keep replacing them, training future Deputies and Officers.

[Unregistered]

Ok, let's suppose you are right. Most troopers that joined FHP did so not to work crashes and write a few a tickets. We want to do more, but our hands are tied due to agencies like your and our upper management that got too comfortable with the status quo. I challenge you, your agency, the burecrats in Tallahassee to demand that we do more.
You will see that we will do a better job than people like you who have nothing but free time to critique FHP.
Oh, by the way can you describe what you do every day that troopers can't?

I think many candidates nowadays want to join to get a free ride to certification and then apply elsewhere, some of them while waiting in line to take the PAT are even talking about Jacksonville SO and Hillsborough SO and Orlando PD and does FHP come after you and your $10k if you quit within 2 years, I witnessed it with my own eyes and ears, tells you how much they want a career as a Trooper lol

[Unregistered]

Were some of you too lazy or too poor to sponsor yourselves to an academy and get hired by a PD or SO?

I don't get it, 6 months in Tallahassee, then doing stuff you don't enjoy somewhere in FL and not necessarily in your favorite area, you wanted Polk County? Well enjoy Orange and working crashes around Orlando! There are plenty training centers in FL, you can get fin aid, use your GI bill, the program takes 5 months, if you are serious about it you WILL pass and get hired by an agency, and many agencies will start to process you during the Academy.

Something else, if less candidates went the FHP way knowing they would go elsewhere after 1 or 2 years, Tallahassee would struggle a bit more to fill the positions and MIGHT think "we need to offer more", not a guarantee but a possibility. Because they don't care that many Troopers use FHP as a stepping stone, they keep replacing them, training future Deputies and Officers.

I totally agree with that ^

You dreamed about becoming a Trooper, you had expectations and are disappointed, work a few years at FHP and realize things will probably not change, you put an application with another agency. That's one thing.

Applying with FHP while you already know you will get the F out and as fast as you can with your certification, I think that's wrong, I couldn't do it.

A LE Academy doesn't cost 50k, it doesn't take 4 years to achieve, there are plenty of them in FL, some offer part time classes if you want to keep working your full time job, and while usually not as "military" as FHP many offer a basic training of good quality. In some Academies, if you do your job, not one but a few agencies will get in touch asking Instructors and the Director about you, not one but maybe two or three PD or SO will want to process you during the academy, you will get a job somewhere and you won't have to relocate somewhere you do not want to go, doing a job you hate and so on.

[Unregistered]

Fhp is for the most part an extended academy. Not everybody had a hook up with the local SO and not everybody wanted to take out a loan to pay for their academy. FHP was their best bet. Fhp is really a training institution for most tallahassee knows it, the instructors at the academy know it and most of the supervisors on the road know it. That is the absolute truth. Do your time get your training and go get a better job. By the way not everyone leaves solely for the pay many troopers see the oppurtunities the SO and PDs have for advancement and specialization as well as the fat paycheck that comes with it.

[Unregistered]

Fhp is for the most part an extended academy. Not everybody had a hook up with the local SO and not everybody wanted to take out a loan to pay for their academy. FHP was their best bet. Fhp is really a training institution for most tallahassee knows it, the instructors at the academy know it and most of the supervisors on the road know it. That is the absolute truth. Do your time get your training and go get a better job. By the way not everyone leaves solely for the pay many troopers see the oppurtunities the SO and PDs have for advancement and specialization as well as the fat paycheck that comes with it.

I understand that. Whatever works and makes one happy, as long as you do it respectfully and follow rules I don't have a problem with it. I am just surprised that so many people (because there is a ton of applicants every year for FHP) cannot go through a self sponsored academy, do they even bother inquiring about financial aid? I don't know. What I know is that PD and SO who hires former Trooper usually get very disciplined and motivated LEO, so I am fine with that, they are an asset to the Department, and they are happy with their career, it is a win win. It just really stinks that FHP is just that for so many and Tally really doesn't give a beep about it, that's the way it seems to be at least.

[Unregistered]

I don't know about having to pay that 10k.
I would certainly get an attorney involved with that because when you're a "recruit" you are considered an employee. This is work being performed and hours being worked.

I don't think any employer has any right to "bill back" or collect any monies paid to an employee for labor he/she performed.

Again, I'm by no means a legal expert but seems rather "fishy" to me.

I left FHP and went to another department, the new agency's attorney said not to pay it. Six months later they suspended my license, my new department caught the suspension, circuit court judge issued an order to lift the suspension since it was unlawful, my employer and I failed suit against DHSMV. I enjoyed cashing that six figure check! Thanks FHP!