Any Regrets With Being An HCSO Deputy
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  1. #1
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    Any Regrets With Being An HCSO Deputy

    I recently received a conditional offer of employment and just wanted to ask the HCSO community whether or not they would follow the same career path if given a chance to go back in time. I have a few offers from the private sector as well and am just trying to make an informed decision.

    Thanks!

  2. #2
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    Go to TPD... 30 years or 20 years, take your pick..... No brainer...

  3. #3
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    The wise thing to do would be to only accept a job here if you had no other offer. If you do get hired here, immediately start looking for another job. You don't wanna be here long enough to have too much invested to leave.


    There are not many positives to working here. The pay is alright, probably a little higher than most other agencies, but not the highest. The politics here are just insane. Unless you are already connected at the highest level, you'll need to accept that you will probably work patrol for 30 years. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but if you have high aspirations of doing anything else, you might be upset for a very long time.

    I could go on, but that's pointless. I would recommend not working here any longer than you have to.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Unregistered View Post
    The wise thing to do would be to only accept a job here if you had no other offer. If you do get hired here, immediately start looking for another job. You don't wanna be here long enough to have too much invested to leave.


    There are not many positives to working here. The pay is alright, probably a little higher than most other agencies, but not the highest. The politics here are just insane. Unless you are already connected at the highest level, you'll need to accept that you will probably work patrol for 30 years. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but if you have high aspirations of doing anything else, you might be upset for a very long time.

    I could go on, but that's pointless. I would recommend not working here any longer than you have to.
    Wow u sound depressed. Maybe u should quit r u know jump in front of a truck r something. Oh wait maybe this is double chin jim, u know the loser who was a colonel here and got thrown out. Sorry Jimbo it was never gonna happen for u here, now if we can get rid of TF we will be golden

  5. #5
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    I would also like to know this same question from a non disgruntled employee view

  6. #6
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    I have been with the SO for 20+ years. I am not a supervisor and have spent my whole career in the patrol/detective realm with some stops off at various other units.

    I did not get into this line of work for the pay. If you want to make money this isnt the job. It will support you, but not
    any grand lifestyle. But be responsible with your money, and it will work for you.

    It is rewarding, and when I look back I am proud of my time here. I have made a difference in peoples lives and would liketo think that once in awhile they look back on me and are thankful.

    Yes its political, but if you work hard and do your job there are opportunities. Take advantage of them when they come.

    The only problem I see in this line of work today is the social movement. The undercurrent from the public is not as respectful or communicative as it once was. It doesnt matter why, it just is. I still meet people everyday who, if you treat them with respect, they will give it back. But there is a whole bunch of people who do not. Its a shame that it has become this way. As a result, it is more dangerous.

    Just a few thoughts...Hope it helps...

  7. #7
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    I recently retired from HCSO after 25 years, and I was a supervisor. But, I could not stand this place. I could not stand to work here even 1 more day. Thus, no DROP for me. I could have made a TON of money in the DROP. But it wasn't worth it. That should tell you something.

    As far as politics, they are an unfortunate fact here (and likely at all agencies). If you are not a minority, or a homosexual, then your chances of promotion are slim (not impossible, but slim). I got promoted long ago, due to politics. But the political agenda has changed. I had many subordinates that were much better LEOs than I was, but they couldn't get promoted, or transferred to their desired positions.

    Let me give you an example. Not too long go deputies were told that all they needed was 2 years as a field training officer, and then they would have "preference" in promotions and transfers. So many of my troops became FTOs. Then it all changed. They were then told that they to needed transfer to the training division, then they would have preference in promotions and transfers. So some of them did that. Then it all changed again. Then they were told they had to do 2 years as a detective and then they would have preference in promotions and transfers.

    I had some troops that jumped through the hoops of being an FTO for 2 years, then go to training for 2 years, and still couldn't get promoted or get transferred to their desired specialty position. After this some of them even applied to be detectives. But here's the catch. If they don't want you to get promoted, then they won't let you become a detective. Then the Sheriff's Office has plausible deniability. Then they say that they won't promote you because you haven't had 2 years as a detective.

    It's all a ruse. Yes, if you've had enough time as an FTO (3 years is required now) you are eligible for promotion. But you will not get promoted. It has not happened. I will not happen (with the current administration). It's all politics. I've seen many road deputies school their supervisors. Mostly the young supervisors. I seen many of my subordinates, over the years, so frustrated but continuing to do outstanding jobs as road deputies. I've seen action plans written by seasoned deputies, get denied. Then when golden boys/girls, minorities, homosexuals write the exact same action plan 6 months later, the action plan gets accepted and the deputies get commedated for writing them. I've seen a minority homosexual supervisor commit a crime on duty and get busted for it. This supervisor didn't get fired, but got promoted a few years later. I could tell you of so many more B.S. stories like this. Only they are not stories, they actually happened, and continue to happen.

    To the OP, as long as you are OK with politics, and low morale at the patrol level, then accept the job offer. But always leave yourself an out. 30 years is a long time to be miserable.

  8. #8
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    I regret it every single day. If I had known how the office was going to change and how society was going to change I would have picked a different agency or profession. I'm not a fool. I know every law enforcement agency, every job for that matter, is going to have politics and BS to put up with. That is a fact of life. But the HCSO goes the extra mile to make it as miserable as possible. If you're not a golden child the opportunities to advance will be few and far between. The office doesn't even try to hide the favoritism given to family members, politically connected members, and donors. The union was terrible, but the way the office illegally broke the union up was even worse.

    If you take this job, do it two years and go Federal or go to another agency that is just your run of the mill BS and not the extra special version that the HCSO churns out. We might be hiring people and running classes left and right, but we're losing people just as fast. I don't even bother to learn people's names unless they've been here for more than three years because chances are they'll quit for another agency or another profession before then.

    I'd love for us to get another 400 deputies. Maybe then patrol would be fun again, detective case loads would be reasonable, and people would have the chance to get promoted. But it won't happen. We've been critically short for the last 30 years and we will still be critically short 30 years from now. With the way Hillsborough and Tampa Bay is growing, we will never, ever catch up in the county.

    And yeah, depending on who you are, stealing money from the office might get you fired or it might get you your third stripe. I'll let you decide you gets what.

  9. #9
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    It sucks.

    I regret it every single day. I know it sounds like a great honorable job, but do not make this deal with the devil just so you can buy the shiny things. The money, the pention... its not worth your confidence, identity, and soul in the end. They will chew you up and spit you out. You will be managed with negative rienforcement only. You will not know what doing right is after a few years. The paranoia and constant walking on egg shells truly kills your ability to see the good in what you do.. Unless you are connected and they are planning to pull you off patrol after a year and push you up the chain like they did for a certain lieutenant that has only been here just over 10 years riding the gravy train, stay in school, get a trade that is yours too keep. 20 years plus here, and not behind some desk barking knee jerk orders. Front line guy here still putting my ass on the line. If you must get this line of work out of your system, go to TPD. Many leave here to go there. Better yet, go feds. You will become a true investigator right off the bat instead of doing this joke of a job that is patrol. Babysitting and writing pointless paper. Good luck

  10. #10
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    Thanks for the feedback. A lot of these negatives are just common for the profession and not about the agency as a whole. I work for a nearing agency and we have the same issues listed above if not more.

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