Best department to work for

[Midwest Deputy]

I will soon be relocating to the Tampa/Sarasota area (about halfway between the two) and am looking for the best department possible for me. I have worked for a big city Sheriff most of my career and am partial to Sheriff's Offices over PDs but am open to all.

I am looking for a place where I will get hired and move up quickly. I know that most that post on here have a negative view of HCSO, but that seems to be true with most departments on this site. The SO where I currently work has a large amount of disgruntled deputies, but I am very happy where I am. We are only relocating for my wife's job and for better weather.

A little about me, I have a:
Master's Degree
16 years experience
3 years as a detective
5 years in Traffic
6 years SWAT operator
3 years as a Corporal
I am labeled as a "company man" but am very much a cop's cop and just enjoy my job.

Any advice or insight is greatly appreciated.

[Unregistered]

Personally, I have noticed that the further South you go, the better things seem to be. I assume you will want a "one and done" type of deal instead of spending a few years at one agency and then jumping ship. My suggestion, go to Sarasota or Manatee County. I've had the pleasure of working with deputies from both agencies and hear many more positives than negatives. It's not always about the money. I would avoid this agency, at least for now. Things are not as bad as they have been in the past, but we have a long way to go before we are a great agency again.

If you can give consideration to a PD then look into applying for TPD (Tampa Police). They are one of the best agencies around and we frequently lose deputies to them. A few of my fellow LEO who have left to join them have said they regret not doing it sooner. They also pay more than us starting which will be a plus for you given your experience. Not to mention that they are on a shorter retirement plan than we are, so you won't be working as long.

Take care and good luck!

[Unregistered]

I will soon be relocating to the Tampa/Sarasota area (about halfway between the two) and am looking for the best department possible for me. I have worked for a big city Sheriff most of my career and am partial to Sheriff's Offices over PDs but am open to all.

I am looking for a place where I will get hired and move up quickly. I know that most that post on here have a negative view of HCSO, but that seems to be true with most departments on this site. The SO where I currently work has a large amount of disgruntled deputies, but I am very happy where I am. We are only relocating for my wife's job and for better weather.

A little about me, I have a:
Master's Degree
16 years experience
3 years as a detective
5 years in Traffic
6 years SWAT operator
3 years as a Corporal
I am labeled as a "company man" but am very much a cop's cop and just enjoy my job.

Any advice or insight is greatly appreciated.

Hopefully you don’t mean Midwest as in out of the State of Florida.

[Unregistered]

Broward could use the help.

[Unregistered]

Broward could use the help.

ROFL!
Yeah but you get arrested there if you ask for a x94. I see the number of applicants there dwindling significantly.

[Midwest Deputy]

Hopefully you don’t mean Midwest as in out of the State of Florida.

I am from the Midwestern U.S. Our county services over 4 million residents. No, I am not from Florida, but am enrolled in the Florida EOT.

[Unregistered]

I am from the Midwestern U.S. Our county services over 4 million residents. No, I am not from Florida, but am enrolled in the Florida EOT.

You’ve got 16 years in out of State and you want to come here to start over? Do your next four wherever your from, grab your pension, then move here and start a second career if that’s what you want. That’s a LOT of time to throw away.

[Midwest Deputy]

Unfortunately, in my state you have to be 55 which means I have 16 years before I can retire.

[Unregistered]

Plant City Police Department

[Unregistered]

You’ve got 16 years in out of State and you want to come here to start over? Do your next four wherever your from, grab your pension, then move here and start a second career if that’s what you want. That’s a LOT of time to throw away.

Agreed! Why do that? After everything you have accomplished, you want to come here and be treated like a kindergartener? You experience will mean NOTHING here. Don't you watch the liberal news here in liberal Florida? Haven't you read through the threads here? We are disposable media fodder. Our job is basically doing pet projects for the higher ups and other agencies so they can rake in the dough. If you don't believe me, then ask yourself why college students “interns” are required to ride with us cops for hundreds or hours after for college credit after they payed HCC money to teach them? Does that make sense? Who benefits? Why do we do FHP and animal control’s jobs, yet when was the last time we asked any of them for help? Even for a perimeter? And that's just a few tiny examples. No one backs us. That is our core problem. I have become good friends with many retired officers from up north that have come worked at this agency then quickly left. Highly experienced and decorated officers that retired as brass up north. After many years of hearing their complaints prior to them leaving here. Keep in mind they managed to do up to 25-30 years somewhere else, but roughly 1-3 years here. They all basically said the same thing. We are beyond short handed. We write way too many reports for fictitious paranoid assumptions that could probably happen but didn't. We run around like chickens with our heads cut off doing a whole lot of nothing. Trying to fix problems that should have been prevented and resolved from the initial source like other states have long figured out. Like retailer thefts and so on. Our methods are archaic and slow. Our system is used as a money maker at the cost of our fellow cops mental and physical health.

Enjoy your retirement brother. Why torture yourself?