Information for potential applicant

[Unregistered]

Hello,

I am an LEO In NW Florida and was looking to get some real life information about PBSO from some local guys. I will be honest with you guys the one of the only reasons I am looking at PBSO is because of the higher pay. I know nothing about the agency nor do I have any friends or relatives that work there. It just seems that this is one of the higher paid SO's in the state. About me, I have been an LEO for over 17 years. I currently work for a SO and I am a Sgt. Yes, the idea of starting over and being the rookie again sucks, but our salary is not getting any better. So it may be time for a change. With that being said, my questions are:

1. Is there a higher starting salary that is paid to experienced LEO's?
2. Are there built in step increases for officers?
3. Which union do you guys have, and how strong are they?
4. Is there plenty of extra duty work, and is that counted towards retirement?
5. How are the benefits, leave accruals, and any other perks/incentives?
6. How is the take home car policy?

Sorry for all the questions but this would be a big move for me, and I plan on doing my home work. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, I don't want to sound like a jack ass, but I can do without the trolls on here. I already know that policing is not the same as it used to be. We cant do our jobs the way we used to. We cant chase cars and we are constantly under scrutiny from the press, public, and admin. I know there are politics and good old boys involved because that is everywhere. There are always going to be favorites, buddies, and relatives who may or may not get special perks. Like I said I have been around for a little while and I am not under any delusions that there is a perfect agency out there.

Thanks and Be Safe!!!

[Unregistered]

Ill take the time to give you a honest answer since you already cut thru the BS and have a good understanding.

1. Is there a higher starting salary that is paid to experienced LEO's?
Not that I am aware of. All the same

2. Are there built in step increases for officers?
Yes. Your first 10 years you get steps. If you google PBSO CBA Law Enforcement you can find it.

3. Which union do you guys have, and how strong are they?
The PBA is the most prevalent one. The local FOP is dealing with a lot of stuff and are'nt expected to survive long. The PBA can be difficult to work with at times however.

4. Is there plenty of extra duty work, and is that counted towards retirement?
Yes the FRS takes into account your extra duty however it can be difficult to get a lot of time. Our picks are hour restricted initially for the month. 48 hours later you get secondary pics and then another 48 hours it's open season on anything left.

5. How are the benefits, leave accruals, and any other perks/incentives?
Medical is good. We have 2 of our own medical facilities for PBSO and family ONLY. No co-pays there either. RX is decent. Dental sucks (like mostly everywhere else), and vision is so so. Prices are affordable.

6. How is the take home car policy?
Very broad. Multiple surrounding counties. Off duty use only in county however.

Be mindful of cost of living when comparing to your current situation. Quite expensive down here and best of luck.

[Unregistered]

I'll add that they use to start experience guys at one to two steps above starting pay but it's best to call HR and ask. Also we are currently not hiring full time certified you have to do the reserve thing first however, rumor has it that after the first of the year they will start hiring like crazy because of every one leaving from drop.

[Unregistered]

The pay is competitive, as our top out is near the highest in the state, with Career Program included. STEP raises are built in, budget willing, up to STEP 10 I believe (9 years to top out from Step 1).

Experienced Officers can receive up to STEP 3 upon starting, which I believe is around 55K / yr.

Benefits are decent, healthcare is 90% paid for (you pay 10% which is around 30 / month for single). Vision/Dental are free.

PBA is the union here, although they are tied in directly to the S.O., so although they can help you with legal issues stemming from work, they are not likely to properly arbitrate internal issues. It costs around $50 / month to belong to the union.

There is a TON of extra-duty employment (details/permits), and they count towards FRS retirement, for now. You can pick up to 18 hrs of details during the first pick, then 8 hours during the second pick, then as many as you want on the third pick. There are a lot of rules with regards to taking details, such as total number worked, hours worked, detail reports, etc.

Leave accruals are found on the PBA contract, easily researched online. You get around 500 hrs of vacation (maximum), which are accrued at around 6 hrs a month if I remember correctly. Holiday is paid either as money or time, whichever you prefer. Sick time is unlimited, but you accure only 6 hrs a month again I believe.

You get a take-home car after around 6-12 months of full-time employment. You pay around $60 a month for gas if you live in the county, more if you live out of the county. You can use it off-duty in the county, but you are required to carry your gun, handcuffs, badge, id, and some type of less-than-lethal item. You also must leave the radio on in the car and stop for car crashes and/or emergencies, even if off duty in the marked patrol car. Cars have audio/video (dash cameras) as well as GPS tracking (AVL).

A side note - if you are looking for the brotherhood, with lots of camaraderie, and the thin-blue-line, you will not find it here. Those days are dead, especially in this dept. You are likely to get in trouble for almost anything that would be considered somewhat acceptable elsewhere. Micromanagement is fairly high here, and the paperwork is extensive compared to other counties and departments. I have been here through 3 Sheriff's and have watched the agency go from a traditional police department to an administrative office with LE functions. Just food for thought.

[Unregistered]

I also am looking to apply from Central Florida. I have been a deputy for just about 7 years and worked in corrections before that. The most glaring attribute that I see with PBSO is obviously the pay, and the consistent raises (5% each year, right?). Also don't you guys get night shift differential pay too?

The agency I am at now has gone down hill quick. We only have about 115 deputies on the road now, vs. 150 on the road when I first started. The admin seems to be writing up and suspending anybody and everybody for anything and everything. I know of many deputies who were suspended for a day without pay for missing a depo. Over the last 6 months, it has gotten especially bad. Good guys that you could always count on and always had their $h!t together are getting days off for absolute bull crap. I honestly believe that the administration is doing it on purpose to retain deputies and prevent them from going elsewhere.

I see the writing on the walls and am ready to move on before my jacket gets filled with anything that prevents me from going anywhere. Yalls agency seems to have a place for everyone, too. If you just want to work patrol and take it easy for your career, you can do that and get paid very well to do so. At my agency, we are pushed very hard for "numbers". They want to see arrests, traffic stops, ect, and a lot of them (I average 10 arrests a month, and have never been "talked to" about activity ever, however, it seems that if you don't turn in at least 5 arrests a month that your supervisor is going to ask you to step it up). So at PBSO if you want to take it easy it seems like you can without getting griped at, however, if you want to go out there and kick @$$ and take names, the agency has a place for you (on yalls "tac" unit). PBSO has way more to offer than my agency and many agencies ever will. You guys do some pretty awesome stuff. A friend of mine who recently started with yall has nothing but positive things to say.

I hear 300 are retiring this year, and PBSO is looking to fill a whole bunch of LEO slots. My app will be one of them.