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Question
I am a 15 yr police veteran and certified through the state of Kentucky. Planning on retiring in 5 years which would make me 49, I am experienced in road patrol, criminal investigations and 6 years on the Emergency Response Unit as the explosive/ breacher for team A. My question is....what if any age cut off is there for the state of Florida and would any of my certifications carry over or would I have to attend that dreaded academy? Tired of the cold here! LOL Thanks
Hey James,
You are most assuredly not too old! I am 46 and on my 26th year and have at least another 10 or 15 in me. :) We get officers from up north who are retiring all the time. Its never been an issue or problem that I know of.
In Florida we have whats called an "Equivalency of Training" where out of state or Federal officers can get their training evaluated, and then take our state test to be certified as an officer. Most out of state guys with any kind of experience have very little problem passing the tests (its designed for entry level police officers, not veterans).
Go here to read about how to do this and you can even DL an application to get your training evaluated if you want.
http://ips.sfcc.edu/ips/selection/equivalency.htm
Good luck and I understand wanting to get out of the cold weather. I get cold when it drops to 32 here like this morning!
Stay safe and good luck!
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Answers by Expert:
Chris Wagoner
Expertise
I have been a police officer for 30+ years! I am the Police Academy Commander at the Santa Fe College, Institute of Public Safety in Gainesville Florida It is a full service Law Enforcement and Corrections training facility. I can answer most questions concerning law enforcement procedures, law enforcement training and general questions about law enforcment. I can also answer questions about becoming a law enfocement officer. I have a booklet and web page I have written that answers many questions about how to become a police officer called "So you want to be a cop (police Officer) in Florida?", which is free, Google it.. All you have to do is ask. I teach the following subjects: RADAR/LASER, Law Enforcement Driving, Law Enforcement Firearms and Patrol Techniques, Officer Safety, WMD's for Patrol Officers, Application of Law, Communications skills, Dealing with the Mentally and physically handicapped, and many more subjects. I have worked as a subject matter expert for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and helped to write the police curriculum for the State of Florida. I like answering questions about how to become a police officer, and questions about why did an officer do this or that type questions. I also like answering any questions you may have about police work in general. I do not mind helping with homework questions or trying to answer your questions about legal subjects that I have knowledge of. You will never know the answer until you ask! If you do ask a question, PLEASE take the time to at least rate the answer. I do not get paid to answer these questions and do it on my own time. If you ask, please rate it when I answer. Thanks!!! If its a question about becoming a police officer, it may be answered here: http://sites.google.com/site/flaleohelp/ My "hobby" website - http://www.youtube.com/user/3rdID8487 Military Videos on YouTube and Facebook!!
Experience
I am a 30+ year veteran police officer, I am currently the Police Academy Commander of an Academy in North FLorida. I have been training police officers since 1993 and have trained them in all aspects of law enforcement, including firearms, Driving and legal subjects including patrol techniques and others and training all over the world. I have trained over 5000 officers worldwide in the last 16 years of training.
Publications
I am a published author in Accident Investigation from the University of North Florida, Institute of Police Technology and Management. Also have written and published on the Internet, "So You Want to be a Cop (Police Officer) in Florida?" you can Google it..
Education/Credentials
I have 2 degrees, in Criminal Justice.
Awards and Honors
Phi Theta Kappa, plus 50+ Departmental Awards over the years. FBI Directors award for assisting in a Nationwide investigation into Child pornography.
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