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Careers: Police/my dream!
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Question
hello mr toomey, my name is jerry.g from longisland n.y. and i am 23 yrs old, ive never been arested or in any trouble with the law! i am currently enrolled in suffolk community college for my criminal justice associates degree. i have been interested in becoming a new york city police officer since childhood and it is still my everyday dream! but unfortunatley 5 yrs ago i lost my right leg above the knee in a motorcycle accident i was 18, since then my dreams have gone nowhere!i still want to do whatever it takes to become an officer of the law!!!! i do 100 pullups, 100 pushups, 60 crunches, and run 2 miles on my tread mill everyday! and every day i also go to the nypd website and look at the "jst" (job standard test) and i see absolutley nothing on that physicall that i cannot complete! basically my question for you is do i still have a chance at being a police officer even though i wear a prosthetic leg? i feel like i would be just as good a cop as a man with 2 legs! i myself really dont see how they could discriminate against me if i show them i can do the job just as good as any one else. anway thank you for your time and hope to hear from you soon jerry.g long island n.y.
Jerry,
I have never heard of a police officer that had a prosthetic leg. But I also have never heard of anyone applying for a job as a sworn officer who had a prosthetic leg. It is a very interesting situation.
I have no experience with the NYPD and every police department has its own hiring standards. I would advise you to go straight to the recruiting office or the police academy and meet with someone in authority and get this question answered before you go through a maze of the hiring process. Do not make a phone call. You will only be talking to a civilian who has no clue. Make an appointment with someone in authority. Good luck with your quest!
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Answers by Expert:
Jack Toomey
Expertise
U.S.: I am an expert in this category for the purpose of giving young people an idea what the hiring process involves for the position of police officer. I am getting a flood of questions from young people who are being influenced by unrealistic television shows. I'd ask you to consider that when you watch police shows on television that they are NOT realistic and most of what you see does not happen in real life. Please do not ask me about potential jail sentences that you, your friends, or family might receive in court. There is no way for me to know that. I am NOT a probation officer so I cannot answer questions about probation and parole matters. I am a retired police officer with 26 years experience.I worked in a variety of assignments including investigations, homicide, sex crimes, runaway investigations, missing persons, and fraud.I also dealt with the general public during that time giving a wide range of advice on matters such as domestic disputes, problem solving, teenage problems, civil/criminal matters, and dealing with the mentally ill. I am available to give sound and reasonable advice which can solve most problems. Please do not ask me to do homework questions or online interviews. Young people should not rely on the Internet for interviews. Local police officers are normally very agreeable to assist students with interviews and surveys.
Experience
Worked as a police officer/detective for 26 years.
Graduate of the University of Maryland.B.S. in Law Enforcement.Attended numerous schools and training courses involving investigations, interviewing, interrogations, crime detection, domestic violence, and others. Recognized in court as an expert witness.
Received numerous awards during my police career for expert investigations. Handled the most sensitive and confidential investigations. In 1999 I won an award for my work with high school students while working in my new career in a large suburban high school.
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