You are here:

Careers: Police/life after police work or?

Advertisement

Expert: - 7/20/2006


Question
Iam the mother,sister,and aunt   police officers.     I am concerned about the burnout of the job and where they can look to find new jobs that they will like. Of course once in law enforcement there is nothing else (according to the guys) My son is recently divorced, 30 yrs old . He applies for every new job that comes along  in the unit. By the time he is ready to retire he wonders what he will do. Iam sure this is a temporary thought due to the confusion of thetime.  Of course he would be mortified if he knew his mom was worried. Have you got any directions for this police officer. I"m afraid his seasoned relatives aren't the best resources maybe.  Thank you so much from a worried mom in Vancouver washington.

Answer
   If he is only thirty years old he has a long time to go before retirement if he sticks it out.  You didn't mention what his education was but once he retires his only skills will be working as a security guard or as a private detective unless he gains experience as an accident investigator, these are in high demand right now because attorneys want a second look at alot of accidents.  If he has a degree he could go into teaching, which is what I did, or any number of things.  You mentioned burnout.  That can easily happen.  Doing the same thing day after day, year after year, can cause a syndrome that causes a police officer to become lazy and nochalant.  It is a good thing to move around in a department even if it means just switching stations.  But he couldn't have been on the department more than seven or eight years by now.  

 I would suggest that he experience detective work because there you make all kinds of contacts that will help you in later life.  Otherwise I would suggest getting a college degree if he doesn't already have one.

  I hope that I have helped in some way.

Careers: Police

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

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.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.