CF experience relevant to RCMP, civ policing? (merged)

[bick]

No you're not, being a cop is HIGHLY over-rated.

 

[cobbler]

I spoke to a Policeman a while ago about this.


He said military service itself would not be a help in a police application.

HOWEVER he then said that:

The life experience gained and the skills developed by being in the military would improve the chances of an applicant, depending on the person.


So I guess the benefits of service in a police application are what you yourself have taken out of your time in the military.

 

[fly_lady_fly]

Being a policing student (BAHS - Police Studies from Georgian College), I've asked this question of professors and recruiters alike (on behalf of my bf, considering policing as a career after his contract expires).

I found it interesting, and noteworthy, that the RCMP recruiter I spoke with had less to say about military experience 'upping the chances' of being hired than either OPP or municipal recruiters did. The reply I recieved directly from him basically said that it made little difference in the hiring process and that, if military experience lent anything to the character of the applicant, it really was on an individual basis. I've got to agree with Cobbler here, at least as far as the Mounties are concerned, it's all in what you take out of it.

From the responses we recieved, if you're interested in a career in policing, the OPP seems to be the best way to go... at least, if you actually live in Ontario.  :-\

Hope this helps...

 

[The_Falcon]

If you really wanna use your military experience to get on, go for Peel Regional Police, aka 5 RCR. 

 

[zipperhead_cop]

No you're not, being a cop is HIGHLY over-rated.

Riiiight.  And your bitter attitude comes from your personal experience as a LEO?  Stick to the intent of the thread. 

Military experience is not a magic bullet to getting hired.  Nothing is.  However, I still feel that someone who has some significant experience in the CF (meaning a few years and at least one leadership course) is going to have an edge over the masses. 
The hardest part of the application process is getting past the interview(s).  With the various scenarios that they throw at you, having been part of a team, being under duress, leading others, conflict resolution etc. all go towards coming off as having some useful life experience. 

rregtc-etf, just out of curiosity, what Div are you at now?  I used to live about half a click from where 42 currently is.

 

[rregtc-etf]

Zipperhead, I'll email to your hotmail

 

[2 Cdo]

Zipperhead in reply to your comments directed at Bick. Yes he is a police officer, also an MP once. Ex RCR, PPCLI,  airborne so in fact I would say it does come from personal experience.

 

[Blackhorse7]

Not to be nit-picky, but I wish that if subjects posting in Police related topics are saying they are Police Officers, they should fill out more info in their profiles.  That may help to alleviate some of the questions as to someone's credibility....

 

[bick]

So highly over-rated that after 5 yrs in the RCMP, I have just handed in my resignation.  I report to 2PPCLI in Shilo next month. 

Zipperhead cop, if your service is great, good for you.  Most POs I have spoken with tell of blades, careerism and lazy wastes of skin in their services.

Good luck to all who want to be cops.  It can be rewarding, but it ain't the army.

 

[rregtc-etf]

Unfriendly competition and careerism is a fact of life in most corporate jobs when there is only a limited number of spots at "the top".  The difference: every Chief of Police starts his career as a Constable.  I don't think too many army generals starting out as privates (or equivalent).  Another difference is that the vast majority of police officers tend to stay in the job well into their mid 50's.  I don't think there are too many 50 year old infantry privates still humping it out in the field. Another difference is that the military has a greater need for NCO's, Sr. NCO's and Officers to maintain a more complex system of responsibilities including long range transportation, accommodations and consumable rations. 

In a police platoon/troop the Sergeants are not  primarily required for decision making, but spend a greater amount of time controlling deployment, managing human resources at incidents and checking police reports for errors and omissions. The vast majority of Sergeants will have had formal investigative or specialized unit experience however, in the majority of 911 calls a Constable will respond / attend, investigate and resolve the situation according to laws and has the discretion to resolve some matters as he/she sees fit, a Sergeant on scene will only be in the way.  Serious crime scenes must be reported to and must be attended by a Sergeant and or Detective.

So, because there aren't as many supervisory positions, there is a greater competition for promotion and a greater competition for courses among Constables trying increase their qualifications in order to get promoted.

From Constable to Staff Sergeant it is pretty much an exam and experience based promotional system with interview panel.  If an officer reaches the Senior Officer Ranks of Inspector and higher, positions are more based on performance and merit similar to military commissioned officers

Unfortunately the competitive nature of the police promotions system results in self serving dickheads being promoted every now and then.

 

[Zombie]

One interesting fact which I don't think I read in this entire thread is: If you served in the military for a certain amount of time and you are accepted into the RCMP, your pension is transferred and years of service are credited. To get your full pension in the RCMP, it's 25 years just like the military.  If you spend 5 years in the military, well your 25 year police career just got knocked down to 20 years if you like.      

Does anyone know if this is true for the OPP also? Been told it is, but cannot find any info on it. Is an OPP pension 25 years? Searched but cannot find.

 

[noneck]

ChristopherRobin

Using CF time towards your RCMP pension is not quite as accurate as you described. In order to have a full pension without penalty you have to work 24 and a day, then you can port over your CF time or other Federal time for that matter..

For instance I brought over 5 years of Class C and Class B (over 180 days) out of the 11.5 that I served., I immediately got the service credit towards extra leave. If i work to 24 and day I will have a pension of 30 years which is equal to 60% of my best 5 averaged.

Noneck

 

[MP 811]

Most POs I have spoken with tell of blades, careerism and lazy wastes of skin in their services.

Are you sure you were RCMP and not my last outfit?....one of the reason's why I jumped ship......

 

[gate_guard]

With regards to bick's comments: no, policing is not the army, nor should it be. In my opinion, being good at either often demands similar character traits but the average policing day is nowhere close to being the same as an average day in the military. Bick, its unfortunate that you did not enjoy your policing experience but I give you credit for not jumping ship right out of the gate and at least giving it a couple years. But I would venture to say that blades/careerists/lazy wastes of skin can be found not only in policing, but in the military as well, or any profession for that matter. I have learned quickly that no two officers have identical careers/experiences. Some become bitter and lazy because of their experiences, others look back fondly on every minute of their career. And again, I think that the same can be said of many soldiers as well. One of the draws for me personally was the fact that if I get tired or bored in my current position in policing, I can always do something different while still carrying a badge.

As for military experience helping on your application, from my own experience it definitely helped me stand out from dozens of other candidates. But as has already been stated, I think it really depends on what your military experience is, how you learned from it, and how well you can explain to the recruiter that your military experience will make you a better officer.

 

[Bobbyoreo]

Ive recently heard of 3 ex members of 2vp quiting the RCMP and heading back to the unit. I wonder if there was more expected from the police or why this is happening, cause it just cant be because of the blades....as the forces have alot of their own. Anyways I wish you the best in your new/old unit.

 

[thehare]

        Hey everyone, lately I've been thinking of a career in law enforcement ( in particular the Toronto Police Service), but I also wish to serve my time in the Canadian Forces. Well the obvious thing that came to my mind would be  trying the Military Police for a while and then after a few years switch to civilian police. What I do not know is if it is possible to apply to a civilian police agency while still being employed by the Military ( reason being is that I do not want to leave the military than apply for the TPS just to end up without a job for a few months while waiting for my application to go through).

          And on another note, I've read in a few posts that Civilian Police Agencies do not recognize serving with the Military Police as actual police service. I was just wondering if this is true or not, and if this is true, why is that.

Again Thanks For your time.

 

[Sig_Des]

There are many members who have applied for Civilian LE organisations while still in. You may want to read some of the threads located here:

http://forums.milnet.ca/forums/index.php/board,54.0.html

As far as CivPol recognizing MP service, some do, some don't. Located in the above forum would be this thread;

http://forums.milnet.ca/forums/threads/82219.0.html

 

[mariomike]

I've read in a few posts that Civilian Police Agencies do not recognize serving with the Military Police as actual police service. I was just wondering if this is true or not, and if this is true, why is that.

I found a couple of Police websites with "Will my military experience help?" in their FAQs.
One borders Toronto, and the other is not far away.
Nothing specific about M.P., but I hope this helps.:
http://www.yrp.ca/default.aspx?pg=f3f45c04-4552-45d8-8386-f64f015a5338
http://www.hamiltonpolice.on.ca/HPS/FAQ/Recruitment/Sworn/RecruitmentSwornFAQDetails.htm#15

 

[Roofus]

Hey there, i'm new too the forum. I am joining the Reserves (I passed the aptitude test and awaiting to do my medical) but anyway, Im 18 now, and wanting to become a Police Officer when im older. Will being in the Reserves for 3 years (when I apply for Policing position) give me a significant advantage over someone that has not? all throughout high school I took the 'applied' route, therefore University really is not in the question for moi. I'm planning to do Police foundation 2 year course at college and by then I will have been in the Reserves for 3 years. I hear most officers being hired are having university degrees, thats why im nervous...

any comments?

Thanks, Josh. 

 

[mariomike]

Will being in the Reserves for 3 years (when I apply for Policing position) give me a significant advantage over someone that has not?

Topic: "Military to Police Career":
http://forums.milnet.ca/forums/threads/92660/post-917341.html#msg917341

"Will my military experience help?
York Regional Police values the contributions made by the brave men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces. While specialized military training will very likely prove valuable once an applicant is hired with York Regional Police, the Constable Selection Process remains the same for every applicant regardless of military service."

Hamilton:
"Q.  Will my military experience help?
A.  Applicants are looked at individually as to what skills they bring with them. Military service is neither an advantage nor a disadvantage."

Your best bet is to contact the Recruiting office of the Police Service(s) you are interested in. The two examples above are the only two I was able to find that had your question in their FAQ.
Good luck with that.