BlueSheepdog
10 Years Experience
Around the Way, FL
Male, 40
Cheating death and fighting communism: that is how a fellow officer once described our job. It was meant to be funny, but as time went on it seemed all too true.
I spent more than ten years in law enforcement, all of it on the street in uniform patrol. I've been a patrol officer, instructor, sergeant and lieutenant.
Do not report crimes here. Nothing here should be considered legal advice. All opinions are my own.
The handler and dog are considered a team. Most departments require the handler to board, feed, and care for the dog off duty. Typically there is a small stipend provided to the officer for this time, food and supplies. Rarely does that stipend cover everything the human puts into the care of the dog.
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Why would you think that it would be even remotely ok to shoot children with a BB gun?
1. None of this is legal advice. Consult an attorney. Wrongful use force against another, especially a child, can land you in prison for a long time.
2. The use of force is generally resricted to "reasonable" self defense. Re-read #1.
3. BB guns are not toys. They can and have killed people. Use Google and you will see multiple stories about BB guns killing people. For example: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/21/florida-boy-10-dies-after-brother-accidentally-shoots-him-with-bb-gun/
4. BB guns can also take out an eye or do other serious injury even if they were incapable of killing. Re-read #1.
5. You're not Alvin York and your aim on a moving target isn't that good. I don't care how good a shot you think you are, you can't guarantee where you would hit someone anyway. Re-read #1.
6. None of this excuses whatever trespass these children may have done, but shooting them with a BB gun sounds way beyond the realm of reasonableness. What would you do if your child had been shot by an adult with a BB gun? Re-read #1.
7. Use of force is generally restricted to the defense of persons, not property. Re-read #1.
8. If someone is coming into your home and you feel threatened, things are different. Re-read #1.
9. Re-read #1.
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I don't know Virginia law, but in many (most?) states, you can pass all of the tests and still not be hired. If you think about it, say 100 people pass all of the tests but there are only 10 positions open. 90 people passed but won't be hired.
I have no idea what your department's background investigation requirements are. If he/she was convicted of domestic assault or domestic battery, he/she is not allowed to be in possession of firearms by federal (and probably Virginia) law. A department might not want their firearms to be around a prohibited person. You should probably talk to your recruiter about your situation for more information.
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If an investigation was conducted, it sounds like a lack of probable cause existed. Probable cause is a legal burden that a law enforcement agency must meet before arresting someone.
Just because a parent hits a child does not mean the child is being abused. Reasonable corporal punishment is legal in many cases.
Strangulation is not likely to be considered reasonable. If you witness violence, you should call the local law enforcement agency.
Even if the state was to remove him from the house, it is exceptionally unlikely he would be allowed to live with you.
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Do the stats actually back up the "Mac's never get viruses and crash way less than PCs" thing?
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It is impossible for me to tell you where you might like to work. If you've never lived in a large city, you might love - or hate- it. Same thing about working in a smaller area.
From my personal experience, I would prefer a smaller department of 50-75 officers if I was starting all over. Ideally, it would be suburban to rural. I've worked for a very urban area and for a smaller department in a suburban bordering on rural area. You get a lot more of the exciting calls in a short amount of time in the urban areas, but you can also burn out much quicker.
The upside to a large agency is you get a lot of opportunity to work in specialized units that you don't have in smaller areas/departments. For example, a marine unit, aviation unit, SWAT unit, etc. But smaller areas will sometimes pool resources for multi-jurisdictional units (like SWAT teams formed with officers from several regional departments.)
I'd suggest doing a few ride-alongs with different departments in different areas and get a feel for what things are like.
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On duty generally means he/she is currently being paid by the agency as part of regularly assigned duties. So, it would sound like the officer was off duty.
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No exact routes are ever taken/repeated. It would be a good way to be ambushed and that's never a good day.
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