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.
Sounds like it. Impersonating a police officer is illegal in most (all?) states. Installation and use of certain revolving, blinking or flashing lists on a car is also illegal in most (all?) states.
Sounds like you are in a bad spot. However, if you are unwilling to call the local police for assistance, I don't know what you expect anyone else to do.
I've touched on these topics before. In brief:
1. Every department's hiring standards are different. Contact the agency you would want to work for and see what their requirements are. Most are looking for a two year degree or military experience. A few want a four year degree.
2. All other things being equal, the military experience is far more valuable than the piece of paper from some college.
3. A CJ major is not needed to get hired, even if a department requires a college degree. Consider picking a major with practical application beyond law enforcement.
4. Debt is bad. Student debt is extremely bad. A cops salary will not pay off a student loan very quickly at all. Student debt is one of the major problems with the economy in this country now.
If I was just starting out, I would join the military and work on my two-year degree while I was active duty. Then I would come out with a head start on college plus the GI bill if I wanted to continue that. If I wanted to jump right into police work, I would have the experience plus a two year degree. Many departments offer a tuition reimbursement program, so you could go to work for a PD, continue college on their dime and save the GI bill for an advanced school if you so desired.
For example, 4 years military gets the GI bill and a two year degree. 4 years as a law enforcement officer and you get your bachelors degree. Then you could use your GI bill to get a law degree if you wanted. Just my thoughts.
Talk to your divorce attorney.
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There is no law against it that I am aware of. You should check with your department regs if you are worried about your job.
Contact the department you wish to work for and see if they require a degree. I would recommend the least expensive degree possible, as they will largely be useless in law enforcement. You can read through my prior answers for additional information on college degrees and law enforcement.
It might. You should contact the California POST: http://www.post.ca.gov/
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