What else can you do with the police academy?

Question

My boyfriend is in the police academy, but is no longer sure he wants to be a cop. I told him he should stick it out and finish up, but he thinks he's wasting his time and money continuing. How can I encourage him to keep with it and finish the training? Is actually being a cop different from the academy? Do different cities offer different experiences of police work than the one he is familiar with?

And what else can he do with that training besides just being a police officer? Is there other service work that it might prepare him for? He is willing to go back to school eventually.

Answer 1

There is a virtual myriad of options for him. I put myself through the Academy, became a Police Officer, and then left to become a Federal Agent. He could become a Criminologist, a Crime Scene Investigator, any NUMBER of things...of course, some fields will require additional training and education, but Academy training is ALWAYS a good foot in the door in ANY field of law enforcement.

Without knowing him, I can only speculate that he, like most, is having a hard time dealing with the BS the instructors dish out. Let me assure you, this is only to weed out the people whose hearts aren't really in it. Tell him to stand strong, and be an understanding source of support for him. Odds are, short of getting married and having kids, this will be the most rewarding accomplishments of his life, if he sticks it out. Best of luck to him (and you) - its not always easy being the significant other of those in law enforcement.

Answer 2

Is he putting himself through the academy??
A pity he is not going to use the education and training. Finishing the academy is a nice addition to any resume, even if he decides not to pursue a LE career. The academy education is usually transferable for college credits.
There certainly are different police experiences depending on the agency you hire with. City Police handle urban tasks. Sheriff's departments have larger areas to cover and often more responsibilities. Highway patrol tends to focus on traffic enforcement and accident investigations but are often involved in drug cases. Some states have a state investigative agency that does nothing but investigate crimes. Being a graduate of a police academy might also qualify your boyfriend for a number of federal law enforcement jobs. Some of them offer very rewarding careers.
My suggestion: finish the academy, find a police job, work it for awhile, and then decide if you want to continue this. The academy is not law enforcement, it is a disciplined school and there is a real difference.

Answer 3

Generally, each 'police academy' provides 'graduate officers' who can work for any of several different 'cities' or 'counties' ... but some are ONLY for one particular city or county ... and if he is having 'serious doubts' now, then I'd find out EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE and WHY HE IS HAVING THEM. It may be that he has simply 'found out' that there is no way he could ever be a 'good police officer' and if that is true, then he is simply 'wasting time and money' ... because he could go into 'security work' in the 'private sector' but that usually goes to only 'former officers' and not 'simply graduates of the academy' and it's really 'the same sort of job' but without the 'government and the guns' behind it. So ... LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS, and ASK INTELLIGENT QUESTIONS, but LET HIM MAKE THE FINAL DECISION and LOVE HIM NO MATTER WHAT HE DECIDES. Your 'job' as his 'girlfriend' is to SUPPORT HIS CHOSEN JOB, whether it's 'right or wrong' and you'lll find it a whole lot better if he 'quits school now' and is a 'much happier' janitor or doctor or whatever-makes-him-truly-happy than if he finishes and becomes a cop ... I would NOT WANT a cop who 'wasn't sure he wanted to be a cop' out ther pointing a gun at me or my kid, whether we had 'committed a crime' or not. THINK ABOUT THAT FOR AWHILE ...

Answer 4

There are a ton of jobs he could do with his experience at the Academy. The academy here is a lot like boot camp. Some people who haven't been in the military before have trouble adjusting to the structure. If that's the case for your b/f then encourage him to stick it out. It will get easier and once he is out he will be working on his own.