I am on my way to having my B.A. in Criminal Justice and not for sure what i am going to do with it. I am trying to decide if getting out of the military would be worth me coming back into the civilianside with a degree. I still plan to continue with my education even after i recieve my B.A. I have 1year to decide. Seeking help from you all. What job do you do? what do you enjoy and dislike about your job, how much do you make $$$$, and finally what did you do to get where you are at now. I know it seems i am asking for alot, but i do really appreciate your time.
Depending on how much time you have invested in the military, you might want to consider staying in for twenty. With a Bachelors degree, you could also consider attending OCS, albeit they have a very high attrition rate. If you're considering the civilian world of law enforcement (LE), then you should submit your application(s) six to 12 months prior to your discharge date (because it can take that long to get hired). Also, are you considering local or Federal LE? The two are vastly different, both in scope as well as in pay & retirement benefits (the latter is by far better).
I have only 3 1/2 years in, 25 yrs old. I am also sumitting my officer package. I am trying to open as many doors as possible. I would like to continue to work with the govt side, but I guess it really dont matter. Just as long as I am helping people, making enough to support my family and enjoy what i am doing.
The Bachelor of Criminal Justice degree seems to be a popular choice these days. It is not terribly useful (beyond the considerable value of holding ANY accredited bachelor's degree) unless you want to work in law enforcement. Around here, most BCJs working in the field are police officers or probation/parole officers. One possiblility might be to pursue a Master of Public Administration. Public Administration is often closely involved with criminal justice but not from the strictly law enforcement angle. BCJs also frequently go to law school. There are also many MCJ programs, some online, though I am far from certain what an MCJ qualifies the holder to do that the BCJ does not. Community college teaching, maybe? The BCJ appears to be a species of sociology degree; advanced degree programs in sociology are fairly common. I'd guess that the BCJ might be a good background for one of the graduate "law and society" programs out there, such as the JSP program at UC Berkeley.
I've been a police officer for 16 years, and am also former military. Police officer openings are starting to sprout up after several years where not many positions were available (at least around here). What I like about my job is that once in awhile you can make a difference in someone's life. What I don't like is the double-standard where we're always the ones at fault in any given situation, and no matter what we do, we're criticized. You won't get rich as a cop, but you can make a decent wage, especially if you log some overtime and/or paid details. Historically, Florida police and sheriff departments hire on a constant basis. If you're willing to relocate, it's something to keep in mind.
Research Retirement Benifits In reference to your decision about what to to with a CJ degree, consider this: I have been in law enforcement for nine years now and I am also an Army veteran. I wish I had researched retirement benifits before embarking on my law enforcement career. Nine years ago, all I wanted to do was take bad guys to jail and chase cars. In the military, you will have 16.5 years until you can retire with medical benifits included (if I am not mistaken). A lot of police agencies have complicated formulas for determining retirement benifits. I will have to work for my agency until I am 52 to draw medical insurance benifits along with my city pension. If you believe you could be happy with going through OCS and staying in until you are 41 or 42, I would do that. These days 42 is young enough to embark on a second career; you would be doing that with the security of drawing retirement benifits from the military. I hope this helps. Greg AAT CIS North Metro Tech. College BS Criminal Just. Admin. Columbia Southern University
This is my first post. I have been in the Army for seventeen years and am looking forward to retirement. I recommend that you try to stay in and earn the retirement benefits. Some other options that you should consider are: Become a CID/NCIS agent. I know the army is recruiting for them now. You have to be at least an E4, secret clearance, and no UCMJ action. You eventually will become a Special Agent and part of the Warrant Officer Corps. Look for and try to reenlist for a law enforcement or legal MOS. If you are in the Army, it seems like we are all going to be MPs whether we like it or not. At your level of experience, you could volunteer to be your unit's Equal Opportunity Representative. No, it is not law enforcement, however, you will go to a school, gather facts for the Equal Opportunity Advisor, and research laws and regulations. Another opportunity for you is that the Army is going to update AR 600-20 and mandate that each unit commander will have to appoint a Victim's Advocate to assist victims of sexual assault. The other services will follow suit - the Navy already has a program. Many cities and counties have paid Vicitm's Advocate positions and I am sure some of the law enforcement officers on this forum could better desrcibe what they do. Eventually, you can be assigned as an Inspector General as an NCO, Warrant Officer, or Commissioned Officer. IG gather facts, research laws, regulations, policies, and conduct investigations. Take advantage of every opportunity the military gives - tuition assistance, GI Bill, and free CLEP, DANTES, Exelsior test. I hope this helps. RickB
I am in the Marines, Believe me i dont have a problem with using what the govt wants to give me TA, GI BILL, CLEP ETC...... I have considered NCIS, I know a few SNCO'S that gave me alittle inside information on that path. Yet it makes me wonder, wouldnt i make just as much money working there as a civilian rather than military? Money isnt everything, but it helps.
If I could do it over...I'd stay in the military and start my law enforcement career after earning my military retirement. Some of the happiest law enforcement officers I've known are those who took it on as a second career after the military. They don't have to work extra jobs to pay the bills or worry about working until they're old enough to earn retirement health insurance and police pensions. Furthermore, the countless risks of the job can end your career in a moment, and often the employee benefits don't offer the protection officers need. In Ga, for example, workmans compensation pays only about $240 per week! There are the other hazards that are protected even less, such as legal trouble, and loss of personal health, which can wash you out of the profession quickly. Nevertheless, law enforcement work is interesting and rewarding and definately worth doing. However, if you can go into it with a financial backup plan, you're much better off.
Here in MA, we get what is called "One Eleven F" protection. If we're injured in the line of duty, we get full pay, tax-free, until we return to duty.
That's a great benefit. I wish we had it here in GA. Generally, a department here will allow you to work light duty until you're able to go back to work. However, if there's no place to put you, they can send you home with only workman's comp, which does happen. Also there's no strong civil service protections in some agencies and none at all in others. Georgia calls itself a "Right to Work" state, meaning that in many agencies they can simply fire you without cause and with little due process, and this does happen on occasion. Of course, most employers and Chiefs are pretty good and like with most jobs, those who get into trouble are the ones who deserve it. Nevertheless, making a politically unpopular decision, such as arresting a councilman for DUI, can end a patrol officer's job. The only recourse in some places is the Federal court system.
That's terrible. Most city & town police agencies in MA are Civil Service, which basically means it takes an act of God to get fired & stay fired. Several times, I've seen cops fired who absolutely should have been, and Civil Service orders them reinstated. I guess it's good to have the scales tilted in your favor, but there are some cops in MA who have no business wearing a badge & gun.
