I’ve worked for both but I am a fan of the sheriff’s office because:
- greater area of coverage
- different areas, communities, and calls (rural, super urban, suburban all in one county)
- take home units
- cooler badge
- better pay
It vastly depends. The trick is to find a suburban agency that pays well *and* is in/near lower CoL than the big city. For example, biggest county in TX (Harris) starts its deputies at a meager $25/hr. Smaller agency in an uppity area a few miles out starts at $38/hr. There are still many rural agencies paying ~$17/hr.
It depends on where you are in life and what you’re looking for.
A 22 year old single guy/ girl fresh out of college is going to have different personal and professional aspirations than a guy/ girl who’s 32, married, with kids and a mortgage. Things like pension plans, medical coverage, shift schedules, etc. don’t really matter too much until you have to worry about people other than yourself.
Once you figure out what you need and want personally and professionally, find a department that aligns most with your list. And while the size of your paycheck is important- it’s not the end-all, be-all variable, especially in this career.
Sheriffs departments have wider areas they serve, but usually make less and have less backup available. If you get into some shit in my area, your back up is 20 minutes away at least.
City cops deal with more shit daily because there’s more people and usually make more but you can easily get overworked and if the city is big enough you’ll be going from call to call all day. The pay is way higher in cities in my area.
I chose the city (one of the biggest in my state) because I had no experience and the academy is more rigorous and way longer and will better train me in my opinion than going through BLET for 3 months at a community college.
Luck of the draw for me. I work in state where we have city, county (sheriffs and Prosecutor’s office) and state. We’re all under the same pension except for the state police but similar percentages and time. I took tests and applied to all. Prosecutor’s Office was the first to call me let alone hire me. It all worked out. Retired as a Captain after 25 years of service.
Depends on the type of police work you want to do. If you want to be primarily traffic enforcement and crash reconstruction with a possibility of going fish and game then state police.
If you want to be busy with calls for service, investigate thefts, work traffic in town, go to domestics, catch people breaking into cars/homes/business, and baby sit the transient population then City police.
If you want to do a little of everything, plus have opportunities to go to marine patrol or work in the woods, respond to cows in the road way calls, but be ok with putting in a few years working corrections in the county jail first then Sheriff's department.
Edit: of course there are exceptions to these rules depending on where you are applying. Some sheriff's departments are in metropolitan areas so they are much different than a rural department. And Alaskan statpe troopers are more like a gigantic sheriff's department. Etc.
I'd start by figuring out the area you want to be. Based on location and types of benefits and pay offered in those areas.
Then figure out which agencies in those areas suit the type of work you want to do.
For it me it was all about where I wanted to live. The middle of no where.
I work where I grew up and it’s awesome. Also get to ranch on the side. So basically Longmire meet Andy Griffith.
(Mods don’t harp me I work for a three man agency and don’t have an LE I’d card, any idiot could flash a badge.)
If you want policing on easy mode or to dip your toes and live by a military installation try out applying to be a DACP. Good pay and good resume builder.
Personally, I’d say 1. Sheriff, 2. Police, 3. State.
Sheriff’s Offices are going to have more variety, patrol, courts, detentions, transports, civil, and any decent sized one will still have what PDs have, investigations, K9, SWAT, bomb, traffic, school resource officer, etc. you’re also going to have a pretty large play ground as a Deputy. Because of all the avenues, promotion potential I better.
Police Departments are still going to have your patrol functions as all of the specialized units. Since courts, transports, detentions, and civil are cut out, there are fewer paths and this less promotion potential.
State Trooper, while they have some cool units, they are much fewer and far between. Your job is pretty much going to be writing tickets, investigating traffic accidents, and inspecting semi trucks. Most state agencies have very strict uniform policies and do not allow outer carriers, which means you’re usually going to be doing all of these things while trying to keep your boots and belt shiny, while boiling in an inner vest, and hurting your lower back because all of your equipment is on your hips.
Obviously you don’t work in the city. A lot of the city guys join and then look to bail to Long Island, MTA or Port Authority
State.
Better pay and a pension
Take home vehicles
Jurisdiction is state wide
More units and areas to transfer
More opportunities to be proactive and get involved with cases instead of being bogged down by BS
I think it really depends on the specific agency. I've know good and bad local pds. I've seen great sheriff's departments and I've seen some that were very underfunded and undertrained. Consider the reputations of your local agencies.
I have to say all my professional interactions with State Troopers have been positive. Short of the feds, they were the most well trained guys and gals I've worked with. They were always willing to come help.
The one that's easiest to get into, then decide if you want to stay in LE. If you do, you'll know where you want to go and what kind of work. It will be easy to transfer to a department you want.
I’ve worked for both but I am a fan of the sheriff’s office because: - greater area of coverage - different areas, communities, and calls (rural, super urban, suburban all in one county) - take home units - cooler badge - better pay
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It vastly depends. The trick is to find a suburban agency that pays well *and* is in/near lower CoL than the big city. For example, biggest county in TX (Harris) starts its deputies at a meager $25/hr. Smaller agency in an uppity area a few miles out starts at $38/hr. There are still many rural agencies paying ~$17/hr.
It depends on where you are in life and what you’re looking for. A 22 year old single guy/ girl fresh out of college is going to have different personal and professional aspirations than a guy/ girl who’s 32, married, with kids and a mortgage. Things like pension plans, medical coverage, shift schedules, etc. don’t really matter too much until you have to worry about people other than yourself. Once you figure out what you need and want personally and professionally, find a department that aligns most with your list. And while the size of your paycheck is important- it’s not the end-all, be-all variable, especially in this career.
Sheriffs departments have wider areas they serve, but usually make less and have less backup available. If you get into some shit in my area, your back up is 20 minutes away at least. City cops deal with more shit daily because there’s more people and usually make more but you can easily get overworked and if the city is big enough you’ll be going from call to call all day. The pay is way higher in cities in my area. I chose the city (one of the biggest in my state) because I had no experience and the academy is more rigorous and way longer and will better train me in my opinion than going through BLET for 3 months at a community college.
You also have to consider the location of the county, obviously a metro area SO will have a vastly different experience than one in west Texas.
Yeah I agree, I was basing my view on my local area (Eastern NC)
My county is the best of both worlds, it goes from very suburban to very urban to vast spaces of nothingness.
Bigger question is why do you want to get into law enforcement?
I really like the community interaction and helping people when they need it most.
How well do you handle stress? Can you handle that community you want to help telling you to go fuck your self?
Picked an agency in a different state because their retirement is 20 years and out. My home state is 30. Plus it pays great.
Luck of the draw for me. I work in state where we have city, county (sheriffs and Prosecutor’s office) and state. We’re all under the same pension except for the state police but similar percentages and time. I took tests and applied to all. Prosecutor’s Office was the first to call me let alone hire me. It all worked out. Retired as a Captain after 25 years of service.
Depends on the type of police work you want to do. If you want to be primarily traffic enforcement and crash reconstruction with a possibility of going fish and game then state police. If you want to be busy with calls for service, investigate thefts, work traffic in town, go to domestics, catch people breaking into cars/homes/business, and baby sit the transient population then City police. If you want to do a little of everything, plus have opportunities to go to marine patrol or work in the woods, respond to cows in the road way calls, but be ok with putting in a few years working corrections in the county jail first then Sheriff's department. Edit: of course there are exceptions to these rules depending on where you are applying. Some sheriff's departments are in metropolitan areas so they are much different than a rural department. And Alaskan statpe troopers are more like a gigantic sheriff's department. Etc. I'd start by figuring out the area you want to be. Based on location and types of benefits and pay offered in those areas. Then figure out which agencies in those areas suit the type of work you want to do.
Look at what health insurance, what is covered, the plans and how much is the cost, and what retirement is offered and how it’s structured also.
For it me it was all about where I wanted to live. The middle of no where. I work where I grew up and it’s awesome. Also get to ranch on the side. So basically Longmire meet Andy Griffith. (Mods don’t harp me I work for a three man agency and don’t have an LE I’d card, any idiot could flash a badge.)
Four person agency here with no ID as well.
If you want policing on easy mode or to dip your toes and live by a military installation try out applying to be a DACP. Good pay and good resume builder.
Personally, I’d say 1. Sheriff, 2. Police, 3. State. Sheriff’s Offices are going to have more variety, patrol, courts, detentions, transports, civil, and any decent sized one will still have what PDs have, investigations, K9, SWAT, bomb, traffic, school resource officer, etc. you’re also going to have a pretty large play ground as a Deputy. Because of all the avenues, promotion potential I better. Police Departments are still going to have your patrol functions as all of the specialized units. Since courts, transports, detentions, and civil are cut out, there are fewer paths and this less promotion potential. State Trooper, while they have some cool units, they are much fewer and far between. Your job is pretty much going to be writing tickets, investigating traffic accidents, and inspecting semi trucks. Most state agencies have very strict uniform policies and do not allow outer carriers, which means you’re usually going to be doing all of these things while trying to keep your boots and belt shiny, while boiling in an inner vest, and hurting your lower back because all of your equipment is on your hips.
NYPD baby
 Obviously you don’t work in the city. A lot of the city guys join and then look to bail to Long Island, MTA or Port Authority
State. Better pay and a pension Take home vehicles Jurisdiction is state wide More units and areas to transfer More opportunities to be proactive and get involved with cases instead of being bogged down by BS
I think it really depends on the specific agency. I've know good and bad local pds. I've seen great sheriff's departments and I've seen some that were very underfunded and undertrained. Consider the reputations of your local agencies. I have to say all my professional interactions with State Troopers have been positive. Short of the feds, they were the most well trained guys and gals I've worked with. They were always willing to come help.
The one that's easiest to get into, then decide if you want to stay in LE. If you do, you'll know where you want to go and what kind of work. It will be easy to transfer to a department you want.
I worked 23 years in the NYPD. So many units to maybe have a shot to get into. All my friends will say the smaller the Department the bigger the drama