Hey guys...

So as a 5' 6" 120lb male, I decided the other day to apply for a job in my local police force as an officer. I turned in my application and my next step is to appear at the local police station on the 20th and perform a timed, written exam that tests observation and memory, and if I pass that with a 70% I then get to take the ORPAT or Oregon Physical Abilities Test. If I complete the series of obstacle courses, 80lb weight push and pull and 165lb dummy drag, in 5 minutes and 30 seconds, I get to move on to an interview with the police personnel in charge of the job. If I'm successfully chosen for the one open position of Patrol Officer (fat chance!) I will then be hired at my local station and then move on to academy training in Salem.

As a very physically small for my age person, I have to say I am quite nervous and I have found myself second guessing this decision, but it has always been something I wanted to try, and now finally I am going to do it. I used to just tell myself "there's no way I'd ever make it." Well now I'm about to find out for sure.

Still doesn't make the nerves go away, and it will be very frustrating if I do complete both the test and the physical test, only to be skipped over in the interview. This is a big fear for me as my entire working life has been spent in non-military, very pedestrian jobs and I have absolutely no family members who have ever been in the police force. Can someone like me make it?

I'd just be happy to have some feedback from you guys, good or bad, and above all honest, because really, who likes sunshine being blown up their arse when they know it isn't true. LOL.

--Lee

Take my way of thinking, you'll never make it if you don't try! There are many smaller people in the police forces, didn't stop them... Just try your best, as long as you leave that place knowing that you put every bit of effort you have, then you have a reason to be proud whether you make it in or not.

Good Luck!

Edited September 13, 201213 yr by Tom H

i totally agree with Tom..i mean..think about it that way....smaller people are faster xD

I'm sure you're able to do it xD

Good luck

.

Edited June 21, 20241 yr by tobeymaguire

As a very physically small for my age person, I have to say I am quite nervous and I have found myself second guessing this decision, but it has always been something I wanted to try, and now finally I am going to do it. I used to just tell myself "there's no way I'd ever make it." Well now I'm about to find out for sure.

Size doesn't matter; are you fit? Are you able to do the job which at times require physical involvement and movements? Are you able to handle stress? Are you able to concentrate and make judgement calls under extreme pressures?

If you answer yes to both questions then you'll be fine. I've served with huge a** guys who were ridiciously ripped but couldn't run worth a damn and their size became a problem because really if your taking fire whose going to able to drag your 300 pound a*** out of the kill zone?

Have you been preparing for the fitness portion?

Physical fitness doesn't mean have the fastest times or lifting the most weight; it's about being able to preform your job at a high standard that means being able to run and pull your own weight.

Your size is both a strength and weakness.

Still doesn't make the nerves go away, and it will be very frustrating if I do complete both the test and the physical test, only to be skipped over in the interview. This is a big fear for me as my entire working life has been spent in non-military, very pedestrian jobs and I have absolutely no family members who have ever been in the police force. Can someone like me make it?

What other skills do you have? I'm sure in those jobs you've mentioned you must have acquired some type of skill set? Just because you are "non-military" does not disqualify you.

Nerves is nature's way of telling you that your still in the game because if your too confident then you'll fall like a rock if you don't make it. Too timid and afraid and you'll never try.

I wouldn't even worry about the size aspect of it, though ALOT of Officer's look like monsters cause of all the muscle they pack on, well, think of it this way, i'm 5'11 150lbs (average build) i've often wondered if i'd even make it, but i wish it was as easy as you explained, how long is the recruiting process out there?

@ Tom H, Taximan5, and TheNinja35 : Thank you so much guys for the good luck wishes and the encouragement! I really appreciate it and it does help me a bit. I figured there would have to be police officers somewhere my size, (probably all women, lol) but I've never seen any around here. I'd say our average officers are about 6 foot something and 200 something. Kinda big and wide dudes (no offense meant to them)

@ Comm: The skillsets I have picked up are all very basic. I drive a forklift a lot in a retail outfit, unloading and loading up the big rigs that come in, stocking product and setting up backstock product on the racks again with the forklift. From there I picked up a job driving a taxi cab, but that was only temporarily for a friend and I did that and the forklift job. Now I'm back to the forklift job as the taxi driving job has fallen out. So honestly, very pedestrian work, absolutely no important or police-oriented skillsets are gained from that.

@ Slimory: Well as far as my limited knowledge goes the recruitment process length and steps will vary depending on where you live. As far as I know, Oregon is the only state in the US where you must first apply, successfully complete a timed written observation and memory test, the ORPAT in 5 minutes and 30 seconds, and successfully interview and be hired for a police enforcement job BEFORE you are enrolled into an academy to learn the basic policing skills. All of Oregon's officers apparently receive training in Salem's police Academy where they complete at least a basic policing class of 640 hours. Depending on what type of law enforcement, they may receive additional courses (like if they were going to be a homicide detective, ect). And like I said, that is just Oregon. In other states, if I'm correct, you may pay and enroll yourself into an academy to learn the basics, then apply for a law enforcement job, having already attainted the required training yourself. So it really depends on where you are Slimory, and based on your forum info it looks like Canada, and for that I can't speak. I've read somewhere that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's training is BRUTAL. But I severely wish I had your build. I'd say you'd have at least a 250% better chance of graduating than me, lol.

Just remember that they MAY pepper spray you....I think it's only for prison guards though, LOL. It MIGHT be for officers too, lol.

They only pepper spray you if you want pepper spray it's not a mandatory thing, same with tazer's, you have to get tazed to get your tazer lol

@Hero540- the RCMP P.A.R.E exam is EXTREMELY physically demanding, Canada is nothing like the states when it comes to policing, and going to a police academy in your state.

I'm in Halifax and if i wanted to train with the RCMP i'd have to go to the depot in Alberta, dead center of Canada, where Halifax Regional Police i would go to PEI and be there for 10-12 months rather then 6 months in Alberta.

Canadian Military Police is gruelling as well and they have the POPAT? i think it's called, but keep in mind, i think they do that only because they wanted you prepared for the next 25-30 years of your life, where in the U.S being a Police Officer, in my opinion is more like a "job" rather then a career, only because of the pay difference, an RCMP Officer makes around $46,000.00-$56,000.00/YR first year then you get pay grades of up to $90,000.00-$120,000/YR where in the U.S, LEO's make almost $40,000.00 less, no offence intended, but americans really bite the bullet when it comes to a Police Officer's salary, my opinion, if i'm risking my life everyday, i want to at least leave something for my children to fall back on, not get a second job after becoming an LEO.

I really don't know if i could pass it cause i smoked for 7 years, i know for a fact i could drive the car though, got to drive a 2011 RCMP Ford Crown Victoria last week, still had the decals on it too bad was going to the crusher

Anyway, just keep pushing yourself, don't second guess yourself, if your tired while taking the physical part, push harder, that's really all i can say besides stay positive and you will be fine, hope you don't have the DREADFUL polygraph, heard those are fun :P

@ Hunter: Yes, I believe it's all voluntary and dependent on what you wish to carry. If you want a taser you must be tazed yourself. Same for pepperspray. I may be a wimp, but I'll probably only end up carrying a service pistol and a baton for this reason, LOL. Nah, I may take the taser. OC Spray never seems to work that well, and from what I've heard from other officers, you usually end up spraying yourself as well as the agressor. I'm a complete and utter wimp when burning substances get in my eyes. I cannot stand my eyes being f-ed with! lol. However, I'm also deadfully unaware of what our patrol officers carry themselves in my town, and I cannot find any information on the web what so ever. The KFPD website is very lacking in information (perhaps for a reason?) and because Klamath Falls is such a deadfully small spit of a town, there's no other real web resources to research anything about our officers. They may not even be allowed to carry tasers (much like the NYPD, only Sergeants are allowed to have tasers) The best way to garner knowledge would be to talk to officers in person, and the only officer I ever knew in my life was our on campus police officer during my high school years. When I graduated in '07 I was never able to be in contact with another officer, sadly.

@ Slimory: Holy crap your officers make bank!!! The starting pay listed for this patrol officer position in my town was listed at $4,077 a month, which is a hell of a lot more compared to the $1,000 I make monthly now. Cool stuff about being able to drive a CVPI! Our officers here in my town use the CVPI's and the Dodge Charger, which if I make it far enough and actually get to be a cop, I pray I am issued a Charger, LOL. Love that car.

Also, do you still smoke? Congratulations if you don't. Even though you said you smoked for 7 years, you'd be surprised how quickly your lungs and body begins to heal after some years of being smoke free. Your heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, pretty much everything gets better immediately the first year of being smoke free. (Note better, not completely healed) and if you're smoke free with a bit of cardio training and such I'd wager you could definitely go as far as getting yourself into the police forces in Canada. You'd be surprised.

Good luck man! I hope you make it!

I'm going to be in the exact same position in like 3 years, so get the job so I know it can be done! lol

But yes, US Police Officers are underpaid, especially since it's turning into a job that requires a bachelors degree.

They only pepper spray you if you want pepper spray it's not a mandatory thing, same with tazer's, you have to get tazed to get your tazer lol

To use any use of force weapons you must experience it's effect. Meaning to carry Pepper Spray YOU WILL BE peppered sprayed.

It Stings like a mother f****; tear gas is worse though.

Canadian Military Police is gruelling as well and they have the POPAT?

CFMP doesn't use any Police testing.

CFMP is gruelling academically as you have to learn not only the HTA and Criminal Code but also the QR and O's, the NDA, Service Code of Discipline and of course the basics in International Law.

i think they do that only because they wanted you prepared for the next 25-30 years of your life, where in the U.S being a Police Officer, in my opinion is more like a "job" rather then a career, only because of the pay difference, an RCMP Officer makes around $46,000.00-$56,000.00/YR first year then you get pay grades of up to $90,000.00-$120,000/YR where in the U.S, LEO's make almost $40,000.00 less, no offence intended, but americans really bite the bullet when it comes to a Police Officer's salary, my opinion, if i'm risking my life everyday, i want to at least leave something for my children to fall back on, not get a second job after becoming an LEO.

This is something that I really have an opinion on. There is no reason why a cop should make 80K+ a year. That is for a different discussion.

I really don't know if i could pass it cause i smoked for 7 years,

If you start working out and make it habit then in no time you'll be able to surpass the standards. Quitting smoking also helps.

@ Hero

The skillsets I have picked up are all very basic. I drive a forklift a lot in a retail outfit, unloading and loading up the big rigs that come in, stocking product and setting up backstock product on the racks again with the forklift. From there I picked up a job driving a taxi cab, but that was only temporarily for a friend and I did that and the forklift job. Now I'm back to the forklift job as the taxi driving job has fallen out. So honestly, very pedestrian work, absolutely no important or police-oriented skillsets are gained from that.

Driving a Taxi Cab, I'm sure you must have had conversations with people?, Know how to handle the radios?, Driving Skills?, Communication Skills? Samething with your forklift job, I'm sure you had to co-ordinate between yourself and the foreman; had to communicate where you are going to go and what you are going to do?.

Everyone has a skill set whether it be Inter-Personal Skills, Communication or team work. In addition I'm pretty sure you have life experiences whilst operating a fork lift and driving a cab?

Policing isn't about shooting people, getting into car chases and wrestling people to do the ground.

Majority of situations require you to make judgement calls and solve problems without getting into a fist fight or pulling out your fire arm.

But I severely wish I had your build. I'd say you'd have at least a 250% better chance of graduating than me, lol.

Are you training for the physical portion of the examination?

Like I mentioned earlier, it doesn't matter about your size. I'm 5'8, 143 pounds and I out run and out lift some of my colleagues who are 6 foot something 250 pounds.

Again physical fitness is a balance between endurance, strength and stamina.

Yes your size is a disadvantage simply because people bigger than you may wind up trying to use your size against you, however that's where your mental fortitude, quick thinking and judgement comes in.

Edited September 14, 201213 yr by Comm

Good luck, and as Tom H said, your an infinate ammount more likely to succeed by trying, than you would by not trying.

Faracus, thank you! Yes, I love that mindset because it is so true, and yet so simple. I do have a hell of a lot more of a chance than if I just kept saying, nah.

Comm: You sir sound a hell of a lot like my brother who is in the USMC. I guess I just take it for granted the skills I am using because to me, unfortunately, they seem so same, so mundane. To answer your question, because I have a more of a physical job when I am stocking shelves and such, I am using that as a psuedo exercise method (IE I curl the heavier product, lift and push boxes more than I would actually NEED to) and then while I am at home and awake (I work graveyard shifts from 12am to 8:30pm) I have started a regimen of leg lifts, push-ups, sit-ups and jogging. So I have been kind of training, but it hasn't been long since I received and turned in my application on the 11th. So I have been training since then and I have until about the 18th to continue training as the 20th is the testing day and I would like to have some downtime to rest my muscles before the tests. Not much time, but because of my smaller build, I do have a bit more stamina than average, and the nature of my job has me exercising regularly so I might be able to get away with it.

@Comm- There could be a number of reasons why LEA's here in Canada make that much money, that being they are federal governemnt funded and federal government pay's MINT, because of different postings and such, not to mention they have ties into pretty much every aspect of policing and if i'm not mistaken, JTF2 was completely disbanded and formed some RCMP ERT Unit.

@Hero540- Yes indeed they do, they shouldnt make any less cause of the crap they go through on a daily basis not to mention the things they see at traffic stop's, accident's etc.

I started smoking when i was 16, i quit going on 7 months ago, feels good not waking up needing a smoke every 30 minutes, somedays every 10-20 minutes lol was up to a pack and a half a day, and smoke here in Canada are almost $15.00 a pack, where in the U.S they are like $4.00-$5.00 a pack, when i was in Virginia last summer i bought a carton for $25.00, damn near shit myself cause a carton here in almost $90.00 a carton lol, any way, i would love to be an RCMP Officer or any kind of Officer, really if it was easy to immigrate to the U.S i totally would i like the idea of small town policng, if you go on Youtube you can see the different things involved in the P.A.R.E exam, it's actually pretty cool to watch.

Edited September 14, 201213 yr by Slimory

Comm: You sir sound a hell of a lot like my brother who is in the USMC. I guess I just take it for granted the skills I am using because to me, unfortunately, they seem so same, so mundane.

Everyone always compares their skills to others; I know I'm one of them. You have to look at the bigger picture, everyone in this planet has some type of skill set to bring to the table and unless you litterally spend 24 hours a day on a couch, You have skill sets.

You sir sound a hell of a lot like my brother who is in the USMC

I spent six years in the Army; and I've worked for a large law enforcement agency.

A little piece of advice, I understand that you work the grave yard shift but start to add a work out routine; whether that means waking up an hour or two hours before work to go to the gym. Remember fitness in a profession such as Law Enforcement, Para medicine, Fire Fighting and Military WILL save YOUR life and lives of OTHERS.

.

There could be a number of reasons why LEA's here in Canada make that much money, that being they are federal governemnt funded and federal government pay's MINT, because of different postings and such, not to mention they have ties into pretty much every aspect of policing and if i'm not mistaken

If your talking about the RCMP, then actually a couple of years ago they were the least paid law enforcement agency in Canada and it was the Assocation representing the RCMP that started to make a fuss over pay issues because they weren't retaining many members.

Again I have my own views and bias towards paying cops 80K a year. Members of the Canadian Forces get paid 15-20 grand less and they are on call 24/7 365 days a year and a moments notice can be sent to some of the most inhospitable places in the world. Paramedics who deal with a lot more than cops get paid 20K less and they don't have protection of any sort.

I tell this to anyone who wants to join the Military or Police; You have to have passion and you need to join for a reason other than money, stability and a chance to wear a gun, badge and uniform.

JTF2 was completely disbanded and formed some RCMP ERT Unit.

Other way around. The RCMP disbanded the SERT because citizens had become worried that Law Enforcement Officer's were being trained to "put one to the head and two to the chest"; that's why DND took over all Counter-Terrorism operations.

Edited September 14, 201213 yr by Comm