As the stock market hovers around all time highs despite an economy that’s slumping everyone’s 401k looks great. It’s safe to assume the market is hurtling towards a correction that will most likely be triggered by an AI bubble. Young employees will obviously be in a position to better weather that unfortunate scenario but it will obviously set their retirement savings back. For the older employees (the fiftysomethings) that same correction could be life altering because their recovery window is much shorter.

This is where the value of a pension is undeniable. A fiftysomething cop is in the higher earning years of their career and are likely increasing their future pension payment each year until they retire. If they have investments in the market they’ll obviously feel the pain of a correction. The difference is the security their pension provides. They know they’ll be receiving a defined monthly payment for the rest of their life.

Most teens and upcoming college graduates aren’t thinking about their retirement years(if they are it’s awesome). If people aren’t explaining the benefit of a pension to them it’s a big mistake. It should be a consideration when doing a job search. Not everyone is going IB, PE or Big Law. Parents that artificially limit the perspective of their children are doing them a disservice.

These days the smart young police officers are contributing at least enough to their deferred compensation plan to qualify for the department match. When coupled with a pension this can really set someone up for a secure retirement.

In Fairfax County an officer can retire with a pension that pays out 90% of the average salary across their 3 highest consecutive years. The AI bubble can’t scuttle that.

This is what people mean when they say a career in law enforcement is historically stable. No matter the economy, regardless of the politics of the day, there are almost always exceptions and carve outs for the men and women that police the streets of the U.S. The job they do isn’t easy and they earn every penny.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gp55kkk2wo

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The CNN article below is from a year ago when the job market was softening, now it’s deteriorating. Who would have thought law enforcement would be a “hot job” or a “rising star?” In the current employment hellscape where college graduates sit on the sidelines unemployed, there are job openings in almost every law enforcement organization.

Law enforcement is a tough job. It’s not for everyone, but there are thousands of men and women that could excel in the profession that might decide to join if they better understood the job and its benefits.

Working in law enforcement can be stressful, but rewarding. Being riffed, furloughed, laid off, downsized, fired or otherwise unemployed is just plain stressful.

If you’re in your 20s and 30s a move to law enforcement could provide career stability and insulation from AI creep.

This is one of America’s hottest jobs right now

“Americans may be finding it a little tougher to land a job these days, but not so much in one field in which salaries are climbing fast and employers are offering robust perks.”

“The average salary of a police officer climbed more than 37% in the first eight months of this year compared to the same time last year, according to ZipRecruiter data provided to CNN.”

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/09/business/job-market-law-enforcement

The Rising Star of the Job Market: Why Law Enforcement Is Thriving

https://www.globalbrandsmagazine.com/job-market-law-enforcement-thriving/

My friend’s son graduated college 2024 and is working his summer job full time. He recently took our county court officer exam and is signing up for other LE exams. Court officer doesn’t pay too well where I live, but it’s a nice schedule, pension, etc.

Good for him. If he becomes a court officer first it’s a good stepping stone towards other law enforcement jobs if that is his goal. There are dispatchers from 911 call centers that make similar moves to law enforcement as well.

+ 1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The CNN article below is from a year ago when the job market was softening, now it’s deteriorating. Who would have thought law enforcement would be a “hot job” or a “rising star?” In the current employment hellscape where college graduates sit on the sidelines unemployed, there are job openings in almost every law enforcement organization.

Law enforcement is a tough job. It’s not for everyone, but there are thousands of men and women that could excel in the profession that might decide to join if they better understood the job and its benefits.

Working in law enforcement can be stressful, but rewarding. Being riffed, furloughed, laid off, downsized, fired or otherwise unemployed is just plain stressful.

If you’re in your 20s and 30s a move to law enforcement could provide career stability and insulation from AI creep.

This is one of America’s hottest jobs right now

“Americans may be finding it a little tougher to land a job these days, but not so much in one field in which salaries are climbing fast and employers are offering robust perks.”

“The average salary of a police officer climbed more than 37% in the first eight months of this year compared to the same time last year, according to ZipRecruiter data provided to CNN.”

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/09/business/job-market-law-enforcement

The Rising Star of the Job Market: Why Law Enforcement Is Thriving

https://www.globalbrandsmagazine.com/job-market-law-enforcement-thriving/

My friend’s son graduated college 2024 and is working his summer job full time. He recently took our county court officer exam and is signing up for other LE exams. Court officer doesn’t pay too well where I live, but it’s a nice schedule, pension, etc.

Good for him. If he becomes a court officer first it’s a good stepping stone towards other law enforcement jobs if that is his goal. There are dispatchers from 911 call centers that make similar moves to law enforcement as well.

Anonymous wrote:The CNN article below is from a year ago when the job market was softening, now it’s deteriorating. Who would have thought law enforcement would be a “hot job” or a “rising star?” In the current employment hellscape where college graduates sit on the sidelines unemployed, there are job openings in almost every law enforcement organization.

Law enforcement is a tough job. It’s not for everyone, but there are thousands of men and women that could excel in the profession that might decide to join if they better understood the job and its benefits.

Working in law enforcement can be stressful, but rewarding. Being riffed, furloughed, laid off, downsized, fired or otherwise unemployed is just plain stressful.

If you’re in your 20s and 30s a move to law enforcement could provide career stability and insulation from AI creep.

This is one of America’s hottest jobs right now

“Americans may be finding it a little tougher to land a job these days, but not so much in one field in which salaries are climbing fast and employers are offering robust perks.”

“The average salary of a police officer climbed more than 37% in the first eight months of this year compared to the same time last year, according to ZipRecruiter data provided to CNN.”

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/09/business/job-market-law-enforcement

The Rising Star of the Job Market: Why Law Enforcement Is Thriving

https://www.globalbrandsmagazine.com/job-market-law-enforcement-thriving/

My friend’s son graduated college 2024 and is working his summer job full time. He recently took our county court officer exam and is signing up for other LE exams. Court officer doesn’t pay too well where I live, but it’s a nice schedule, pension, etc.

The CNN article below is from a year ago when the job market was softening, now it’s deteriorating. Who would have thought law enforcement would be a “hot job” or a “rising star?” In the current employment hellscape where college graduates sit on the sidelines unemployed, there are job openings in almost every law enforcement organization.

Law enforcement is a tough job. It’s not for everyone, but there are thousands of men and women that could excel in the profession that might decide to join if they better understood the job and its benefits.

Working in law enforcement can be stressful, but rewarding. Being riffed, furloughed, laid off, downsized, fired or otherwise unemployed is just plain stressful.

If you’re in your 20s and 30s a move to law enforcement could provide career stability and insulation from AI creep.

This is one of America’s hottest jobs right now

“Americans may be finding it a little tougher to land a job these days, but not so much in one field in which salaries are climbing fast and employers are offering robust perks.”

“The average salary of a police officer climbed more than 37% in the first eight months of this year compared to the same time last year, according to ZipRecruiter data provided to CNN.”

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/09/business/job-market-law-enforcement

The Rising Star of the Job Market: Why Law Enforcement Is Thriving

https://www.globalbrandsmagazine.com/job-market-law-enforcement-thriving/

Anonymous wrote:Why not just take a fast food / retail job. Same money, less stress, faster and higher growth potential.

I’m still waiting for a link to an entry level fast food job that pays $70k with a $20k signing bonus, pension and deferred compensation plan with an employer match.

I have no idea why this article about AI replacing 100M workers by 2025 was posted in the politics forum and not this one.

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5541307-ai-automation-job-replacement/amp/

AI is coming for almost every job sector, including many that students in college are working towards. Some of the safest jobs are those that are hands on in healthcare, the trades and the first responder community.

Current college students and parents of upcoming ones need to think long and hard about the potential disruption AI could create in their chosen career tracks.

AI will definitely be further integrated into law enforcement but it will be used for rapid, real time analysis and assessment that can be relayed to the men and women on the street.

https://counciloncj.org/doj-report-on-ai-in-criminal-justice-key-takeaways/

^^^You forgot Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Obviously that covers more than just cops but it’s a great perk.

Anonymous wrote:You aren't working 8 hour shifts on your 4 days you there, you are working four 10s most likely 12's.

Plenty of salaried people work 10+ hour days and aren’t compensated for the extra hours. Working 10 hours isn’t difficult. We have a female friend that works 12 hour shifts as a law enforcement officer. Here’s her two week schedule. It looks awesome to me.

Monday & Tuesday working

Wednesday & Thursday off

Friday, Saturday & Sunday working

Monday & Tuesday off

Wednesday & Thursday working

Friday, Saturday & Sunday off

That second week she only works TWO days from Monday - Sunday.

Anonymous wrote:$70k is under $35 an hour. You can easily make $35 hour as an assistant manager at a decent fast food franchise. Some are paying over $20 out of the gate. Plenty of fast food and Wawa type places pay their managers will over $100k.

It’s an entry level job. That’s what you make with a high school diploma. With a college degree you get a salary increase. With language proficiency you get a salary increase. Find a link to an entry level fast food job listing that meets your above specifications.

What’s the hiring bonus for entry level fast food jobs? Do they fit you for a Burger King hat, or are they one size fits all?

Does Wawa offer a pension and retirement after 20 or 25 years?

Anonymous wrote:The car part is stupid, it’s a police car not whatever you want.

People here downplay the take home police vehicle for some reason. It makes a difference. Officers keep a lot of miles off of their personal vehicles. They also save on gas and maintenance when it comes to personal vehicles because their commute miles are all on the police car. Even if your commute is short you’re still putting 3,000+ miles on your car driving to work each year. There is also more flexibility around driving the police vehicle outside of regular shift hours than some might think.

Anonymous wrote:If you want to compare apples to apples, go work for US Park Police, you aren't dealing with DV calls all day, get fed benefits and they have $70k signing bonuses.

By all means, join the U.S. Park Police. You’ll still deal with DV calls and car stops BTW. The $70k hiring bonus requires a 4 year contract, and is paid out bi-weekly over that time period. I’d rather join the U.S. Supreme Court police. The starting salary is $13k higher with a $50k signing bonus. Instead of small chunks of the bonus over 4 years the USSCPD pays $25k after the academy, $20k after year one, and $15k after year two. That means years 1-3 at the USSCPD are $100k each without overtime.

Let’s review what an entry level police job offers candidates with no college degree in the DMV:

Salary: $67k - $85k
Signing Bonus: $5k - $70k
Full salary during the police academy
Lucrative overtime availability
Take home vehicle: Department by department policy
Pension
Deferred compensation plan with match
Law enforcement now receive Social Security benefits
Retirement after 20 or 25 years
Up to a $25,000 tax credit for overtime worked
DMV specific subsidies for housing
All uniforms and equipment provided free of charge
Cost free continuing education & training within the department
Tuition reimbursement: amount varies by department
Full medical, dental & vision
Life insurance and disability insurance
Some departments provide child care subsidies

Which entry level fast food and retail jobs check off all of those boxes?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not just take a fast food / retail job. Same money, less stress, faster and higher growth potential.

Do you have a link to a fast food job that starts at $70k, has a 4 day work week, provides a car and offers a $20k hiring bonus?

You aren't working 8 hour shifts on your 4 days you there, you are working four 10s most likely 12's. $70k is under $35 an hour. You can easily make $35 hour as an assistant manager at a decent fast food franchise. Some are paying over $20 out of the gate. Plenty of fast food and Wawa type places pay their managers will over $100k. The car part is stupid, its a police car not whatever you want.

If you want to compare apples to apples, go work for US Park Police, you aren't dealing with DV calls all day, get fed benefits and they have $70k signing bonuses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't want officers who are there because they couldn't get a job elsewhere. Law enforcement, much like teaching, is a calling, not a backup plan.

Neither of those professions are callings. They are jobs. Hopefully people put effort into and care about those jobs, but people do them to make money.

Disagree. I’m a teacher married to a LEO. We are both absolutely in our positions because of callings. I could be making 3x what I make as a teacher and for less stress, but I choose to remain in the classroom because I know the work is valuable. And he has wanted to be a police officer since he was a child.

Now regarding pay: my DH makes over twice what I make in base pay alone, and that’s before any overtime. He also gets a LOT more leave than I do, so he’s always the one to stay home if kids are sick. We started the same year.

I’m truly sorry you don’t make more money! Teachers are woefully underpaid. I’d vote for salary increases and overtime pay if it ever made it to a ballot.

Law enforcement definitely has a lot of perks that most people don’t consider. I always have my law enforcement buddies buy me new sunglasses because they get such large discounts from major brands.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't want officers who are there because they couldn't get a job elsewhere. Law enforcement, much like teaching, is a calling, not a backup plan.

Neither of those professions are callings. They are jobs. Hopefully people put effort into and care about those jobs, but people do them to make money.

Disagree. I’m a teacher married to a LEO. We are both absolutely in our positions because of callings. I could be making 3x what I make as a teacher and for less stress, but I choose to remain in the classroom because I know the work is valuable. And he has wanted to be a police officer since he was a child.

Now regarding pay: my DH makes over twice what I make in base pay alone, and that’s before any overtime. He also gets a LOT more leave than I do, so he’s always the one to stay home if kids are sick. We started the same year.

Anonymous wrote:Why not just take a fast food / retail job. Same money, less stress, faster and higher growth potential.

Do you have a link to a fast food job that starts at $70k, has a 4 day work week, provides a car and offers a $20k hiring bonus?

Why not just take a fast food / retail job. Same money, less stress, faster and higher growth potential.