Anonymous wrote:I think the take home car is likely more a burden than a benefit. You are likely restricted from using it other than to and from work and you probably can't install a car seat in it so don't plan on doing pick up or drop off on the way to work. You have to find a place to park it and you may need a second car since you can only use the car for to/from work (i.e. two kids in different activities). Maybe the take home car is optional though.

There is no world in which a take home police cruiser is a burden. My friend is a State Trooper. He bought a Range Rover Sport last year and he’s only put about 4,000 miles on it. That he doesn’t have to drive it to the station and back all the time will extend the life of the Range Rover years. It will keep the trade in value higher as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is that good or bad? Seems like a whole lot of nothing.

Considering all they do is tell people “ma’am that noise was fireworks” all day that’s great!

Just for you Ms. Fireworks.

https://www.wmar2news.com/news/region/cecil-county/maryland-state-trooper-jumps-from-traffic-stop-to-saving-a-choking-baby?fbclid=IwdGRleAQBoOZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xNzM4NDc2NDI2NzAzNzAAAR6ENoWlpM31MuSdLSFpcMcfHeUwvhygOYvjsAZFK0SfoHl8wqbBPbEo27UetA_aem_TJBxYTm6Lp97LBudCUD10w

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is that good or bad? Seems like a whole lot of nothing.

Considering all they do is tell people “ma’am that noise was fireworks” all day that’s great!

Arlington goes to a $90,000 starting salary July 1st.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my parents are retired cops. I'll never be a cop. The stress just isn't worth it and it affects your family..

And please let us stop recommending law enforcement to people who aren't interested and just want to join because the benefits are good etc. it's not a sector for people who are clueless what they to do

Law enforcement and nursing are the new CS until wall street and private equity find a way to depress wages in those sectors as well. And if you think law enforcement can't be automated you have no idea how much software can do.

How does Wall Street and PE depress town, city, county and state payrolls?

How does someone automate 24/7/365 patrol duties?

Similar to private prisons - the state/counties/towns will just pay a 3rd party contractor (owned by PE) to run the police force.

That’s not how local, county and state governments work. There is no chance this happens to law enforcement.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my parents are retired cops. I'll never be a cop. The stress just isn't worth it and it affects your family..

And please let us stop recommending law enforcement to people who aren't interested and just want to join because the benefits are good etc. it's not a sector for people who are clueless what they to do

Law enforcement and nursing are the new CS until wall street and private equity find a way to depress wages in those sectors as well. And if you think law enforcement can't be automated you have no idea how much software can do.

How does Wall Street and PE depress town, city, county and state payrolls?

How does someone automate 24/7/365 patrol duties?

Similar to private prisons - the state/counties/towns will just pay a 3rd party contractor (owned by PE) to run the police force.

Anonymous wrote:Is that good or bad? Seems like a whole lot of nothing.

Considering all they do is tell people “ma’am that noise was fireworks” all day that’s great!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my parents are retired cops. I'll never be a cop. The stress just isn't worth it and it affects your family..

And please let us stop recommending law enforcement to people who aren't interested and just want to join because the benefits are good etc. it's not a sector for people who are clueless what they to do

Law enforcement and nursing are the new CS until wall street and private equity find a way to depress wages in those sectors as well. And if you think law enforcement can't be automated you have no idea how much software can do.

How does Wall Street and PE depress town, city, county and state payrolls?

How does someone automate 24/7/365 patrol duties?

Our young LEO relative talked with an accountant and was told he’d receive $4,800 back from no tax on overtime.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:check out www.theblueline.com and you can see all the police jobs and benefit packages available.

Why are 90% of the jobs posted from IL? What’s going on over there?

The organization is based out of Illinois. That website isn’t very helpful. Basically every medium to large department in the country is hiring.

Anonymous wrote:check out www.theblueline.com and you can see all the police jobs and benefit packages available.

Why are 90% of the jobs posted from IL? What’s going on over there?

Alexandria PD officers are getting a 17% raise. When was the last time you got a 17% raise without a promotion, or any additional responsibilities?

“Under the new agreement, in FY 2027, new APD officers will get a 17% raise, sergeants will get a 21% raise and lieutenants will get a 15% raise, with 2% increases in FY 2028 and FY 2029. This second three-year agreement increases salaries by $10.2 million over the next three years for uniformed staff across all pay scales.”

https://www.alxnow.com/2026/01/15/city-council-backs-union-agreements-with-police-fire-and-administrative-employees/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Arlington County PD is raising their starting salary to $90k next July.

The average starting salary for a college graduate with a BA is $69k. The vast majority of those grads won’t have a pension in their benefits package.

Arlington’s increase announcement is already putting upward pressure on the salaries at surrounding departments. Many will need to react to retain current officers and maintain the pipeline of new recruits. “A rising tide lifts all boats.” It’s a good time to go into law enforcement in Northern Virginia.

Our relative in the DMV is getting a 14% salary increase because of the Arlington move, plus a scheduled additional COLA increase.

The holidays are an excellent time to sit with your upcoming May graduate to talk about job prospects post-graduation. The job market continues to constrict. If they don’t already have a job offer in hand they could be in trouble.

If they want to change course and go the law enforcement route they need to start the process now, especially if they’re going to apply to multiple departments. The process is intense and takes a lot of time. Entering the process now would set them up for a summer police academy. Some departments begin paying your salary weeks before the academy, but every department pays you during the academy.

Pros:

A pension
Retirement after 25 years
Signing bonuses of $15k - $70k
Starting salaries from $70k - $90k
Overtime pay (not taxed through 2028)
Excellent health benefits (medical, dental, vision)
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
Continuing education leave
Tuition reimbursement
Deferred compensation plan with match
Flexible spending account
Police now qualify for social security as of 2025

Cons:

It’s a tough job, but rewarding
Potential for long hours, but compensated
Depending on your area it can be dangerous at times
More admin work than Hollywood portrays
Your days/nights aren’t action packed

If you’re a young engineer or lawyer with a few years of experience and your organization raises their starting salary do you automatically get an in kind salary adjustment like law enforcement does?

Explain the value of a pension to your children. The average 401(k) balance for people 55-64 is $271k.

https://www.nerdwallet.com/retirement/learn/the-average-401k-balance-by-age?utm_source=goog&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=in_mktg_paid_2025_investing_dysads&utm_term=&utm_content=ta&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22295461670&gbraid=0AAAAADfKLw2-G0NQdjX-12HFcIyThlSwr&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgvDtltvMkQMVMDYIBR2MhyujEAAYASAAEgKNAvD_BwE

Here’s an explanation of what your 401(k) balance would need to be to approximate the value of a pension.

“Next, we look at a firefighter captain who is retiring at age 55. His pension is $85,000. He is unmarried and so we will use the single male chart in the middle of the top row. From the chart, we find his multiplier is 27.7. Calculating the value of his pension means $85,000 times 27.7 for a total of $2,354,500 !! This gentleman would have needed to have a high paying job to have accumulated $2.3 million by the age of 55! Instead, he risked his life and survived with a guaranteed income stream.”

https://andrewmarshallfinancial.com/what-is-a-pension-worth/