In the field of Law Enforcement, would I have time to be with my family?
Nichole asked:
I am looking at the hours and they are pretty bad. I want this job. I am just scared how it will affect my family life.
Are the hours that bad? Especially if I work in a safe area?
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I am looking at the hours and they are pretty bad. I want this job. I am just scared how it will affect my family life.
Are the hours that bad? Especially if I work in a safe area?
May 11th, 2009 at 7:36 am
Yes!, You will get plenty of time w/ your fam! HOurs options are 9-4 4-12 12-9
May 12th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Working in a ’safe area’ really won’t address the problem you are describing. Even in a low crime neighborhood you will likely have occasional court appearances for citations and arrests.
On top of that, LE work is shift based, and when you first get hired generally you are at the bottom of a seniority list. This means you will get the least desirable days off on the least desirable shift until you move far enough up on the list to make some choices. Add to that the fact that you often are ‘held over’ or ‘ordered in’ on a mandatory basis depending on activity levels or staffing needs.
What all this means is that you absolutely have to be prepared for the likely scenario of having no control over your working hours for a few years, and after that being faced with having uncontrollable alterations to your schedule even when you have enough seniority to make some basic choices.
However, this does NOT mean you don’t have time to be with your family; it just means you have to make your family your absolute priority when you are not at work. I am (re)married with four boys, and I have a wonderful family life. Once you accept the basic premise of shift work, LE work is not much different from any other job as far as the amount of time you invest; many other jobs have similar demands on your time.
Again, ultimately it comes down to whether or not you can accept that you won’t have the right to refuse shift assignments in most cases, and that will be particularly true when you are first hired. After that, the job generally offers significant benefits to your family beyond just the paycheck; most departments have excellent health care and retirement benefits as well as generous vacation/time off options that you can use to plan special time with your family.
It’s a tough job, but you can be as excellent a parent as an Officer as you can be doing any other job.
May 14th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
I don’t know much about law enforcement but my girlfriend does. And i would also agree with Beverly.
May 17th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
If you have a schedule like me…you work 3 days a week for 12 hours. That’s it.
They are tough hours but 3 days a week? it’s awesome
May 17th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
I have been in Law Enforcement for 10 years. It can be trying at times. If your family is really supportive you shouldn’t have any problem. There will be times where you have mandatory training or have court. Just be prepared for long hours.