General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHow much do you think a Va State Trooper makes?
In the images from Charlottesville today I saw Troopers (VSP helmets) on hand.
In March of 2016 Trooper Chad Dermyer was killed at the bus station downtown. I got an iinternal email about job opportunities in our agency. I went to look what an entry level Trooper makes.
The number you see below is $6,000 more than it was 17 months ago. They are having terrible retention problems in the State Police and Corrections. Both really tough jobs.
https://jobs.agencies.virginia.gov/applicants/jsp/shared/position/JobDetails_css.jsp?postingId=1188846
Minimum qualifications
The minimum qualifications for State Trooper are: â?¢applicants must be residents in a state east of the Mississippi within the continental United States â?¢military applicants must live in or home of record must be in one of the states east of the Mississippi â?¢must be at least 21 years of age on date of hire â?¢must be a high school graduate or have a GED â?¢college coursework and/or related experience PREFERRED â?¢must be a United States citizen on day of testing â?¢must be of good character and reputation as established by a background investigation to include but not limited to: a polygraph examination, educational achievements, prior work experience, character and reputation, credit history and police record â?¢must be in possession of a valid driverâ??s license and a good driving record must be willing to relocate anywhere in the state based on department needs [u ]must be willing to travel at your own expense to Virginia State Police Headquarters located at 7700 Midlothian Turnpike, North Chesterfield, VA 23235 to complete testing throughout the pre-employment process and while in a training status â?¢must possess at least 20/20 binocular vision, corrected or uncorrected, and if uncorrected visual acuity is 20/100 or better binocular and 20/200 or better in worse eye â?¢meet minimum requirements for color vision test with or without corrected lens(es) â?¢must be capable of hearing normal frequencies of 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 hertz at a pure tone level of 25 decibels or less and no greater than a 45 decibels at 4000 and 6000 hertz when checked by the Audiometer Test â?¢weight must be in proportion to height see chart. â?¢must be willing to work rotating shifts and weekends â?¢must successfully pass all pre-employment testing â?¢must be in compliance with the departmentâ??s tattoo and body modification policies POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION, BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION, FINGERPRINT-BASED CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK, PRE-EMPLOYMENT DRUG SCREENING, PHYSICAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS REQUIRED. SUBJECT TO RANDOM DRUG SCREENING.
https://jobs.agencies.virginia.gov/applicants/jsp/shared/position/JobDetails_css.jsp?postingId=1188846
$44,290
True Dough
(17,305 posts)took me to a general screen. I used the search engine and plugged in "police" as a key word. The first job that came up for a regular police officer showed pay band 3, which equated to $34,000 to $38,000.
As much as I want all the shitty cops drummed out of the profession, there are many good people in uniform and they put their lives on the line regularly. They deserve better pay than that. Much better. That said, if they go on to serve a few decades and rise to the rank or sergeant or captain, they retire with nice pensions.
underpants
(182,829 posts)I got in. The troopers might have a different situation
True Dough
(17,305 posts)Wow! That's news to me. So little incentive to join the police force these days, other than upholding law and order. That's certainly admirable and should be the top priority, but the compensation versus the risk would surely give many pause for thought.
underpants
(182,829 posts)Healthcare especially
Va Lefty
(6,252 posts)pangaia
(24,324 posts)Why isn't that required for holding federal office, like, oh..I don't know.. THE PRESIDENCY?
Lee-Lee
(6,324 posts)$9.75 a hour. Pension plan was good if you managed to stay long enough. With only one 12 years to my credit I won't ever get a return from what I have in the system that I would have had that money gone somewhere else. Medical was ok.
Oh, and 6 months of training to be qualified? That wasn't paid, I had to attend that without a job offer and hope an agency would hire me when I graduated.
I took a lot of overtime and worked a bunch of off duty security gigs to just be able to pay my bills. later I got a second job with a small PD and worked part time there at $12/hr no benefits and did 2-3 shifts a month there to help pay the bills.
All these agencies know they attract a lot of applicants who want the job because of what the job is, and they are willing to work for less because they really want the job- and what they offer shows that. LE salaries in most areas really need a 50-100% increase before they can really attract and retain a much higher rate of the good quality people you want on the job.
madokie
(51,076 posts)in my opinion our Police and our Teachers need and must get a 100% pay raise. It is you all who set the tone for what comes next.
We as a country need good Policemen/Policewomen and Teachers. Bunch of Teachers in my family, no LEO's though
May Peace always be by your side or in front leading the way. Maybe even pulling up the rear in some cases.
HAB911
(8,904 posts)and support the NFL too, jeeeeeze.
underpants
(182,829 posts)Of course if you didn't complete training you probably don't become a Trooper.
Interesting details. Thanks
Lee-Lee
(6,324 posts)But the vast majority of departments in rural areas typically can't foot that bill.
Every state is different, but in NC outside of state agencies and departments big enough to run their own academy everyone else does their Basic Law Enforcement Training via the community college system. You have to be sponsored by an agency but all sponsorship means is they have done a cursory check on you and find you might make a good cop.
You can either go full time 5 days a week 9+ hours a day or do evening classes that ran 6-10pm 5 days a week plus all day Saturday. Either way you were not paid by any department (aside from a few rare ones) and instead had to support yourself one way or another. And you were not guaranteed a job after, you started getting offers a few weeks before the state test was to come up and not everyone even got an offer.
HAB911
(8,904 posts)Always wondered why so many State Patrol cars parked in mobile home parks
underpants
(182,829 posts)Or two. Jeesh that's really low pay.
HAB911
(8,904 posts)Florida Highway Patrol sets 'goal' for speeding tickets (illegal)
The initiative is SOAR, or the Statewide Overtime Action Response program, paid for by taxpayers. State troopers, who are among the lowest-paid in the country, can make extra money working the roads, and part of their job is to deter speeders.
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/ticket-quota-at-florida-highway-patrol-you-be-the-judge/2333251
speaktruthtopower
(800 posts)for that salary and they deserve whatever benefits they get.