Cops

[Benjiboi]

A friend of mine just joined the cops, he is same age (22) and we where in the army together.
He loves it, is in West Auckland now and having a ball. I am looking at joining although I'll probably give it a few years first.

[portokiwi]

Good on you mate. Nothing better then getting more boys in blue.
I was going to join then I was offered a nice Govt job in Wellington......... Just waiting for the ok to move down. Good things take time I was told
If you are ex army I think you will enjoy it.

[Indoo]

Alot depends on what area you go to, if you work in a well resourced area with sufficient staff and good bosses it can be a fantastic job where you can make a difference. But if you work in an under resourced, overworked, horribly understaffed district its a completely different story.

The pay rates are flat and do not reflect the hugely different work loads, stress, danger and unpaid overtime which you would find between say a frontline cop working in the worst suburbs in Auckland whose worked off his arse and a highway patrol cop in a quiet South Island town.

[Tank]

I look at it as more of a vocation as opposed to a job.

Its hard, dangerous work and generally under appreciated by joe public.

Big ups for anyone who can do it. Two of my sons want to join and I'm 1000% behind it.

[wbks]

Think Army experience would help for a policing job? On the Quiet SI town HWP vs. South Auckland constable thing, I would probably go for the later. The reason I thought about it is that I want to be out there actually doing something to help people out, and at least trying to make a difference, rather than handing tickets and policing the roads. Nothing against it, but not really what I was interested in

[spudchucka]

That's weird, I would have considered being a cop far more dangerous than a firefighter.....(I personally think it would be)

I tried asking for figures that support their claims of it being a dangerous job (ie deaths, I was after life insurance after-all) but they would'nt have a bar of it, and yeah I called about 5 different companies with the same result.....

I wonder if it's really legal to just pick an occupation, assume it's dangerous and decide not to insure them? I mean come-on, the job is dangerous but when you talk about an actual death toll it's pretty bloody small.....more truck drivers die than F/F's on the job.......and they will insure them.

I'm amazed that your union hasn't pressured the Govt to sort something out for you guys.

[firefighter]

I'm amazed that your union hasn't pressured the Govt to sort something out for you guys.

u,u,u,u,union? hahaha, yeah I know, honestly, ring up state (or whoever) and tell them you want life insurance, lie and say your a firefighter, you'll either get the, sure ok i'll process that for you, then two weeks later you will recieve a letter saying that they can't insure you/or they'll just tell you straight out.....they're all the same- they even tell you that they are all the same in regards to things like that when you ask if they know who will. Trust me iv'e been through a mine field of it.

[peasea]

I want to be a policeman. Can I can I can I?

I have a sense of humour. That ruined it.

[scumdog]

I want to be a policeman. Can I can I can I?

I have a sense of humour.

Sez you...

[Swoop]

The fact that my eyes were -4.5 and -5 and I could couldn't afford LASIK at the time was the main reason I didn't take it any further.

There. Fixed it for ya.
But that isn't the point...


I imagine that the recruitment people are having an influx of enquiries at the moment. A lot of ex-carpenters are in blue now. It happens whenever there is an economic downturn.

[Reckless]

u,u,u,u,union? hahaha, yeah I know, honestly, ring up state (or whoever) and tell them you want life insurance, lie and say your a firefighter, you'll either get the, sure ok i'll process that for you, then two weeks later you will recieve a letter saying that they can't insure you/or they'll just tell you straight out.....they're all the same- they even tell you that they are all the same in regards to things like that when you ask if they know who will. Trust me iv'e been through a mine field of it.

That's bloody ridiculous! I would say there'd be much more danger in being a biker than a Cop or firey.
So when are they going to start saying your life's now uninsurable because you own or ride a bike!

Fair comparison I reckon. Shit there's probably more loss of life on building sites than in the fire service! So do they cancel your policy if you join 5 years later? That's simply not right!

[Fatjim]

I failed to qualify by about six inches...

What, six inches too long?