Seriously considering going into law enforcement

[Michael_Davis]

I made the mistake years ago of deciding to work for smaller departments. Don't.
The greatest regret that I have is not going to Texas DPS and spending my time until I could test to be a Ranger.
Now, I"m too damn old, beat up, and with a healthy dose of hatred of the politics. Every agency has politics but smaller agencies are rife with it and easier to be wrapped up, run over or stabbed in the back by it.
Find a larger department, that is civil service agency and hang your hat there. There are more opportunities and if you need to you can hide from politics.

This is definitely accurate. I love my sheriff, but the backbiting in small agencies can be a nightmare. Also, the county commission won't fully staff all of our shifts at the jail; so, that comp time we get in leu of overtime just sits there until you leave because, if you do manage to get a couple of days off, you just earn your comp time back working for the guy who covered for your vacation and now wants to use his own comp time. I don't want to move, but when I do finally take the plunge, I'm probably going to go for state trooper.