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Original poster

My son wants to be a police officer

72 replies

Cheesecake8 · 27/06/2019 13:23

My son is 14 and he has decided he would like to be a police officer when he is old enough. I feel this is a good respectful job and he will help people.
My sons dad has a different view from myself and has told my son it's a shit job, no body will trust him as no one trusts the police, he wont have any friends, he wont has time to socialise not that it matters as he will have no friends and that he would be a pig and then oinking at my son.
Is this true, is being a police officer such a bad choice in career ?

OP posts:

Aebj · 27/06/2019 15:26

I wanted to be in the police but I was to short ( think those laws have now changed?) so I joined the navy instead ( excellent second choice!) I remember talking to a police officer and she said join after your 21st so you have abit of life experience first. Now I’m old that sounds fantastic advice to for your son.
We have friends who are in the police. One of our best family friends is in the police force . We have Christmas Eve together and if we can’t celebrate then we do the date nearest before. He also worked New Year’s Eve but was able to join the family/ friend celebration for a quick drink at 12:30 once he got home from work. Your son will have a social life .
Just remember that when you go to his passing out parade ( end of basic training, whatever it’s called) make sure you have lots of tissues , as your eyes will leak a little bit of pride .
Good luck to your son in an excellent choice for a job

TeaForTheWin · 27/06/2019 15:32

It's been my experience that that anyone who has a big problem with the police, it's probably because they are a rotten person or someone who belongs in a jail cell.

My best mate always wanted to be in the police which was funny as he was always this little, slightly camp fella. But after 3 attempts a few years ago, he got in :) so proud of him. The hours are reallllly long. He usually does 10 hour shifts plus sometimes overtime. And there's lots and lots of paperwork to stay on top of. But it is a rewarding job.

Rather than have the kid rethink the job I think you should re-think the partner.

MissConductUS · 27/06/2019 15:34

Lots of people don't like the police until they need them. I wonder if your DP would feel the same way if your/his flat was being burgled or car stolen.

I think it's a fine choice for your DS. It's a very structured career, which is good for lots of young people. Colleges in the US offer degrees in criminal justice which is a great qualification for those looking to get into police work, and the faculty are retired police who can also server as references and open doors for job opportunities. I don't know if you have similar courses of study available or not but it might be something to look into.

Best of luck to your son. I have one of similar age who is studying accounting.

Prokupatuscrakedatus · 27/06/2019 15:58

then oinking at my son
what a great character and so well mannered!

fikel · 27/06/2019 16:03

Well done for him having ambition.
My bfs son is in the police, one of the youngest to be recruited in the county when he did join. He did 10 weeks placement secured through school then joined the specials. He is 24 and studying for the sergeant exams.
He has a massive circle of friends and is incredibly supported by his seniors
Good luck and go for it

Hoppinggreen · 27/06/2019 16:07

I think it would be a good way of weeding out people he shouldn’t t be friends with
His Dad is a pillock , it’s a very good job, although to be honest I would be worried about the safety of my son (or daughter) if they chose to do it. Too many idiots dont show Police officers the respect they deserve for doing a tough job for not nearly enough pay

IThrewItOnTheGround · 27/06/2019 16:10

Aebj there are no height restrictions now.

I was a PC for just under two years before realising it wasn't for me, but that was nothing to do with any of the issues your "D"H raised - I just turned out to be much worse at dealing with confrontation than I thought I would be. I made loads of police friends and, although I did have less time for socialising than I would have done in another job, I got four rest days in a row, so there was more than enough downtime if I wanted it. And you can take holidays, you know!

Even thought it didn't work out for me, most of the other jobs I've had since then have at least used some of the skills I acquired in the police force, and I know for a fact that I got my current role as a direct result of my investigation and evidence-handling experience. So even if your son doesn't want to be a copper for life, it will be invaluable experience for him with lots of transferable skills.

Your DH is a different matter, though. He sounds like a right nobber. Oinking at the police? Really?

NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace · 27/06/2019 16:18

It's a fantastic choice. I'd be super proud, OP. I wish him all the best and I hope he really enjoys it

SummerSix · 27/06/2019 16:18

Good on your son, you tell your son how proud of him you are.

The father will just have to deal with it.

SummerSix · 27/06/2019 16:20

Does his dad have any form of job? he seems rather childish.

PeriComoToes · 27/06/2019 16:23

Your partner doesn't sound like a nice man

BubblesBuddy · 27/06/2019 16:28

If your flat is burgled amd your car stolen the Police take no action at all! You will get a crime number and it will be logged. Got the numbers to prove it! Just today it is reported that unsolved crime rates are way too high, as described by Cressida Dick.

I am hugely law abiding but I have found their non action when I was assulted alarming. I do not trust the police to do anything. When my aged mother was burgled they took me to one side and asked if she was "all there" and was she "imagining things"? No, I do not trust or respect the Police I have had the misfortune to meet.

Of course he should pursue this career. He might actually be better than the current police force. There is now graduate entry and I would look at that route. The non grad route can be hugely difficult.

Aussiebean · 27/06/2019 16:30

In Aus my son was jumping up and down at seeing a police motorcyclist. The cop turned around and let him climb on and wear the helmet etc.

The policeman was telling my dh that he and his partner were once approached in a McDonald’s by a mother who wanted them to come and tell her son that they would arrest him if he didn’t eat his carrots and cucumber.

Some kids are told at a young age to fear the police.

MrsTerryPratchett · 27/06/2019 16:33

It's been my experience that that anyone who has a big problem with the police, it's probably because they are a rotten person or someone who belongs in a jail cell.

Well I had the misfortune to be dealing with the police a fair amount professionally during the last days of the West Midlands Serious Crime Squad and the racist, misogynist, arsehole police officers I encountered would have made the most law-abiding person shudder. It's a two-way street.

ProteinshakesandAntonsbum · 27/06/2019 17:03

I live in West Yorkshire. I know lots of ex officers that dont trust the police.

West Yorkshire police are a joke and loads of law abiding people have had problems with them.

They have a history of letting officers who are found with child abuse photos, quietly leave the force too.

Bet no one is shocked to know that a group of west Yorkshire police officers of different ranks, had coffee at Jimmy Savilles apartment, every Friday in Leeds.

JS and had many 'friends' in the police.

ProteinshakesandAntonsbum · 27/06/2019 17:04

Sorry got off track.

Why is he still your partner when he shoots your son down like that?

DontBuyANewMumCashmere · 27/06/2019 17:05

I'm a copper and I agree with PP that it's a solid career with above average pay and lots of prospects and opportunities to do different roles or progress if that's your cup of tea.

The people who really hate us have either been repeat customers or have been spectacularly let down by us (we have an awful history of mistreatment which I do not believe is waning) so I don't mind a bit of attitude from some people.

I would keep telling him to go for it and be supportive. Tell your DickHead that the quickest way to get a child to do something is to tell them not to... He'll just push your son away and then your son won't want anything to do with him.
He should be ashamed of himself, oinking at his 14yo son? What a twat!

DontBuyANewMumCashmere · 27/06/2019 17:06

Ha typo, not Freudian slip...
I believe mistreatment IS waning!

Shodan · 27/06/2019 17:09

the racist, misogynist, arsehole police officers I encountered would have made the most law-abiding person shudder.

I have to say, some of the things I've heard about some officers where DP is made me shudder too. And not just the misogynist men- some female officers seem equally bad. But it's like any job- there are always going to be some rotten apples that spoil the whole barrel.

Mrsjayy · 27/06/2019 17:12

One of my dc is a PO they love their job and friends they have made through work, they didn't go in straight from school did uni first worked for a year then joined. Your husbad is clearly an arsehole and part of the distrust of the police brigade until they actually need the police encourage your son in whatever it is such a shame his dad can't

Karigan195 · 27/06/2019 17:12

I have worked with a lot of police and they come in two flavours: uniform lovers who tend to be the mysognistic power crazy bastards or people genuinely wanting to help. It’s not really fair to tar them all with the same brush

MrsTerryPratchett · 27/06/2019 17:13

Or both of course! Nice to hear acknowledgment. That goes a long way.

Jabbercocky · 27/06/2019 17:22

My limited experience of the police has led me to consider them to be institutionally racist, corrupt and vile. We are talking about an organisation of thugs who close ranks to protect their own when they shoot an innocent Brazilian on the London tube, incompetently cause the deaths of 96 football fans at Hillsborough (then blame the fans for 25yrs), collude in mass phone hacking with tabloid journalists and fit up innocent people for being Irish terrorists - AND THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE ONES WE KNOW ABOUT. It happens in small ways every day up and down the country.
The sort of people who want to be police officers are NOT the sort of people you want to be police officers. They are a bunch of bully-boys hiding behind the power they are given and the lie that they are a force for good. But hey, great pension so go for it.

Nixen · 27/06/2019 17:22

Your sons dad sounds like a scumbag

shinynewapple · 27/06/2019 17:33

By all means encourage your son and look into how best to get into his chosen career.

It may well be that over the next few years he changes his mind anyway and that if that happens your DP may also change his view.

DS was previously interested in joining the police and I know that his dad was worried he would get injured. DS was planning on a criminally and policing degree (or something like that) but in the end decided that A levels, and hence uni, weren't for him so is now doing something else entirely.

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