Departments that hire from within?

[Gunner]

Just out of curiosity does anyone know which departments hire from within for pilots?  My good friend is deputy chief for Fairfax County and he started the Copter program back in the 80's....  They now fly 407's and hire from outside the department....

 

Just curious...

 

Thanks!

Andrew

[EAGLE1]

Each agency is different and there are some that only hire from within, and others that only hire civilians.  Some departments pay for the training and others make the officer pay for it.  The best general rule of thumb is large agencies that have established programs usually hire from within and train their own pilots.  Smaller agencies or agencies with small air units generally hire from outside or contract with civilians and make the officers pay for the training.  These are general rules of thumb and each agency can be very different.  If their is a specific agency you are interested in you can call them and ask them or I might be able to look it up through the Airborne Law Enforcement Assoc.  Hope this helped.

[Gunner]

Eagle1-

Thanks!  That actually makes perfect sense.  I'm sure the ALEA has a website and I'll see if there is any infor I can find there.  I appreciate the response.

Andrew

[Heloplt]

If you need anything else that a visit to the ALEA webpage doesn't take care of let me know, I'm a member and it sounds like Eagle1 might just be one as well.

[jimbo2181]

Can ALEA help develop an aviation department for a state.  I grew up in Iowa the whole state does not have one police heli as far as I know.  I would like to try and start a state police aviation unit which would carry out SAR, EMS, and police work.  Any ideas?

[Turkyman]

I know you have discussed alot of this previously, but I am still but a low time pilot struggling to get over the hump.  I am about to gain my CFI ....finally.  In any case, I was curious about who might be hiring civilian pilots at the moment for any police aviation units in the U.S.  I know they will allow lower time pilots in some instances and train them to become cops, then fly.  But it really doesn't matter to me if they need me to become a cop first, then do the street cop thing for awhile before getting on the aviation unit.  From what I have read, the law enforcement side of helicopters seems challenging, yet fun.  So, I figured I might look into it a bit.

 

And jimbo you may have been referring to "statewide" police.  But I know the Cedar Rapids police department has an aviation unit.  It mentions something in their website about helping out the Iowa State patrol from time to time.

[Flying Pig]

Can I offer some advice?  I am a 6 year police officer, and I have my Private in Helicopters and fixed wing, and I am qualified to fly the MD-500 as well and now working on my IFR.   I am in the process of lateraling to a dept that has aviation in an attempt to get in.  I love being a street cop also.  I am on SWAT, and I am a narcotics detective now.  (Not trying to brag, just qualifying my advice.)

 

One word of caution.  If you are thinking about going the route of being a cop, and then trying to get into a unit, you had better at least have some desire to be a cop.  Because many units have LONG waiting lists, and other officers that have ratings as well who are trying to get in.  If you joined only to become a pilot, and, lets say it takes a few years to get in, you are going to be miserable, and then what?............Now you have a reputation for "having a bad attitiude" or being a "complainer".  You must also condsider this.  WHat if you dont cut it as a police officer and you are released from the department.  I am an FTO (Field Training Officer) and I have recommended termination for trainees in the past who just did not need to be out there.  In police work, generally, aviation is considered the assignement of assignments!  And there are officers who have waited years, and may be VERY well respected, who are also going for the spot.  Also, if a dept trains their own pilots, and have their own CFI's, they may not care if you have a rating, because they can teach their own pilots.  There is a dept in my county that has 4 MD-500's and several crews and CFI's.  They could care less if you have a rating.  Then again, others trip over each other to get to you if you have any rating, so do your homework if you are thinking about going to become an officer.  Also, depts that use civilian pilots, usually contract with a private company, they dont just hire a civilian off the street.   But to work for that company, we all know how that goes.

Every police pilot I have ever talked to LOVES to talk to people about their job.  If you have a dept your interested in, call them, and set up a tour.  Ask how many crews there are, how often they fly, is their a limit on the assignment, ie. Observers may have mandatory rotations back to patrol after 3-5 years, or they may be life assignments.  I have heard of some depts that have mandatory rotations for PILOTS! Do they have CFI's?  How many people on average apply for the unit and what types of ratings do they see applicants having?  You may be shocked.  Some depts, EVERYONE wants to fly, others, they practically have to order people to the unit.  Also, make sure they arent about to disband the unit!

Approach them with the attitide that you want to be a cop first, but after you prove yourself on the street, aviation is where you eventually want to be.  They were all on the outside looking in once too!

[EAGLE1]

Jimbo,

 

ALEA is a great resource for information on starting up a new unit.  They have unit operation manuals, Pilot training manuals, Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) training manuals etc.  There are also university studies on the effectiveness of helicopters in law enforcement and many more resources etc.  You still have to do all the documentation and selling of the unit to the agency heads where you are trying to establish the unit.  So the bottom line is they are a great resource for the information you need, but it will still be up to you to do the work.

 

ALEA also provides great training and education through their safety seminars and annual conference.  This is just a small snapshot of what ALEA can offer you. Turkyman is right, Cedar Rapids does have an air unit and they fly both fixed and rotor wing aircraft.