[ladyrider72472]

As a result of my weight loss, I have decided that I am no longer going to sit on the sidelines of life and take the easy route. I have always had an interest in law enforcement and I want to pursue a career as a police woman/deputy. I would like the anyput of ANY form of female law enforcement either good or bad. Of note, my DH is a deputy sheriff.

I am planning to test for a police department in November and I would like to hear stories from ladies who live that life now.

Tammy

[sacha]

I work as a dispatcher (for about 6 years) and I'm currently on maternity leave. I was originally planning on become a sworn officer but with the baby, this is a better way to balance home and work. My husband is also a police officer so I wanted to make sure we were not on opposite shifts. That is one very unfortunate drawback that you have to consider if your husband is an officer. Unfortunately a lot of husband/wives get opposite shifts and really only have a few hours together per week.

I have done all the physical tests, written tests, etc. All I can recommend is get onto a great weight training program focusing on upper body strength, look up HIIT training (interval running), and have fun! I loved training for the tests. I also very much love my career as a dispatcher. I work in a police department (not a call centre), I work with the same group of officers every time, and deal with a lot of fun and exciting stuff.

What test are you doing? The physical or written? I found the written very easy because I was already an experienced dispatcher so I knew the answers to all the scenarios, the physical is very tough but doable with training.

[suetalks]

I am in no way affiliated with a police force. I just want to say "You go girl!"
Having the mental and physical fortitude to lose 94 pounds has to be a big boost toward what you want to achieve. I am sure the training to pass the tests will come easier for you after all you have already done.

Love to hear about someone going for their dreams, reaching their goals, etc.
Please keep us posted...you have a cheering section here.

[ladyrider72472]

Thank you so much for the encouragement Suetalks. I appreciate it! I will keep you posted. You know losing the weight was a big eye opener and it is definately a determining factor in my decision.

Sacha, Thanks for your input also. First of all, congrats on the baby! I have turned in my application and the testing will be the first step. The physical test requirements were given with the application. We are in Arkansas, so the requirements are not too awful hard. The physical test will be given on a Saturday, if you pass that you go onto the written test that same day in the afternoon. I do not have "small" kids at home. I have one son who has graduated HS and has been deployed, my youngest will be 17 in November. So, I think I can handle the shift differences. My DH has been a deputy for quite some time and he is the DARE officer, so he has set hours, which will help with my revolving shifts.
I did purchase a book to prepare me for the test, however my DH says to throw it away b/c it has nothing to do with the test. Lol.

I have been weight training for about a year, I do still struggle with the male push ups.... however, I am finding that most of it is a mental block, not physical.

I hope we can keep in touch.

[sacha]

Hi ladyrider72472,

I'm in Canada so I'm not too familiar with US physical requirements but I understand that they are a bit easier than up here with the RCMP. That's okay, just keep up with your training and it is certainly achievable!

Your "age" (hehe, I assume you are at least 30+ with a deployed son) will be a great advantage as I'm sure your husband has told you that having a good head on your shoulders and life experience is worth far more than any fitness or written test! LOL! My husband also works set day shifts because he's been around for a while.

For pushups, I found that doing heavy bench presses really helped, as well as burpees and of course, more pushups! P90X (the videos) are also great for pushups, you can do up to 100 in one workout with varying hand placements.

Good luck and let me know how your test goes!