Davidson Co. Sheriff's Offfice?

[Smith]

Any Deputies here? I had applied a while back (over a year ago) just out of curiosity and now they are wanting me to come on board. So far, here are the general comments I get from folks: It's not criminal LE (POST?), fairly low initial pay (30K), and in Davidson Co. mainly correctional officers. Are there any good things to this job? Is there an ability to lateral transfer to PD's or do you have to go through another/different academy? Thanks guys.

[Guest Hornet Handler]

DCSO are jailers and Warrent officers.

[BigPoppa]

The DCSO (unlike most Tennessee Sheriff's Departments) has no patrol/law enforcement duties. The Metro Police handles that throughout Davidson County. The DCSO is responsible for running the jails, and serving civil warrants.

It is my understanding that all DCSO employees start out working corrections after a 6 week training academy. This is not the POST certified Police Academy, so completion of this academy would not prepare you for lateral transfers to other agencies to work patrol.

Advantages to the job (IMHO) are: decent starting pay and benefits, good equipment from what I hear, and job security. The biggest benefit is that for people who want a "patrol officer" law enforcement career, working in a jail environment prepares you much better for that than coming into it cold....the most important thing in any criminal justice career is knowing how to talk to folks, and if you don't or can't learn IPC skills in a jail, you usually won't last long.

[Smith]

Thanks guys. I know the differences between DCSO and PD, just curious if it is worth the time to take the job. I'm told it's near impossible to get on warrants or SWORD so this would probably be mainly CO.

Edited September 2, 2009 by Smith

[poak]

What field would you be transitioning from? I'd take that into consideration before making a career swap.

[EMTRN]

I think it would look good on your resume.

[Smith]

What field would you be transitioning from? I'd take that into consideration before making a career swap.

Haha, that's where it gets tricky. I am primarily a Pastor (last 12 years) by calling and security, Deposition videography, and a slew of other things for extra money. My full resume looks like a road map of craziness. I held no fewer than 2 jobs (Church included) at the same time over the last 12 years and as many as 4 at one time! The one thing ministry has provided me is an opportunity to try all sorts of things as a second job.

So I guess you could say I'm not transitioning as much as I am looking for something stable, good pay, and interesting for a secondary job.

[Guest logicprevails]

Smith, if it is a career path you'd be interested in (even though it isn't a POST certified position) it would likley be a logical position to occupy to the future hiring agency. Most would look at your maturity and stability along with experience and would likely feel pretty good about the gamble of costs to send you to an academy. It likely wouldn't be a place you's want to retire from, though .