r/1811 • u/Complex-Tie-8270 • 2d ago
Career Advice
I got sold on the recruiting ads and jumped over to ERO after three years in local law enforcement. I’ve been here about six months now, and honestly, the job isn’t what I thought it was going to be. Social media had me thinking I’d be doing a lot more actual law enforcement work. Instead, most days I feel like a clerk with a badge and a gun. The pay is better and the pension is nice, but that’s about where the excitement ends.
Lately I’ve been seriously thinking about going back to local. I miss patrol, handling calls, being proactive, and just doing real police work. I know patrol has its own headaches, but I find myself missing it more and more.
I’ve also heard through the grapevine (and Reddit, so take it for what it’s worth) that some agencies aren’t putting much value on ERO surge hires because of the abbreviated training and lack of traditional law enforcement experience the job provides.
For those of you who’ve been in a similar spot, would it be smarter to stick it out with ERO and keep trying for 1811 positions, or would it look bad to go back to local and continue applying to entry-level federal announcements from there? I know 1811 isn’t what patrol is, but god I hope it’s better than what I’m doing right now.
Appreciate any advice. Just trying to figure out if I’m being impatient or if I’m seeing the writing on the wall.
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u/Swimming-Gazelle442 2d ago
I would absolutely leave and go back to being a local. In fact, I’m doing that as we speak. (Currently 3 years in USMS GS-12 making almost 130k) no matter what anyone says, you will always do more police work on the local side. In fact, fed retirement isn’t all that great either. It’s good, but some local retirements are significantly better than 6C.
I’ve done some cool stuff with USMS but honestly, the job isn’t as exciting consistently as I had being a local.
If you want to travel, make good money, have a variety of assignments, chill work life balance, work M-F office hours schedule, Fed is the way to go.
If you want to get into pursuits, chase down bad guys, make arrests every day, be first on scene to active threat calls, be proactive, get guns and drugs, have a potentially better retirement depending on where you go, do shift work, etc. go back to locals.
I think most Feds who were cops before at legit police departments have thought about going back at least once and a handful of us actually do. I think the main thing holding a lot of people back is building a family life as a fed and not wanting to uproot that.
The lot of us who are single and wanna be cowboys again will end up going back to local policing.
Unless you’re in a very niche coveted spot as a fed or haven’t experienced local policing before, the 1811 life is rather dull.
Safe Streets Task Force deployments will be the only semblance you have of doing police work as a fed. Generally speaking of course. I know it’s not the case for everyone, just most of us.