A recent Military Times issue posted some stories about where veterans could look for jobs and go to school to get college or vocational training. Even though unemployment is at an all-time low for veterans, it is important that the government doesn’t let up in the effort to get all of the veterans employed and also stays on top of some of the sensitive veterans issues like PTSD. These were some very informative articles that steered veterans toward some places that rank very high in their treatment of former military personnel. They listed some of the top law enforcement agencies, colleges and vocational schools which were considered “vet friendly” because of the way they were proactive in catering to veteran’s employment desires and some of their other needs too.
Military Times Surveys
During the process of gaining information on the vet friendly law enforcement agencies, the Military Times sent out surveys to numerous police agencies and departments. These contained a list of some 90 questions that pertained both to the agencies hiring of veterans and if they had any preferences or programs specifically targeted at the veterans they employed. The idea was to get a better idea of just how vet friendly the process was going to being a military service member to becoming a law enforcement officer.
Veterans Becoming Police Officers
In the article on veterans becoming police officers, there was some nice information on this subject and how this transition should and could be handled in today’s modern world. It also pointed out some severe shortcomings as to how veteran’s needs maybe were not being met in other ways besides just the hiring process.
Here are some of the important points that the survey revealed:
- A large majority of the departments and agencies surveyed did have some sort of veteran preferences in place for hiring because their experience told them that veterans transition well into civilian law enforcement positions.
- Of the departments that employed veterans, over 90% of those had veterans that worked their way into senior leadership roles.
- There were departments that considered the time spent in military service as time towards retirement.
- One of the big shortcomings that the survey revealed was that only 15% of the departments and agencies surveyed had resources or support groups available for their employees who were veterans.
- A majority of the law enforcement agencies that were surveyed were currently in the process of hiring new officers.
Female Veterans Becoming Police Officers
There was also one very interesting story that developed from sending out the surveys too. It was the story of how one female officer who works for the Sherriff’s department in Harris County, Texas turned the table on some of her own service-related issues and now leads the way in helping the department serve other veterans. Ruth Recio, an Army Reservist, returned from the Gulf War with her own case of PTSD-related issues to deal with. After the department helped her through her issues, she is now in charge of leading her department’s efforts to help other veterans in the community they serve.
Disclaimer: The content in this article is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of US Patriot Tactical.
