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I was looking at the top 400 and there are about 20 with the money. Are there benefits to taking a promotion to LT other than having one more rank or being closer up captain?
It all depends where youre at in life and your current situation. If youre still young on the job. No kids. Shitty commute anyway, why not take the promotion. You have plenty of time left to try and get yourself into a good spot. I have a toddler at home. Im 15 minutes from home and Im in a position where I will most likely get the money in the next few years. I have less than 10 years to go. I had zero desire to even take the test. I dont have any phone calls really, certainly none big enough to get back to a good gig as a LT. The thought of going back to patrol and ending up doing some terrible tour, paying tolls, gas, congestion pricing and making almost no OT. For me personally it didnt make any sense. If I already had the money, you would have had to force me to sign up and take the test. But as I said earlier. You have to weigh your options. If your goal is to be a LT and have a white shirt and thats always been your goal. Go for it. If your main focus is giving your family a good life and having the freedom to basically make your own schedule and do 40 a month without killing yourself as is my current situation thankfully, the test wasnt even on my radar.
Agree with the post above. It really depends on what you have going on. I have less than 5 years left and Im pretty happy with what Im doing so Im good not getting promoted, but if youre young on the job I would probably take the promotion.
-- Edited by GangGreenMets on Monday 8th of January 2024 04:23:33 PM
Nothing lasts forever. Take the rank unless you're really close to the end.
-- Edited by Edubz on Wednesday 10th of January 2024 02:39:18 PM
This, spots and gigs aren't permanent and unless youre close to leaving, take the rank. Patrol might suck as a PO or Sgt but its different as a Lt, especially if you have a lot of sgts under you
Dont listen to people who either arent in good spots. Have only done patrol. Who have like 7-8 years on and hit the tests perfect and their idea of a good gig is the public safety sergeant. If you are the only income in your house and youre in DB making 40 a month and can get the money. That isnt a gig that comes and goes. If you are financially responsible for someone other than yourself. Like a wife and kids. 15 minutes from home. Dont pay tolls, gas, dont have to sit in traffic an hour each way. Trust me. Quality of life and being financially sound trumps having a white shirt. If you only know patrol. Youre not making a lot of overtime or arent an overtime guy or girl, you have a tremendous phone call to go wherever your heart desires or you have a ton of time left. Of course take the promotion. Its not a cookie cutter answer for everyone. But dont listen to someone who tells you, yes take the promotion and offers you nothing else. You have to look at where youre at in life. Your finances. Your at home situation. Kids.
Dont listen to people who either arent in good spots. Have only done patrol. Who have like 7-8 years on and hit the tests perfect and their idea of a good gig is the public safety sergeant. If you are the only income in your house and youre in DB making 40 a month and can get the money. That isnt a gig that comes and goes. If you are financially responsible for someone other than yourself. Like a wife and kids. 15 minutes from home. Dont pay tolls, gas, dont have to sit in traffic an hour each way. Trust me. Quality of life and being financially sound trumps having a white shirt. If you only know patrol. Youre not making a lot of overtime or arent an overtime guy or girl, you have a tremendous phone call to go wherever your heart desires or you have a ton of time left. Of course take the promotion. Its not a cookie cutter answer for everyone. But dont listen to someone who tells you, yes take the promotion and offers you nothing else. You have to look at where youre at in life. Your finances. Your at home situation. Kids.
20 years on, SSA, 13 years in rank, at HQ doing 35 a month with a 1 hour commute from Queens. Planning on doing 23 to align with personal matters. Im in the 300s, so lets figure summerish. I do have plenty of phone calls with a phenomenal resume on and off the job and may be able to get off patrol after a year.
So then you have to do the math. Are you leaving right at 23? How long will you have on when you get back to a gig? Are you going right back to a gig with 35 a month? Plus your first year back on patrol will you make any OT? Whats your retirement? Any 3, your last year? Will that year or so on patrol mess with your numbers if youre not making a bunch of OT? Is SSA at top pay with 35 a month comparable to a LT not making a ton of OT?
If you have over 20 then different story, you can leave anytime the going gets too tough. There's a thousand different variables. What I'm saying is that we've all seen a new Chief/Insp/boss come in with his/her own guy and your gig ends just like that.
