Pros
1. Decent medical, dental, vision and free $50,000 life insurance. 2. Low volume of calls for service. 3. Likelihood of being killed at work is more slim than your municipal counterparts. 4. Lots of holidays and most officers have the weekends off. 5. Shift differential for swing and graveyard. 6. It's generally very easy to get time off. 7. They generally send you to whatever law enforcement training you want to attend. 8. They will allow you to work as a reserve officer at another department.
Cons
1. Department is still viewed by the district as being a security force. 2. Pay and retirement are not in line with other educational law enforcement agencies. 3. Dispatchers are glorified clerks with CLETS access, it's sometimes frustrating to work with them.. 4. District is overly concerned about the perception of crime on campus and doesn't want officers to take enforcement actions unless absolutely necessary. 5. Upper management does not respect us and most were never police officers themselves. 6. Opportunities for advancement are slim. 7. Morale is low. 8. Some campuses appear to support their officers more than others, which creates animosity amongst the ranks. 9. Vehicles and equipment are old. Most stuff is donated or bought dirt cheap from local police departments. 10. Specialized units do not really exist. If you want gangs, sex assaults, K-9, motors, DUI, vice or narcotics, you need to look elsewhere. 11. Despite being in the business of education, the district does not place value on having a bachelors or masters degree. 12. There have been idle threats from management to contract our jobs. 13. We are represented by the most worthless and self-serving union ever. 14. The department is very incestuous...it's not what you know, it's who you know. 15. Overtime opportunities are non-existent and varies from campus to campus. 16. There is no shift bidding and seniority generally doesn't count for anything except layoffs. 17. You can get moved around at the whim of the Chief. All they have to give is 10 days notice. 18. Our union and PORAC dues tip the scales at over $115 a month for some senior officers. 19. We often have to deal with the stereotype that we are not "real" police. The district does a bang-up job of helping keep that stereotype alive. 20. There is no incentive for POST certificates, being bilingual, being educated or being in shape. 21. Our uniform allowance is only $575 and you can only use it at one of two local stores. 22. Our facilities are small, substandard and not designed for effective audio/video recording of suspect interrogations. Most of the facilities are new, aside from American River College. 23. You only get 3 hours OT for court appearances. 24. Communication is lacking and very often change is initiated without seeking input from officers.