Correctional Officers and LEO

[Cory]

By definition you are.. in fact.. and Law Enforcement Officer as a CO.

You are ENFORCING the LAWS and statues of the state/county/city as an OFFICER of the correctional facility.

Either way.. what someone else thinks about me or my career doesn't really bother me. I know who has my back... and who doesn't.

[Arkimedes]

Originally Posted by Cory

By definition you are.. in fact.. and Law Enforcement Officer as a CO.

You are ENFORCING the LAWS and statues of the state/county/city as an OFFICER of the correctional facility.

Either way.. what someone else thinks about me or my career doesn't really bother me. I know who has my back... and who doesn't.

Amen brother!!!

[BOP Hack]

You know, by comparison this thread had nothing to do with money.

BUt what "some" (not all) street cops think about us as LEO's! Like everything else in life, there are those who are stuck up, turn the other way and have no clue what we do!

It has been stated over and over in this forum and others, or words very similar: "That a Correctional Officer walks a beat that no one else wants, we deal with the scum, filth and murderous mugs of society! We ensure that those sentenced by the courts do the time required and that they obey the rules and regulations set forth at each institution or facility."

So "some" (not all) street cop wants to think that CO's are not LEO's, then tell them to come visit a prison for a week and watch the same filth we do. Tell them they don't even have to come inside, but watch the thug lovers who come to visit! They could never fit our standards by thinking that, cause essentially we do the same job, but put up with more thug BS then they ever will!

ok nuff said, yup got love that pay check tho! I Do!!

[jlw]

In Kentucky all Jailers and their Deputies are sworn Peace Officers with full power of arrest.

If they commit a crime while incarcerated, we will re-arrest them, file charges, and go to court to aid prosecution.

I'm from Ohio, and recently moved to Kentucky and they do things here at the county level that is unlike the 49 other states.

[Crosstimbers Okie]

I've always liked Kentucky.

[Custodian]

I am sorry to say, Cory, as it has been explained to me... we are custody staff charged with the duties of security and caretaking under NCDOC guidelines. We are not law enforcement. All the police agencies in the area as well as DOC have stated this especially their lawyers. Though this can be contradicted if you look at your pay stub which says "law enforcement employees."
To the organization, we're nothing more than armed security guards working for DOC. And I'm kinda sad about it because I came aboard to do an honest job that needs to be done.

[shakedownshorti]

In that case Custodian, I would carry my pay stub around and the next time one of those pricks say something to the affect that you are not Law Enforcment, whip that bad boy out and show them what it says and then commence to whipping some ass!!!
Yee-haw!!!
How I see it, you try to go the easy route first, and then when all else fails...you go HARD!!!

[Custodian]

Funny you mention that, Shorti... I do. [carry the form, haven't commenced with beat downs,yet.]

[Correctionsguy]

This topic is a minefield in most jurisdictions, ESPECIALLY here in Arizona. I started in corrections at the CO level, did some things there, left the corrections field, did the state level investigator thing and then entered corrections again at the Special Investigator Level. I have seen things from all angles and it is the same everywhere you go.

The very simple truth is that most cops truly in their hearts and heads believe their POST academies qualify them to accomplish much more than a CO academy qualifies a CO to do. The problem is it's like comparing apples to oranges. What does a CO need traffic code/law for? What does a CO need to learn general patrol procedures for? Likewise, what does a cop need to learn facility security, seg procedures, or forced cell entry for?

The fact is cops are trained to be cops and CO's are trained to be CO's, with the better agencies throwing in more enforcement oriented topics. Cops that are POST certified feel they are "better" than CO's that have an image of being underqualified wannabe's that couldn't make it through the background process to be a cop. This of course is silly.

Nonetheless, even to this day I gain less respect in my position because I came up as a CO and not patrolling a beat or highway. The thing is I would rather have a squared away CO with me when I go in to take down a fugitive than a cop. CO's are proactive not reactive. CO's now what signs to look for when things are going to "pop" off. CO's know how to talk down a crazy person. And most of all a CO knows how to get busy WITHOUT a weapon.

[jblake]

Amen!!