All,
I'm a long-time lurker and first-time poster. I'd like to seek your input. I'm ready to make a career change into law enforcement and am in the process of researching and completing applications for various agencies. I'm currently in my late 20's and located in the Tampa Bay, FL area, so am essentially considering as far north as Hillsborough or Pasco and as far south as Charlotte.
My ultimate goal is to end up with a federal 1811-series position, but I want to gain some relevant experience first. My wife's employment requires her to be in the area, at least for the next five or so years.
I'm being fairly open with my search, but am somewhat limited to agencies that will sponsor a recruit through an academy, as I'm not able to pay to self-sponsor and take the time off work going to a full-time academy. If you have specific experience with an agency in this area I'd love to hear your thoughts, but I'd also appreciate any general guidance or advice. I'm also curious about some of the advantages/disadvantages of working for a larger agency vs. a smaller one, especially on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Feel free to PM.
Thank you for any help that you can provide.