detentions deputy question

eeleaysonse · #1 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 05:47 PM

hi,

i'm applying to be a detentions deputy sheriff with san diego county. does anyone know if they can carry off-duty? i'd think that because they deal with criminals everyday who may eventually get out and find you, you'd need to be able to protect yourself.

tango-52 · #2 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 05:58 PM

Welcome to the site! Good to have another one from San Diego here. I'm pretty sure the answer is no on the off-duty carry. One of the many other true experts on the subject will correct me if I'm wrong. One of my sons was looking at the same thing, but has decided to go for the regular sheriff's deputy or SDPD academy instead. One of the reasons was specifically that: no off-duty carry privileges for detentions officers.

**SierraNevadaCCW** · #3 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 06:11 PM

If you are a deputy sheriff... then yes, because then you would be a peace officer. Deputy Sheriff's are cops...and can work patrol, courts, transportation, detectives, SWAT, etc.

If you are talking about a civilian job as a custody assistant or "CO", then no.

**45 ACP** · #4 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 06:23 PM

I wrote up a whole long post with PC quotes, then I re-read your original post. Oops.

Is this what you're applying for?

If yes, then the answer to your question is yes.

tango-52 · #5 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 06:34 PM

See, I told you someone with more knowledge than me would be along! Do keep in mind that when we (my son and I) spoke with the detentions deputy at the police job fair in October (the day before the fires), he indicated that the academy for detentions was about half as long as the regular academy. Also, in order to get out of detentions and into regular patrol, you would have to take the regular academy. At the job fair, he was sharing a booth with a regular patrol deputy. She was wearing a sidearm, and he was not. He said that detentions officers were not issued sidearms as part of their uniform. He also said that he was desperately trying to get out of detentions! I thought that was funny to say, considering he was trying to recruit people! LOL. Lot's of good info and good people on this board. Do your research and good luck with your career!

**45 ACP** · #6 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tango-52

See, I told you someone with more knowledge than me would be along! Do keep in mind that when we (my son and I) spoke with the detentions deputy at the police job fair in October (the day before the fires), he indicated that the academy for detentions was about half as long as the regular academy. Also, in order to get out of detentions and into regular patrol, you would have to take the regular academy. At the job fair, he was sharing a booth with a regular patrol deputy. She was wearing a sidearm, and he was not. He said that detentions officers were not issued sidearms as part of their uniform. He also said that he was desperately trying to get out of detentions! I thought that was funny to say, considering he was trying to recruit people! LOL. Lot's of good info and good people on this board. Do your research and good luck with your career!

This right there should give you pause.

If you want to work the jails as a career, by all means do it!

If you have *ANY* desire to work as a "road" deputy, do yourself right the first time and go for the full academy.

I had 3 people in my academy that were "repeating" academies for the second time. There was one person who was on her 3rd academy. Not for the reasons you might think either........she just couldn't get hired out of a Comm College academy or Rio Hondo.

These people are studs in my mind. I don't think I could do the academy twice (no matter how long), much less *3* times!!

Academy is the most fun you'll never want to have again

Do yourself right and do it right the first time, no matter what you decide to do.

*** SHAMELESS PLUG FOR PATROL FOLLOWS ***

If the requirements are the same but the pay isn't......Why not work patrol?

**RomanDad** · #7 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 45 ACP

Academy is the most fun you'll never want to have again

El Gato · #8 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 07:02 PM

Kern County Detentions Deputies are known as
Blue Patch Deputies
They are all, I believe, firearms trained and I know at least the majority are issued an id card with the words "ccw approved" on the back of the id card. The have to be armed on duty to transport prisoners and wear the same uniforms as deputies except they have a blue patch not a red one. It is alot easier to get into the department through detentions... I am not sure how easy it is to move over to Deputy Sheriff. We are hiring alot of deputy sheriff's it seems and the pay is pretty good.
Good Luck

**SierraNevadaCCW** · #9 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Gato

Kern County Detentions Deputies are known as
Blue Patch Deputies
They are all, I believe, firearms trained and I know at least the majority are issued an id card with the words "ccw approved" on the back of the id card. The have to be armed on duty to transport prisoners and wear the same uniforms as deputies except they have a blue patch not a red one. It is alot easier to get into the department through detentions... I am not sure how easy it is to move over to Deputy Sheriff. We are hiring alot of deputy sheriff's it seems and the pay is pretty good.
Good Luck

Blue patches? What happened to the green patches? geezus.... they got C.O.'s armed up and doing transports instead of deputies now? I hope they're sending them with a partner on transports, rather than alone (red patches) with no HT, in a junker unmarked car... like they used to.

**SierraNevadaCCW** · #10 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 45 ACP

This right there should give you pause.

If you want to work the jails as a career, by all means do it!

If you have *ANY* desire to work as a "road" deputy, do yourself right the first time and go for the full academy.

I had 3 people in my academy that were "repeating" academies for the second time. There was one person who was on her 3rd academy. Not for the reasons you might think either........she just couldn't get hired out of a Comm College academy or Rio Hondo.

These people are studs in my mind. I don't think I could do the academy twice (no matter how long), much less *3* times!!

Academy is the most fun you'll never want to have again

Do yourself right and do it right the first time, no matter what you decide to do.

*** SHAMELESS PLUG FOR PATROL FOLLOWS ***

If the requirements are the same but the pay isn't......Why not work patrol?

I second that. Do it right the first time. One guy in my platoon was a reserve and had to go through the full time academy. They made him platoon leader and class sgt. And another dude was DEA...(not Calif. Post certified)..so he had to do it all, just like the rest of us.

You will change as a person if you work in custody. It's an education in reality.

**45 ACP** · #11 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SierraNevadaCCW

You will change as a person if you work in law enforcement. It's an education in reality.

Fixed it for 'ya!

El Gato · #12 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SierraNevadaCCW

Blue patches? What happened to the green patches? geezus.... they got C.O.'s armed up and doing transports instead of deputies now? I hope they're sending them with a partner on transports, rather than alone (red patches) with no HT, in a junker unmarked car... like they used to.

Blue Patches do mostly like... hospital runs at odd hours and move prisoners at odd times to the Lerdo Facility from the central jail and stuff like that.. they have vans and crown vics... newer ones... not police package newer ones... I think...Mostly they seem to work the jails and the farm...A deputy is in charge and they have various ranks of Detentions Deputies... they mostly work the jails and leave the street work to deputies ... some sheriff a few years ago decided it would be cheaper to hire Det. Dep. than Deputy Sheriff's ... I think the Deputies have to love it as they don't have to spend years working the jail...

eeleaysonse · #13 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 45 ACP

I wrote up a whole long post with PC quotes, then I re-read your original post. Oops.

Is this what you're applying for?

If yes, then the answer to your question is yes.

45 ACP, yup, that's exactly what i'm applying for. are/were you a detentions dep. for san diego?