How important

[Shelly]

How important is it to do ride alongs? I know it shows that you?re preparing yourself more, but do you get docked points for it?

[DESERT RAT]

I dont know if you get docked points for it. I guarantee if I interviewed two prospectives with the same qualifications, but one had done ride-alongs I would most likely choose the one with ride-alongs because they have shown more interest in the CHP. I dont know where you are at in the process, I dont know if you have been on a ride-along. If you haven't, how do you know you really wanna be a CHP Officer if you havent done a ride-along to see what the job is really like? Ride alongs function in a couple of ways, 1. they show that you are interested in the CHP. 2. It gives you a reality check, it allows you to see what happends during a shift, then hopefully when you go home, you will be honest with yourself and figure out if you got what it takes to do the job. Believe me, it doesnt take a rocket scientist, but it does take a special kind of person to do our job.

[K-Lo]

I don't know if you get docked per se. I don't know that there is any way to know since you aren't told why you receive the score you do. Having done 2 RAs, I would highly recommend doing a couple. Like you mentioned, it does show the panel that you are serious about the job. In addition to that, you get to see some of what you read about online & in the hiring pamphlets put into practice. I learned a great deal about the job in just 2 RAs. Another benefit of doing an RA is that you get to see if the job is really for you. I say that knowing that a typical RA shift hardly represents all that the job has in store once you are an officer.
You might get out there and realize that this isn't really for you. I found the opposite to be true for me. My desire has been strengthened as a result of the RAs.

On my last RA, there was an officer shot. After we arrived on scene, the officer I was with was assigned to guard a freeway closure north of the shooting. We sat there the whole shift. The officer I was with said, "We'll be here the whole shift and it won't be very exciting so I can call another unit to come take you back to the station if you like." My response was something along the lines of, "NO WAY!!. That is part of the job and I wanted to experience all that I could. If I wasn't willing to do it as an RA, I wouldn't really want to as an officer either.

So again, the RA program is a great privilege that the Department extends to us candidates and you should jump on it as soon as you are eligible (passing the written test). Good luck.

[K-Lo]

Desert Rat posted during the time I was typing my post. Had I seen what he posted first, my post would have read:

"Yeah what DR said."

Well said Desert Rat.

[Shelly]

Well for the most part the questions were mine and some of my husbands. I havent tested yet, because I was unsure if it was CHP or Police I wanted to go. However I have decide after doing alot of reading that CHP is more along the lines of what I want to do. Now my husband is a diffrent story. He did his testing and he scored passing on his QAP, but didnt score what he would have liked. So he was wondering if it was because he didnt do RA's He knows this is what he wants to do. CHP's run in his family. His father was the youngest hired during his time and is now retired. He grew up with it. We stoped in at our local CHP office and talked about how we get started on RA. So next weekend he will be doing one :smile:

[FuelInjection09]

I've been on several RAs and I highly recommend you go on at least two. Every shift is different and every officer has their own style of doing the job; there are never two days that are alike. Most CHP offices will let you do an RA even if you're not in the hiring process, as long you give good explanation to the watch commander as to why you want to partake of one and what you plan to get out of the experience. LAPD, on the other hand, requires people to be in the hiring process for an RA. Find your local CHP office from here: CHP Traffic Incident Information Page, and ask to speak to a Sergeant. Good luck with the process.

[FuelInjection09]

Errr, I guess hyperlinking doesn't work on posts. Anyone can find an area office on cad.chp.ca.gov under CHP Phone Book.