Ride Alongs

[AceRock]

I went to the mock this last saturday for the southern division and received the good news that I passed my writen. The recruitment staff told us to call them to schedule a ride along before the QAP. I called on monday and talked to a officer who will remain nameless here out of respect. She said she would make a call and try to schedule me in. She asked for my phone number and never called me back. Since the QAPs are scheduled to start next week, I doubt I will able to do a ride along before my interview assuming I pass the PAT on saturday. Anyone else have a similar experience. I scored a 54.6 on my writen(whatever that means). Do you have to retake the writen if you fail the PAT and want to retake it on a later date? Thanks and good luck to everyone.

[redhead]

Who did you call?
A local area office or did you call a recruiter?

Each time I have called the office, it gets handled right then and there, unless the officer is eating lunch (funny story behind that).


And, no, you do not have to re-take the written if you have passed it once. But only the written.


Good Luck

[lomotor]

When you call, tell them what you want and ask to speak with the shift Sgt. Most of the time the front desk person can set it up and then they tell the shift Sgt. But in your case it might just be easier to speak with the shift Sgt. Most of the time i can be done the same day or at least the next day. Be sure you get a ride along before QAP. If you have to call another office outside your area, that might work for you too. Best of luck.

[AceRock]

I talked to a recruiter and not a field office. I should have followed up better because I passed my PAT and my interview is on Monday. Not enough time for a ride along now:sad: At least I went to all the seminars...

[TheForceCHP]

they probably got busy, they didn't forget to call you back on purpose.

call you local office, its the weekend so it will say if you need further help call this other number that i think is some sort of central phone system. talk to an operator and ask to speak to a sgt. at the office that you want. they will talk to the person and hopefully you can get one in by tomm.

good luck... they are loads of fun :biggrin:

[K-Lo]

Sometimes it works out better if you actually go to the office in person. Bring the letter you received showing that you are in the process. Every office is different but I showed up in person and was scheduled withing 10 minutes of talking to the front desk officer. Good luck in the rest of the process.

[TheForceCHP]

the reason i typed about the phone way is because tomm. would be the only day that he could do it and they are closed on weekends, so they won't answer their door

[K-Lo]

the reason i typed about the phone way is because tomm. would be the only day that he could do it and they are closed on weekends, so they won't answer their door

Oh I didn't realize he only had one day. Yeah call then. :smile:

[AceRock]

Thanks for the advice. I will figure something out by tomorrow. Maybe after the phychological written...

[K-Lo]

Ace,

Even if you can't get into an RA before your QAP, I recommend that you still schedule one or more afterwards. They are fun and an awesome learning experience. Good luck.

[ruda001]

Do you have to wear a shirt and a tie or just something casual?

[redhead]

Do you have to wear a shirt and a tie or just something casual?Some great information in these 7 pages. Just shift through all the other stuff!


http://www.chpforums.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=50&p=2

[redhead]

Do you have to wear a shirt and a tie or just something casual?Some great information in these 7 pages. Just shift through all the other stuff!


http://www.chpforums.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=50&p=2oops.. make that two pages. The 7 page one linked back to this one above....ooppss..

[ruda001]

Thanks! I will schedule one very soon, I was just curious.

[AceRock]

Had my QAP today and was told by the board to call again and try to schedule a ride along. I will probably just go to the area office and see what happens. Thanks again to all who posted and good luck to anyone in this process...

[Processing]

to my knwledge, there isn't any limit on rides... just at the office's discretion. i have been on 14 since i started... yes i know, but i have seen it all at this point... everything from sitting in the office on paper for four hours, all the way to two pursuits and a fatal, and everything in between. they are an incredible learning experience, not to mention alot of fun... even if you are in the office writing paper. i have a few friends that are chippies, so i have the advantage of going with them on all different shifts and areas. i have always worn jeans, black shoes, and a tucked in polo with a vest underneath. you need to be confortable, as you'll be in and out of the car, and standing in anything from dirt to weeds to who knows what!!!

[TheForceCHP]

to my knwledge, there isn't any limit on rides... just at the office's discretion. i have been on 14 since i started... yes i know, but i have seen it all at this point... everything from sitting in the office on paper for four hours, all the way to two pursuits and a fatal, and everything in between. they are an incredible learning experience, not to mention alot of fun... even if you are in the office writing paper. i have a few friends that are chippies, so i have the advantage of going with them on all different shifts and areas. i have always worn jeans, black shoes, and a tucked in polo with a vest underneath. you need to be confortable, as you'll be in and out of the car, and standing in anything from dirt to weeds to who knows what!!!

are you running your ride alongs out of baldwin park??? if so then i met you that one night when you did your first c watch

[uoplax13]

Are vests SOP for ride alongs? I've been on 5 or so, and haven't worn one yet.....

[TheForceCHP]

i don't know on the vest, on the two that i did, i didn't wear one.

[K-Lo]

I haven't ever worn a vest either but I wouldn't mind having one.

[dw]

Are vests SOP for ride alongs? I've been on 5 or so, and haven't worn one yet.....

There is no Department policy on vests for ride alongs, but I suppose there could be an Area SOP... Still, that would mean the Department would have to provide them, so my guess is no policy/SOP exists.

[uoplax13]

That's what I figured. I've felt pretty safe each time out - the officer is a friend, and I trust him. There was the one time him and his partner gave me a hard time about hanging back at the car because the guy we stopped had some crazy (I think HGN?) eye stuff happening from whatever he was on that they wanted me to see.....but the second I heard him say "oh yeah, my guns under the seat...." I decided to hang back and learn from a distance :smile:. I reminded them how they were both wearing vests, and that it looked just as good after he was in cuffs!

[norcal625]

Just wanted to say that I went on my first ride along with the CHP today and it was an AWESOME experience, 8 hours flew right by.

[redhead]

Just wanted to say that I went on my first ride along with the CHP today and it was an AWESOME experience, 8 hours flew right by.What office did you go out of?

[Cameron]

You wore a vest? I've worn one for the rides I've gone on. Cool!

Nor Cal you are right, those 8 hours just fly by.

[Cameron]

***I've never worn one for the rides I've gone on. Typing error.

[Exp.Lt.]

Ride alongs are the best. If I wasn't working so much I would go on one every other day; like some of the Explorers here. They're a blast; it depends who you go with. Unfortunately there are some officers who just want shoot radar all day and write 5 tags and go home. So, if any of you guys go with a boring officer, don't get discouraged; the road is as interesting as you make it. I've herd of of Explorers getting shot at. About a year ago an officer shot and killed a dirtbag because he attacked the explorer and was trying to get the gun he had( the dirtbags) The officer shot him point blank, two shots in the head!On one of my ride-alogs I was involved in a T.C. after lunch.A deuce hit the patrol car. ha ha what are the odds; the officer I was with, which is one of my Explorer advisors was out of work for three months. I was 16 when it happened. I'll tell you those sirens of the ambulances and other units is the best thing you'll hear out there when you need help. -I witnessed first hand the dangers of the job, and yet I'm still here trying to get on the department. - This department is the best and as far as everyone else in here know, there's nothing else like it! HOORAH!

[retchp]

Cameron and Nor Cal wrote:

Nor Cal you are right, those 8 hours just fly by.

So will your career.:smile:

[Mac]

Cameron and Nor Cal wrote:

Nor Cal you are right, those 8 hours just fly by.

So will your career.:smile:
Ain't that the truth! It's scary how fast it whizzes by, and it seems like it keeps accelerating faster and faster.

[bcjack]

Just a suggestion...If you have access to a vest...WEAR IT!!!! Even if it is "Only a ride along", the scumbags don't care if you are a ride along or an Officer, they saw you associated with the CHP car, you must be "Someone" and are part of their problem.

ALWAYS WEAR YOUR VEST!!!:!:

[CHP Explorer]

The good thing about a ride along is that you get to see and do some of the cool stuff but don't have to take the paper along with it.

[CaliforniaHighwayPatrol]

I have my first ride along, this saturday at the Newhall division doing a B watch shift.

[Exp.Lt.]

newhall ey? sweet ive been an explorer at that office for almost six years. itspretty interesting. ask for the explorer advisors on that are there one or two of them are fto's, and they're always taking us explorers as ride alongs, so they're really patient and they're going to teach you a thing or two- how old areyou? - if you're under 21 you should think about being part of an explorer program, or even if youre over 21 you can be an advisor.seems like your testing same times for southern division as me, 05-06?- i hope you dont get one of the officers that have been there for a long time, most of them there don't like to break their routine and don't want to be responsible for a civilian, and take a jacket it'll get cold.lol I don't remember what sergeant is in B watch right now, but if their cool which they should get like beat 500 or 502 somewhere in scv too or else you're going to be all the way up the five or far up the 14 and it gets kinds boring there( being your first ride along and all) any ways hope you enjoy it and tell us how it went!!

[ruda001]

Has anyone been out on a ride along at the South Los Angeles station?

[Exp.Lt.]

i havent myself but ive had buddies that go down there, or than used to belong to the most and they said it was pretty fun and busy. You are def. going to bebusier than some other areas, lol. and ive herd it can get dangerous sometimes.

[CaliforniaHighwayPatrol]

newhall ey? sweet ive been an explorer at that office for almost six years. itspretty interesting. ask for the explorer advisors on that are there one or two of them are fto's, and they're always taking us explorers as ride alongs, so they're really patient and they're going to teach you a thing or two- how old areyou? - if you're under 21 you should think about being part of an explorer program, or even if youre over 21 you can be an advisor.seems like your testing same times for southern division as me, 05-06?- i hope you dont get one of the officers that have been there for a long time, most of them there don't like to break their routine and don't want to be responsible for a civilian, and take a jacket it'll get cold.lol I don't remember what sergeant is in B watch right now, but if their cool which they should get like beat 500 or 502 somewhere in scv too or else you're going to be all the way up the five or far up the 14 and it gets kinds boring there( being your first ride along and all) any ways hope you enjoy it and tell us how it went!!

I called and spoke to Sgt. Hall, but on satruday, Sgt. Jacobs will be there. I turn 20 in April, but I am currently in the hiring process. My testing schedule is posted in my signature. Hope to see you at testing time!

[CaliforniaHighwayPatrol]

I had my ride along yesterday at the Newhall CHP. I was with Officer Garcia. The first 2 hours we responded to a TC with a motor cycle. The guy broke his collar bone and he was intoxicated. We wrote him for a DUI and released him to his grandmother.

Next we went to go get some speeders. I don't think we ever drove the speed limit once. We would go west bound on the 126 and catch speeders going 75 in a 60 zone. So if we needed to we spun around to go catch them. There was this one guy going 101 east bound when we were going west and we had to drive 125 just to catch up to him. Once we pulled him over we let him go, because he was an off duty fire fighter. We also let someone else go who was doing 86 because he works for the Department of Justice.

The last call of the day was about 2 taggers by an apartment building. So about 5 patrol cars where on it. We were driving about 125 on the freeway with our lights on and damn cars still don't get out of the way. We got off and took the streets and we must have been going 100 again. The Crown Vic. has some power and sounds really nice. I was surprised about the handling too.

All in all, I know now I want to become a CHP Officer.

[SB 405]

Something in the above post bothers me. Any guess as to what it could be?

[Dipmo]

Something in the above post bothers me. Any guess as to what it could be?

I've had the same thought. The term TMI comes to mind...

[retchp]

405 wrote:
Something in the above post bothers me. Any guess as to what it could be?

Hopefully everything. I sort of think it is mostly fantasy or embellishment.

[bcjack]

Besides being a possible case of embellishment...Does the phrase "TOOOOOO MUCH INFORMATION!!!" come to mind??? what happened to "What goes on in this car....Stays in this car???":confused:

[TheForceCHP]

i agree! hopefully a moderator gets a chance to read that post soon.

[CaliforniaHighwayPatrol]

I retract my comments, I pm'ed DW to tell him to delete it. If any other person can delete it please do. For some reason, there is no edit button so there is nothing I can do. I am sorry about the post. I was excited, because it was my first RA. I hope this will not affect how any of you feel about me in any way.

I am truly sorry!!! :sad:

[TheForceCHP]

I retract my comments, I pm'ed DW to tell him to delete it. If any other person can delete it please do. For some reason, there is no edit button so there is nothing I can do. I am sorry about the post. I was excited, because it was my first RA. I hope this will not affect how any of you feel about me in any way.

I am truly sorry!!! :sad:


no need to worry about it. i can understand how you feel because i know that i felt the same way after my first ride along. whats done is done, we all learn from our mistakes.




... i bet you can't wait for your next one!!! i know i can't wait to go again:biggrin:

[SB 405]

I'm kinda hoping the Newhall office has twelve Officers named Garcia.

[CaliforniaHighwayPatrol]

There is actually a few

[CaliforniaHighwayPatrol]

Can someone please remove my ride along comment.

Thank You.

Once again I am sorry. It was also very dumb of me, come to think of it.

Just like Vegas. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

[Exp.Lt.]

I'm kinda hoping the Newhall office has twelve Officers named Garcia.
lol- they don't, let's just hope no one from there reads it, lol. And it might seem, well it isTMI, especially on the officers info, but just like almost all officers. He's a very professional Chippie, I've done a couple ride alongs with him ( at least i think its him), and he's a very chill and professional person; and exemplefies what the CHP is known and respected for. But yeah, for us non-uniformed, let's not question and judge, they do everything for a reason, just sit down, shut up and hold on lol ( is that how it goes?) and ENJOY IT!!!
because they're all a blast

[Your Mentor]

Wow. I couldn't believe it until I read it. Anyway, handled. Questionable post and all posts refering to have been deleted.

[CaliforniaHighwayPatrol]

Thanks Your Mentor, It won't happen again, I Promise!!!!!!

[dw]

Wow. I couldn't believe it until I read it. Anyway, handled. Questionable post and all posts refering to have been deleted.

Thanks for taking care of that, Mentor. To all who PM'ed me, I was out of town for a couple days. Figures this was the one time I didn't bring a computer with me!