Serious Business

so most of you know that i took the promotional exam, and chances are that i will be promoting to sergeant sometime in the next couple of years (this is government work here, everything moves slow).  anyway, an opportunity has come up where i might be able to move over to the juvenile sex crimes unit for a little while until i promote.  i am kind of thinking about making the move.  i would get a chance to practice interview and interrogation skills, evidence collection and handling procedures, extended investigation, etc etc etc.  the unit primarily handles non-family sexual assault of a minor cases (there is another specialized unit that does all of the family shit).

i am just worried about my capacity to handle the kind of shit you have to wade through over there.  granted, most of the cases will be some 16 year old sleeping with her 22 year old boyfriend, and her parents got all pissed off.  that doesn't bother me so much (i'm not even sure that it should be against the law, but fuck it, he knew it was illegal to sleep with 16 year olds).  but there will also be alot of violent, very disturbing shit to deal with too.  on the up side though, i will get to put some really bad guys in jail, and in jail for a long time.  i see the laws as kind of being divided up into two groups; malum prohibitum and malum in se.  the malum prohibitum group is stuff that is only wrong because we say it is wrong (drug laws, speeding, prostitution, etc etc etc).  the other group, malum in se, is all the stuff that is wrong because it is wrong (murder, rape, etc etc etc).  i have a hard time getting fired up an excited about putting drug dealers in jail.  i just can't make myself care that much.  but these guys, shit, this would be good shit.  they need to go to jail.

meh.  i put in my application for the position last week.  they may not even offer me the position because i am fixing to promote (that might want someone that will be able to commit for a little longer).  we'll see i guess.

any of y'all have any thoughts?

Dave svu...DONK DONK

Wow, it sounds like after you get over a few bad dreams and feeling bad for the young kids, it'll be really good for you. As you said you can get plenty of experience with sickos in this unit, but the most important thing it seems is that you'l really be making a difference, and have a rewarding job overall. I say do it.

Since it has been a couple of months, I was wondering if there were an update to this thread for you, Dave.  Have you taken the position? If so what do you think? I think it would be an eye opening experience.

Since it has been a couple of months, I was wondering if there were an update to this thread for you, Dave.  Have you taken the position? If so what do you think? I think it would be an eye opening experience.

yea, i got a dick in the eye on that one.  i was clearly, and by a long shot, the best candidate, but the Lt. saw that i was on the list to promote to sergeant, so he passed me over, in favor of someone that could give him a longer term commitment.  i understand why, but it kind sucks.  oh well.

That does suck. Well, you'll be better off when you get the promotion.    Besides, for someone as morbid as you, I think being a sex cop would put you over the top.