Police Commission
Why would you want to become a police officer? Many people join the force because they want to serve and protect their state from criminals and dangers. Some people join because you don’t usually need a high end education to join. Of course some people join because they want to abuse their power.
Becoming a police officer requires a long training period that covers most, if not all aspects of becoming a police officer. This all happens at a Police Academy. In order to join the Police Academy, an individual must be no younger than twenty-one, and no older than forty. He or she must also have at least a high school diploma or better.
The Police Academy exists to recruit and test people abilities and allow them to prove that they are worthy of becoming an officer of the law. The Academy covers things from Laws, to driving, to gun handling. These tests are very strict as most people do not want idiots or unfit police officers protecting us or abusing their power.
Knowing how to handle certain situations and how to use equipment and weapons properly is a major part of passing the police academy. If the Academy just gave everyone one that came in a gun and no instructions, there may be a lot more injuries and death from misuse or even abuse of weapons. ‘
Learning laws, amendments, and rights is crucial for success in the police world. If an officer pulls someone over but doesn’t know what laws the person broke, he cannot ticket or arrest that person unless the laws broken were clearly stated. A police officer must know how to read and write proficiently and effectively and must have the ability to cope and obey officials and other officers. An officer must also be able to learn from experience to become a better ...
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One top of the regular police, the is another type of force called the S.W.A.T Team. They do far more dangerous and advanced types of jobs that regular police are not trained for. The S.W.A.T Team specializes in the use of military style, light weapons and deals with heavily armed criminals. The can deal with Hostage rescue, anti-terrorism, armored or barricaded building infiltration, and high risk arrests. The training needed to become part of this highly skilled set of officers far exceeds normal police education. These semi-soldiers need to learn how to handle not only handguns, but fully automatic machine guns and multiple types of grenades as well. This branch is not for the faint of heart.
Sheriffs are a type of officer that is elected at a county level. They take care of law enforcement within their county. They can perform search and rescue missions
The influence of higher education on police officer habits would surprise many according to Matthew D. Bostrom, D.P.A of the Saint Paul Police Department in “Police Chief Magazine-The Professional Voice of Law Enforcement”. Although a degree is required for some agencies and considered ideal for any person looking to join the law enforcement field, surveys show otherwise says Bostrom. According to a study conducted in St. Paul, Minnesota there were more on-duty vehicle collisions by officers with formal education beyond high school than those who only obtained a high school diploma. The article also shows figures indicating more disciplinary actions towards officers with college degrees and a significant difference in those of officers with high school diplomas only. The measurements of work habits shown indicate that perhaps a college degree in general is not necessary to be an effective police officer. Traffic Officer James Dunn of the California Highway Patrol in an interview said, “a degree can be beneficial, but some people are very eloquent and knowledgeable even without attending college-a person can learn the specific duties of any job, but college does not teach you the responsibilities of being a police officer. You learn that by hands-on training”. Although a degree is helpful, Officer Dunn admits that he has been very successful in the law
Perceptions of what constitutes a qualified police officer have been crafted as a result of numerous television shows and movies. They are often portrayed as heroic, invincible, and possessors of brute strength. While some of these physical attributes are in fact expected and required of police officers, they are not the only ones and at times, may come secondary to alternative methods, such as the use of strong communication and critical thinking skills. Policing has changed immensely since the days of resolving issues with a night stick. There is a desire for today’s police officers to possess the educational capacity to develop and implement community policing initiatives. Additionally, there exists a desire to professionalize policing. This drive for professionalism has led to the desire for increased educational requirements (Brecci, 1994).
To become a Police Detective you have to at least have a high school diploma; bachelor’s degree. It is required because it can help you earn good jobs as detectives. After high school, state and local agencies encourage you to continue education by taking course and training related to law enforcement. The federal agencies and some police department require some college coursework or a college degree. Many community colleges, 4 year colleges, and universities offer programs in law enforcement and criminal justice.
Everyday law enforcement personal have the possibility to face dangerous events in their daily duties. In performing such duties a police officer could come by a seemingly ordinary task, and in a blink of an eye the event can turn threatening and possible deadly. When or if this happens to an officer they won’t have
The majority of departments only require a high school diploma. Although a college education is not a requirement, it can greatly increase one’s chances of getting hired. A degree in criminal justice or criminology would be very beneficial, but an associate or bachelor's degree in any department gives a person the best chance of advancement within his or her specific department. In fact, most higher positions such as chief of police require a bachelor’s degree or higher. Besides this, an individual who is going into law enforcement will need to attend a police
The article Police and Higher Education: Where are We Now by Roy Roberg and Scott Bonn discuss and review past articles and ideas about whether or not police officers should be required to have earned a college degree in order to qualify a position in law enforcement within the United States. The first person who believed in the idea that police officers should be required to hold a college degree in order to be qualified for a position was August Vollmer. August Vollmer was “the father of American police professionalism” (Walker & Katz, 2011). Vollmer is best known for being a supporter of higher education within law enforcement. However, many officers and high ranking officials did not believe in the concept of needing to obtain a college degree in order to protect their community. A majority of police officers in law enforcement did not have a college degree nor did police departments require it to be considered a position. Moreover, many police departments did not necessitate a high school diploma but rather a general equivalency diploma. The first time that this idea was utilized was during the time of the 1960’s, when, in the early 1960’s, crime was increasing drastically and by the late 1960’s the ghetto riots took place, opening the eyes of those in charge that something needed to change, and change quickly in order to prevent criminal activity and chaos.
"Studies, Case Law, Quotes, Standards and Trends in Support of a College Education for Police Officers." Police Association for College Education (PACE). Web. 02 Mar. 2011..
Police work is no easy task being an officer requires having the guts to protect and serve their community, it takes integrity and respect to others. As an officer one must know radio codes, traffic violations, state laws, how to lead, trust their team, how to interact with civilians, etc. Officers must have and must be able to express patience with civilians and must provide a safe environment to civilians. To become a Police Officer education comes first, the educational requirements are to have a high school diploma or GED, and a Bachelors degree in Criminal justice. Also to attend police academy in which they train to become mentally tough, and physically strong. They are tested on how much pressure they can take and their endurance. There is also a physical test that they take to ...
This paper will show four different police departments that are currently hiring or recruiting for police officers. There will be a summary on the research found on the process used to recruit police officers. It will also show their current hiring trends and what hiring practices they have that are successful or not successful. The paper will also go over the different methods departments use to train their new officers and their values.
... well they handle each situation without crossing the line” (Chaney). It is highly important for police academies to hire suitable and qualified officers; and provide a broad and continuous training, with good supervision to help decrease the use of excessive force in law enforcement officers.
The minimum education requirements to become a police officer in America is a general education diploma or High school diploma. But with increased competition in becoming a police officer many departments require that you have an associate’s degree or bachelor 's degree, even if the department you apply for only requires that you only have a G.E.D/high school diploma having somewhat
There are many duties that come along with being a police officer. It’s not just about wearing the uniform, driving the nice car, and arresting people. Police officers need to set good examples to the people around them. They also have to talk and give information to any pedestrians that may need help. They heck for any law violations, respond to radio calls, watch for anything suspicious going on, and they also need to investigate any dangerous conditions that could harm anyone.
Police officers have to accomplish many things in their workday. (Career Cruising.com) They have to write detailed reports and fill out forms.(Career Cruising.com) They are responsible for making sure that people obey the law and are kept safe at all times.(Career Cruising.com) They also observe the activities of suspects.(Career Cruising.com) Cops have to gather facts and collect evidence from many crimes.(Career Cruising.com) Many police officers duties depend on the size and type of their department or agency.(Career Cruising.com) They must conduct traffic stops and issue citations.(Career Cruising.com) On many occasions they must prepare cases and testify in court.(Career Cruising.com) Cops may work with special units or task forces.(Career Cruising.com) Police officers investigate criminal activity by interviewing witnesses and looking for evidence at the crime scenes.(Career Cruising.com) Cops help victims of many crimes or accidents.(Career Cruising.com) Many times they will have to respond to calls such as assaults, car accidents, or noisy parties.(Career Cruising.com) The police must work undercover when required to gain certain intelligence.(Career Cruising.com) They patrol areas on foot, motorcycle, bicycles, or in their patrol cars.(Career Cruising.com) While on a patrol, officers are always prepared to respond to all types of emergencies.(Career Cruising.com) A Police officer could be called to any type of situation wh...
Serve and protect as a police officer in the city of Santa Ana has been my career dream goal since I was growing up being influenced by police officers throughout my education. Seeing so many casualties by violence in my community is one of the reasons why I am pursuing this profession, so that I can be able to accommodate the best way I can to reduce the violence. Other reasons why I am desiring to become police officer is to save someone 's life, help people make better choices, challenging tasks, and serve my community. Although dilemmas with people being unsupportive with law enforcement has increased, I will continue to pursue this career and make a tremendous impact in the community. This career will provide me with excellent benefits
To become a police officer there are five basic requirements that one must first meet. Although these requirements may vary slightly from state to state they are pretty basic and not to difficult to meet. First an applicant must be a U.S. citizen or at least a permanent resident alien who has applied for citizenship. The next requirement seeks that an applicant be 21 years old by his academy graduation date. Agencies also have an education requirement, which can vary from department to department. Some departments will accept an officer with a high school degree or at least a GED; while police departments require some form of a college education whether that be a bachelors degree or a minimum number of college credits. Agencies also ask that the applicant has a valid drivers license and there is a minimum fitness requirement to ensure that an applicant will be able to keep up with any obstacle that he or she may face out on the field.