Police Officer Interview Essay

The police hold a lot of power and authority in our society and bring a sense of security to citizens. Policemen protect citizens, keep the peace, enforce laws, and investigate crimes. The police are entrusted to stop and control those that break the law. The job of police officer is significant to our society and safety, without them who knows what our country would be like. Policing can be a very dangerous but rewarding career path. For this assignment I interviewed Timothy Espey. He is a Senior Special Agent Instructor and currently works for the Union Pacific Railroad. Which is essentially like a city cop, but everything is centered around railroads. Before that he was employed as a cop at the Warrensburg Missouri Police Department.

Lately, it seems that police officers are always on the news for a negative reason, which has led many to believe that all cops are bad or corrupt. I asked Timothy how he would respond to a situation in which a fellow officer made a mistake and he replied, “Well, I try to get all the facts first before coming to a judgement and then I’d take my findings and write up a concise report and take it to my superiors and let them make a decision.”. The unneceptle actions of so few officers has made many citizens question all officers. Law enforcement officers have been given a horrible reputation that has caused many citizens to fear or become disrespectful of the police despite the fact that they are here to protect and serve us. I asked Timothy how the media has affected his professional life and he responded, “As of late the media reporting has been what I would characterize as anti police, so I think it’s turned the public's perspective of the police to be negative.”. Due to the negative media, law enforcement officers have been put into greater danger than they were previously. Some people have even targeted innocent police officers who were just doing their best to protect us. These dangers can result in added pressure to an already high stress job. According to the essentials of criminal justice, “police officers experience tremendous stress, a factor that leads some to alcoholism, depression, and even suicide. There is evidence that police officers are all too often involved in marital disputes and even incidents of domestic violence that may be linked to stress.”(Siegel & Worrall, 2015, p. 147). When asked how he handles all the stress from his job Timothy responded, “I tell my wife about my day and I talk to her about it.”. It is no surprise that simply talking can help ease some stress. Due to the nature and high stresses of police work it is clear why most police officers band together and form a tight