What does it Take to be a Police Officer?

1835 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The role of a police officer

What Does It Take To Be A Police Officer?

My heart skipped a beat and immediately my mind started racing; was she speeding? Did she not make a complete stop? Why was the officer behind us with his lights on? Were all thoughts that crossed my mind when an officer turned on his blue and red lights as my mom drove. Couldn’t help but feel like we were in trouble, but as quickly as those thoughts came; they went away as he whizzed right past us. Felt like we dodged a bullet.

I already knew that police officers do more than pull people over and write tickets. They respond to noise complaints, drive around and patrol areas with high criminal activity, respond to accidents and go to people’s home if they call 911.

I would like to know more about the type of calls officers respond to and the type of person it takes to be a police officer. Do officers respond to every 911 call? Do they ever get scared when going to a call? I would also like to know how much money they make and what their work schedule is like. At the end of the day is risking their life worth their paycheck?

The desire to one day become a police officer prompted me to want to know more about a career in law enforcement. Will I one day have what it takes to be a police officer? After doing my research I was able to answer that question.

The Story of My Research

I started my research by talking to my aunt, Corporal Nunes. I set up an appointment and met her at work. She is a police officer for Sonoma State University Police Department. She has been with Sonoma State University Police Department for 12 ½ years now and still loves her job. By speaking to her she let me know that in order to become a police officer I must be comfortable...

... middle of paper ...

...Police Officer or Detective." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 08 Jan. 2014. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.

"Officer Down Memorial Page." ODMP RSS. Chris Cosgriff, ODMP Founder, n.d. Web. 08

Mar. 2014. .

"Police Officer: Educational Requirements for Police Officers." Education Portal. N.p., n.d. Web.

06 Mar. 2014.

Police_Officer_Educational_Requirements_for_Police_Officers.html>.

"Sergeant Rodriguez." Personal interview. 06 Apr. 2014.

"Sworn Police Officer Class Titles and Job Descriptions - Official Website of THE LOS

ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT." Sworn Police Officer Class Titles and Job

Descriptions - Official Website of THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2014.
content_basic_view/9127>.

Show More
Related

  • Educational Requiremenmts for Police Officers

    1840 Words  | 4 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Being A Police Officer

    770 Words  | 2 Pages

    A police officer is a warranted law employee of a police force. In the United States, "officer" usually is the formal name of the lowest police rank. What do police officers do? Duties of Police officers are generally to apprehend criminals,prevent and detect crime, protect and assist the general public, and the maintenance of public order. In order to become a police officer one may need to go through some of the application process requirements. Some of them are to be at least 20 years of age,be a US citizen, be mentally and physically sound, no history of criminal or improper conduct, and a High school Diploma or equivalency. Given all the information, Police officers have a lot of power. Police officers can end lives,arrest or detain

    Read More

  • Qualiality Of A Police Officer

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is a common conception that police officers choose their particular career path simply because they are inheriting a family member’s desire. They choose to be an officer because their father or their mother or a relative was an officer. It is a common conception that officers are not chosen they are inherited and expected to be from family. This area of interest is something that would be well suited for that of research and a study. How many police officers performing duties today have had a family member who was also a police officer? We can achieve our results through a survey that will take place the process of doing research and contacting police officers over the internet, over the telephone and doing so by interviewing them.

    Read More

  • Thin Blue Line Essay

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    The primary duty of a police officer is to protect the public (Duties of a Police Officer. 2015.). To accomplish this task, police officers are assigned specific job duties on a daily basis, which vary depending on the size and type of their department. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, common duties of a police officer include patrolling designated areas, answering calls for help, enforcing laws, arresting suspected criminals, issuing citations, testifying in court and conducting traffic stops. Police officers also complete detailed reports regarding incidents after all traffic stops or house calls (Duties of a Police Officer.

    Read More

  • Police and Higher Education

    922 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Officers with High School Diplomas vs. Officers with College Degrees.

    923 Words  | 2 Pages

    "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..

    Read More

  • History and Structure of Policing

    919 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many people know of the police officers of today’s world and that it is their job to enforce the laws set by their government, but not many people know the history of your typical everyday United States police officer or how they came about. The idea for neither your everyday police officer nor his or her department they work for or how a police department operates, originated in the United States. Over the years though America has made changes and adapted its system over the years to make it more suitable for its countries beliefs and practices.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Being A Police Officer

    2087 Words  | 5 Pages

    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 ...

    Read More

  • The Law Enforcement Hiring Process

    1126 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Benefits Of Becoming A Police Officer

    1116 Words  | 3 Pages

    One day in the distant future I want to become a police officer and eventually became a detective of some sort. But before becoming a detective one must be a patrol officer for the first few years of their career, and in this paper, it can hopefully give you some valuable information on how to start off being a patrol officer for the Gilbert Police Department.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Police Officers

    1725 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • A Career as a Police Officer

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Police Brutality

    1102 Words  | 3 Pages

    The police handle an essential part in society as its protectors. The law enforcement officers look out for the citizens and try to protect their safety and happiness whenever possible. Throughout the years, however; the society has questioned the use of force, racism and internal corruption as well as other forms of misconduct by officers of the law. Some people claim that many of these problems are misconstrued by the media and blown out of capacity; these officers are simply doing their job. Others argue that these circumstances can be drawn back to poor training and policies. Others maintain that the whole system needs to be changed and that with the rise in crime; officers have become enforcers more than protectors.

    Read More

  • Police Recruitment

    1383 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Police Officer´s Responsibilities

    564 Words  | 2 Pages

    If you decide to become a Police officer you must be available for shift work at any time of day and any day of the week, including holidays. Some Shifts can be longer than the standard eight-hour office day. The routine of the job can also be dangerous, as well as physically and e...

    Read More

More about What does it Take to be a Police Officer?

Open Document