Officer Bob pulls the car over and requests the driver's license and registration. While police officers can make a decent salary in many states, they will simply not make as much money as a doctor or a lawyer. Chances are that there would be many more robberies and other unpleasant things. Next: 13 reasons why you love being a cop. Because police officers are in constant danger, we are also overly suspicious of everything and everyone. Research shows that, overall, college-educated officers generate fewer citizen complaints. While some people still believe in the best of people, police officers just have a hard time doing so since they experience so many bad things every day. A college education helps officers become better at identifying quality information and scientific evidence. If anything does go bad, they are here, a Grade 9. Being a police officer can be incredibly rewarding. Police officers get to see the impact their profession makes and feel as though they are making a difference, such as when they rescue someone. Among students who participated in a criminal justice service-learning course working with young people in the community, 80% reported a change from stereotypical assumptions that all of them would be criminals to a better understanding of them as individuals with goals and potential - some not so different from the students own dreams. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Northern Illinois University. Many people also greatly underestimate the stress that comes along with being a police officer. Among street-level officers who have the most interaction with the public, having a bachelors degree significantly increases commitment to community policing. You may also just not be eligible for a career as a police officer. Especially if this case is revealed in public, chances are that there will be huge shitstorms on social media and the pressure to fire you will be enormous. Since you will have to resolve conflicts on a regular basis and also have many stressful days during your career, chances are that you will stay in shape. Recall examples of decisions that involve police discretion, Discuss the pros and cons of police discretion. Officers who have an understanding of scientific methods, as taught in college, are better positioned to adjust their departments policies. These changes often come with company benefits. Police work can affect or sway our behavior to a greater degree of positivity, too. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. Many police officers also suffer from sleep deprivation or even insomnia. The officers deter criminal activity such as theft, vandalism and terrorism, protect their employers investments and enforce Leana Bouffard does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Now that you got all the advantages and disadvantages of being a police officer, it is on you to evaluate all the arguments carefully to decide whether you want to become a cop or not. The strategy also calls for officers to analyze the underlying causes of crime, develop appropriate responses, and assess whether those responses are working. interacts online and researches product purchases Police officers can keep their neighborhoods safe, Police officers get high levels of responsibility, Plenty of different fields you can work in, You learn how to deal with difficult people, Police officers get action on a regular basis, You will become really good friends with your colleagues, Most police officers have a high fitness level, Police officers can retire relatively early, Many people have lost respect for the police, You can lose your job due to one big mistake, Being a police officer is not the safest job, Police officers have to work at nighttime, Many police officers suffer from sleeping problems, Some police officers cant deal with events from the past, Especially problematic if you have to work in bad neighborhoods, Police officers have to deal with plenty of paperwork, Top 10 Being a Policeman Pros & Cons Summary List, salary, prospects, future outlook, educational requirements, duties, responsibilities, work-life balance and job satisfaction of police officers, 10 Smart Things To Do After Failing An Art Degree, 18 Smart Things To Do After Failing An Economics Degree, 18 Things To Do After Failing Your Communication Degree, 18 Smart Things To Do After Failing Your Education Degree, 19 Things To Do After Failing Your Engineering Degree, 19 Smart Things To Do After Failing Your Biology Degree, 18 Smart Things To Do After Failing Your Psychology Degree, 18 Smart Things To Do After Failing Your Business Degree, 33 Key Pros & Cons Of Being A Casino Dealer, 31 Key Pros & Cons Of Being An Underwriter, 30 Noble Pros & Cons Of Working For A Hedge Fund, 32 Nerdy Pros & Cons Of Being A Data Scientist, 31 Key Pros & Cons Of Being A Loan Officer. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Crime Measurement Programs: History & Nature, The History of Women & Minority Members in the Police Profession, Recruitment of Women & Minorities in Policing. Consequently, be aware of the fact that people will not respect you that much anymore and that you will have to deal with insults or even attacks sooner or later in your career. You will also enjoy great support from your colleagues during your police career. Whether youre studying times tables or applying to college, Classroom has the answers. After reading this article, you will get more aware of all the chances and dangers of becoming a police officer and you may even change your mind due to that. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. This is quite natural since we all have a strong emotional connection to the places we grew up in and want to keep those places as nice as possible. If you dont get any support from the right influential people, your chances of making it to the top will be almost zero. In turn, you can improve the quality of life of many people and can help them out in difficult periods of their lives. This will not only make your life as a police officer easier, but you can also profit from it in your private life since the skill to make rational decisions under difficult circumstances is crucial to succeed in various parts of life in general. While you will not get rich in most cases, you will still be able to provide a decent life for you and your family. You Now let's look at another example. This will also be quite hard for yourself since you will never know whether you will see your kids again or not. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'environmental_conscience_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_18',188,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');While many other jobs can be automized in the near future and many people will lose their jobs due to that, this will not be true for police officers. It should come as little surprise, then, that police administrators, including police chiefs, are more likely to hold college and post-graduate degrees. Also if you think that police officers have a relaxed life, you should think twice. For instance, one mistake on your side can take away lives. Thus, if you have those ambitions, make sure that you connect to the right people and do your job extraordinarily well. Almost 90% said they had come to understand the community, which they believed would serve them in their criminal justice careers. In fact, your colleagues will become your second family since you simply spend so much time with them. Many organizations allow workouts on duty and participate in dietetic and nutritional training for their employees. Colleges and universities can help officers acquire the skills needed to help to reestablish trust between our communities and those who are sworn to protect and serve. Quite often, police officers are confronted with situations that are pretty unpleasant. There are advantages to police discretion, such as allowing officers the flexibility to perform their job, allowing officers to make quick determinations when Its dreadful, really. While this can be exhausting and you will see many bad things during your career, you will also get significant action and chances are that you will never get bored as a police officer since so many different things will happen throughout your career. Despite the negative impacts of law enforcement, the love for the job is abundant. Consequently, the police officer must decide on their own in the particular moment what to do. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS There is also the risk that the police officer might misinterpret a statute when performing their duties. There is just that much insecurity involved in this job that you will never know when you are called to the next operation. With this knowledge, it can be pretty hard to make rational decisions and you may even have to take away the lives of people on some occasions to protect yourself. The prosecutor can choose whether to attempt to charge someone with a felony or a misdemeanor, and can try to add on sentence enhancements as well. Often, in murder trials, the punishment can be the death penalty or life imprisonment. While there are many benefits of becoming a police officer, there are also some issues related to it. There are many pros and cons of being a security officer. The order did not mention the need for police to get a college education, even though higher education was identified in the 2015 Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing as one of six effective ways to reduce crime and build better relations between police and the communities they serve. Though each day is going to be different as a police officer, some people might rather have a more predictable, mundane type of job. Some employers By arresting suspects and leading investigations, a police officer can keep the community safe from people who are committing crimes. Let's look at some examples of when a police officer must use his or her discretion. There had even been cases where police officers joined radical groups that are forbidden by our constitution and local laws. You will not only put your own life on the line, also the quality of life of your family will suffer quite a lot since your kids and your spouse will always worry about you. You can get our highlights each weekend. As researchers who specialize in crime and punishment, we see five reasons why police officers should be encouraged to pursue a college degree. The phrase the thin blue line is often associated with the police. and LL.M. [Youre smart and curious about the world. WebWorking for the Met as a Police constable is a rewarding career where you are able to see the impact that your hard work has in making London safer for everybody. Cons of a Career as a Probation Officer. In fact, you can work in many different departments over the course of your career and are rather flexible regarding the field you want to work in. Yes, there are people who simply dont like them. State and local agencies and governments can do more to encourage officers to seek a college degree, including through incentives, like the Nebraska Law Enforcement Education Act, which allows for a partial tuition waiver or the Quinn Bill in Massachusetts, which provides scaled bonuses depending on the degree an officer holds or tuition reimbursement scholarships like those offered by the Fraternal Order of Police. Its the nature of the beast. All rights reserved. Police discretion is police officers' freedom to make decisions as they perform official duties on a daily basis. However, the police have to use their discretion when deciding to perform a search. and manufacturers. Additionally, there are those who argue that the use of police discretion can potentially result in a violation of one's Fourth Amendment rights. The job is simply too hard for that and you would just not become happy if you dont have an inner motivation for it. In fact, many police officers have an inner motivation to protect the people they already know from early childhood. Policemen not only have to work at nighttime, they also have to work on holidays. Look for a box or option labeled Home Page (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) or On Startup (Chrome). Uniform Stories covers an array of subjects like field stories, entertaining anecdotes, and expert opinions. If you have made bad decisions in the past and have an extensive criminal record, your chances of becoming accepted as a police officer will be almost zero in most states. Police officers spend a lot of time away from their families. 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