While there are many benefits of becoming a police officer, there are also some issues related to it. Request a quote for the most accurate & reliable non-lethal training, DragonEye Tech: Leaders in LIDAR Speed Measurement, Get Curious Before Getting Furious: How Cynicism Impacts Behavior On Scene, Despite the negative impacts of law enforcement, the love for the job is abundant. An error occurred trying to load this video. Police officers are called upon to think quickly and handle difficult emergency situations and, in some instances, save lives. Conversely, such discretion can result in the misinterpretation of statutes and the abuse of the Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches. Johan Renck, Directorif(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'environmental_conscience_com-box-2','ezslot_7',613,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-box-2-0'); if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'environmental_conscience_com-box-3','ezslot_2',614,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-box-3-0');You want to become a police officer? The officer can use their discretion and decide whether or not to issue a ticket, issue a warning, or make an arrest. Often police officers have to deal with angry, distressed citizens or people who do not want to cooperate, which can make police work feel like a thankless job. In turn, you will get to know each other quite well and your colleagues will become your second family. These changes often come with company benefits. WebSome advantages of giving full police authority to private police are authority to address a wider range of criminal activity, improved security-officer morale, improved career By arresting suspects and leading investigations, a police officer can keep the community safe from people who are committing crimes. In fact, there is plenty of frustration around in the cop world since many people just had different plans for their lives and thought that being a cop would just be different. Read several examples of police discretion in use. WebShare Cite. In fact, if people know that your family and friends know a police officer quite well, they will often act in a more respectful manner since they know that they can get into all sorts of trouble if they misbehave. In addition, incidents of police misconduct and discipline will be reduced. All of these things have been shown to increase critical thinking, moral reasoning and openness to diversity. Due to the bad things and the difficult decisions they have to make during their shifts, many police officers also suffer from serious sleeping issues. Furthermore, the use of discretion helps to foster police and judicial economy. Its the nature of the beast. Officer Bob then sees a person matching the description and follows him on foot. Thus, if you dont want to work as long as most other people do and want to have more leisure in your 50s and 60s, a career as a police officer can also be great in this regard. Hence, if you want to become wealthy or even rich, a career as police officer will not be the way to go for you most of the time. 1. If the police had to consult with other officers or go to a judge every time they needed to make an on-the-job determination, this would result in a drain not only on the economy but also on the overall law enforcement and judicial systems. Being a police officer can be incredibly rewarding. Good since not many people want to do this job. Many policemen also develop mental issues in the long run. Officers genuinely care about making a positive impact in their community. 39 Pros & Cons Of Being A Police Officer. The following are the types of decisions that might require a police officer to use their own discretion. 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. Many police officers are also not able to deal with the emotional burden that comes along with their job. We have come to an age where the public thinks the system and the police have a solution for their every problem. If police officers had to stop and ask permission before making any type of decision, this would greatly diminish their ability to address immediately dangerous or critical situations. 14 chapters | While some people still believe in the best of people, police officers just have a hard time doing so since they experience so many A high fitness level is not only crucial to stay healthy in the long run, it can also help you in the dating market and makes your life easier in various other aspects. This could mean that they think that somebody follows them to their house when there will actually nobody be there. The salaries are relatively handsome. On the other hand, the use of police discretion has been criticized for negative aspects. Some police officers also grew up under rather poor conditions and urgently want to make a positive change for their community. 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. Protecting the community and being on the front lines takes an emotional toll. Especially in your early years as a policeman, you will be on the street quite often. In fact, there are countless career opportunities out there and you should just choose the one that seems to be right for you. Discretion is applied from the moment someone is arrested, when an officer uses their discretion to make the initial decision to arrest. You will have to pass many different tests and many people fail those tests. There are advantages to police discretion, such as allowing officers the flexibility to perform their job, allowing officers to make quick determinations when 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. $55,000 per year on average, ranging from $45,000 to $75,000 per year. Though each day is going to be different as a police officer, some people might rather have a more predictable, mundane type of job. The 2015 task force recommended community and problem-oriented policing strategies as ways to strengthen police-community relations and better respond to crime and other social problems. In fact, shifts of 10 hours+ are quite common and this can be really exhausting, especially at nighttime when you will often count every minute until it will eventually be time to go home and fall into your bed. And damn, its a great job! This is not an exhaustive list - it is just illustrative to give you a sense of when an officer can use their own discretion. For example, many departments employ de-escalation tactics that aim to reduce use of force. With all these ambitious peers and competitive factors pressuring us, who wants to be at the bottom? Police work affords theopportunity for giving back both on duty and off. Being fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not only wise, but it is crucial for an officers physical and mental states. As a police officer, you will also enjoy many additional perks. Decent pay ($53,360 average as of May 2014) Option to work in or out of an office environment (a probationer's home, place of employment or the officer's office)*. The job is simply too hard for that and you would just not become happy if you dont have an inner motivation for it. Here are the top recognized benefits of community policing: Improved officer morale: The national narrative around policing has had a significantly negative impact on 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. Look for a box or option labeled Home Page (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) or On Startup (Chrome). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_officer, https://golawenforcement.com/articles/10-tips-for-a-successful-law-enforcement-career/, https://www.criminaljusticedegreeschools.com/resources/best-police-career-advice/. Additionally, one study found that police departments that required at least a two-year degree for officers had a lower rate of officers assaulted by civilians compared to departments that did not require college degrees. Specially empowered security officers can relieve public police of spending time and resources to address crime against private businesses. Many studies have shown that we are happier if we do good for others compared to just living in a purely egoistic manner. This does not mean that police officers can make unlawful decisions, but rather that they must use their knowledge of what is lawful and reasonable and what is unlawful and unreasonable to make appropriate decisions in stressful circumstances. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Police officers also have to make really difficult decisions. It is often very exciting and spotted with adrenaline dumps. There are some circumstances where you could lose your job overnight and you might end up unemployed and even homeless in the long run due to that. If you do your job well and if you are really ambitious and do what it takes, you can pursue a demanding career and many doors will open to you. The pay and advancement opportunities can be good depending on where you work. Many police officers are also just not happy with their jobs. For instance, if a police officer erroneously decides to search someone's car, this may violate that person's. Consequently, the police officer must decide on their own in the particular moment what to do. How pleasant your life will be as a police officer also greatly depends on the neighborhood you have to work in. 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. Some disadvantages of empowering private police with full police authority are the attraction which such authority holds for many undesirable candidates, the risk of increasing unnecessary arrests, limited constitutional restraints on private security employees compared to public police, the increased liability of government entities for actions of private security officers they have licensed, the risk of inequitable enforcement, and expanded administrative responsibilities for municipal governments licensing private police. Discretion fosters judicial economy. Among street-level officers who have the most interaction with the public, having a bachelors degree significantly increases commitment to community policing. Hence, your life will depend on the reliability of your colleagues and if you dont want to put your life into the hands of others, chances are that becoming a police officer will not be the right way to go for you. Probation officers play a significant role in society and in the law enforcement process. This is not only quite sad, it also makes the job of police officers much more difficult since people often just no longer comply with the commands of policemen. and LL.M. Police officers earn above average wages and receive good retirement benefits and pensions at the end of their career. However, this fear will go away over time once you get more experience and learning to deal with this kind of fear is quite important. Police body cameras provide visual and audio evidence that can independently verify events. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 Especially if you cant forgive yourself for mistakes you made in the past, you will have a really hard time with being a police officer. The advantages of police discretion are that it makes the position more flexible, allows for quick interpretation and action, and fosters judicial economy. In fact, this can get really nasty, especially if your mistakes have led to serious adverse outcomes. Please note that all the information I provide on this website is to my best knowledge. In turn, those experiences often follow them in their dreams and their overall quality of sleep will often be pretty poor due to that. Hence, as a policeman, you will have a significant level of freedom regarding where and on what topics you want to work on. All rights reserved. As you can see, there are many additional benefits for police officers and this can compensate for the relatively low salary policemen get at the beginning of their careers. In general, police officers face quite irregular shifts and often dont know how the next weeks will look like for them. ], Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd, Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing, almost 30% less likely to fire their weapons in the line of duty, lower rate of officers assaulted by civilians, more satisfied with how police serve their community, increases commitment to community policing, moral reasoning and openness to diversity, identifying quality information and scientific evidence, Committee Member - MNF Research Advisory Committee, PhD Scholarship - Uncle Isaac Brown Indigenous Scholarship, Associate Lecturer, Creative Writing and Literature. In fact, policemen are at much higher risk to suffer from mental problems since they have to deal with so many conflicts and also see so many bad things during their active careers. Between January 2021 and September 2021, 59 police officers in the United States were killed in the line of duty. Another problem with being a police officer is that you can also lose your job due to only one big mistake. Among others, articles have been cited by NPOs, Wikipedia, Medium.com as well as on several college websites and lifestyle blogs. As a policeman, you will also have the power to do good for others. I show you all the pros and cons of being a police officer so you can make a profound decision of whether you still want to become a police officer or not. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'environmental_conscience_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_13',132,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-medrectangle-4-0'); Yes, there are people who simply dont like them. Studies have found that a small proportion of police officers about 5% produce most citizen complaints, and officers with a two-year degree are about half as likely to be in the high-rate complaint group. Each specialized duty boasts about its place in the organization and those assigned sometimes try to outshine the others in performance while respecting the independent functions. Variety of duties*. Following several deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order on June 16 that calls for increased training and credentialing to reduce the use of excessive force by police. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'environmental_conscience_com-leader-3','ezslot_21',193,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-leader-3-0'); Networks are crucial for promotions, not only as a police officer but also in the corporate world. Environmental Conscience aims to provide unique high-quality content that is helpful to the reader. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Police officers toe the thin blue line, the line between lawfulness and illegal acts. As an associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon or other programs. Because police officers are in constant danger, we are also overly suspicious of everything and everyone. You will see many men and women of uniform volunteering within their community to make a difference. As a police officer, you will also be at significant risk of serious attacks and many police officers even die during their careers. Often, in murder trials, the punishment can be the death penalty or life imprisonment. Another advantage of becoming a police officer is that it can also help you overcome your fears. In murder cases, an aggravating factor might include whether the defendant committed the crime in an especially heinous, cruel, or depraved manner. There are many pros and cons of being a security officer. This also means that you have to interact with the general public on a daily basis and you will also be the one who has to solve conflicts. Many police officers also suffer from sleep deprivation or even insomnia. All rights reserved. Chances are that it can get much better if you stay ambitious and try to get into different departments. In order to perform their duties, police must make quick determinations and use their best judgment in situations like whether to draw/fire a weapon, issue a traffic ticket, make an arrest, search someone, or stop or assist a person. Your second family will have to make a difference police misconduct and discipline will be reduced officer uses their and... And handle difficult emergency situations and, in murder trials, the use force... Be on the other hand, the use of force a policeman you... Suspicious of everything and everyone lines takes an advantages and disadvantages of being a police officer toll to it for box. Risk of serious attacks and many people fail those tests on several college websites and lifestyle blogs 2021. 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