For instance, one disadvantage of being a police officer is that you will not get rich. Many organizations allow workouts on duty and participate in dietetic and nutritional training for their employees. Police officers are called upon to think quickly and handle difficult emergency situations and, in some instances, save lives. 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. I admit, this can be annoying at the beginning. I conducted various interviews with employees to give you a good impression of what working in different fields will look like and that you can make the best possible decision regarding your future career choice. They also make sure that people who dont play according to the rules get arrested. WebOne important advantage of being a police officer is that cops have a pretty high reputation in society. Officer Bob decides simply to warn the driver in this instance. With all these ambitious peers and competitive factors pressuring us, who wants to be at the bottom? While some people like this insecurity since they get a certain level of excitement out of it, others who need a structured day hate it and if you are the kind of person who wants to play way ahead, chances are that becoming a police officer will just not be the right way to go for you. Thus, make sure that you also have backup plans in case you will not be suitable for a police career. Racing through traffic to crime scenes, risking being shot and approaching unsuspecting criminals are just some of the daily activities that make being a police officer dangerous. All of these things have been shown to increase critical thinking, moral reasoning and openness to diversity. Being a police officer assures financial security. Research shows that, overall, college-educated officers generate fewer citizen complaints. Consequently, dont be discouraged if your first job as a police officer will not be your dream job. We cant sit still nor do we seem to have the mindset at times to settle down at home. Another advantage of becoming a police officer is that it can also help you overcome your fears. Hence, make sure that you are able and willing to deal with all this negativity before deciding for becoming a police officer. What Are the Major Skills and Traits That a Police Officer Must Have Today?Communication Skills. This is extremely important for a police officer because most of your tasks will get done by communicating with others.Writing Skills. Police officers often need to write incidents reports. Active Listen er. Ability to Obtain Knowledge. Adaptability. Attention to Details. Critical Thinking. Friendly. Empathy and Compassion. More items 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. 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. Research has also shown that police officers themselves recognize the value of a college degree. This knowledge alone can be mentally challenging and if you need to develop a certain mindset to be able to deal with those sad facts. Most young people have a relatively nave view of how the job as a policeman really looks like and most hopes and wishes will fade soon. This may be called Tools or use an icon like the cog. What are five negative and five positive personality adaptations cops undergo after experience on the job? On the other hand, the use of police discretion has been criticized for negative aspects. However, while you can do a great job for your community, it can be quite annoying and exhausting to work at nighttime. As we can see from the previous chapter, there are definitely many important advantages of working as a police officer. Chances are that there would be many more robberies and other unpleasant things. This is necessary since most unlawful activities happen at nighttime. In fact, most people know how hard the jobs as a police officer can be and will greatly appreciate that you keep their neighborhoods safe. Another advantage of becoming a police officer is that you will also stay quite fit during your active career. The use of police discretion helps to foster the best use of police resources. As an associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon or other programs. Police discretion is an officer's freedom to make decisions on the job. In one study, officers with criminal justice degrees said their education helped them gain managerial skills. 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/. The police discretion definition refers to the freedom of police officers to make decisions as they perform their official duties. Discretion in criminal justice is present at all levels of the system and in its bureaucracies. Copyright 2023 Police1. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It resonates at home with spouses and children. Make sure to also get detailed information on the salary, prospects, future outlook, educational requirements, duties, responsibilities, work-life balance and job satisfaction of police officers. In fact, many police officers have an inner motivation to protect the people they already know from early childhood. In fact, there will be almost no day without any insults or complaints that you have to deal with as a police officer. Good since not many people want to do this job. She has tutored English and History, as well as STEM classes, such as Statics, Calculus, and Thermodynamics. Great! Law enforcement officers exercise police discretion when deciding whether or not to draw their weapon, make an arrest, shoot someone, search someone, render assistance to someone, or issue a ticket to someone. Similarly, community-oriented policing emphasizes building relationships with citizens to identify and respond to community crime problems. While many people who work in office jobs have to go to the gym to stay in shape, you as a police officer dont have to do this since you will stay in shape in a natural manner and can spend your time in a more enjoyable manner. In fact, night shifts are rather common and if you dont want to work at night, you should just go for another occupation instead. 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. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. There are also disadvantages to being a police officer, which include: Due to the high-stress and critical nature of the situations police officers face every day, which often include life-or-death decision-making, there are pros and cons of police discretion. Look for a box or option labeled Home Page (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) or On Startup (Chrome). In fact, if you want to do good for the district you have grown up in, being a police officer can be a great way to do so since you will have plenty of influence and can also advise young people to stay away from things that might get them into trouble. 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. It also gives them the chance to get to know the communities they will police. In fact, it can even make you much stronger and overcoming our fears is crucial to really grow in character and to develop a more stable personality. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Northern Illinois University. Consequently, it may also be hard for police officers to build trust with others and to make really good friends since they may always mistrust people right from the beginning. Not only do we have individual interests, officers often influence each other and share in the fun. 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. Yes, there are people who simply dont like them. Webnational police and troopers association; Community. Because of the high level of responsibility, police are held to high standards by internal affairs and the general public. In fact, there are countless career opportunities out there and you should just choose the one that seems to be right for you. Please note that all the information I provide on this website is to my best knowledge. You should really be convinced about it and should take your mission quite seriously. Official websites use .gov State Law Enforcement Agencies & Roles | What Is State Law Enforcement? You can get our highlights each weekend. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'environmental_conscience_com-leader-2','ezslot_20',190,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-leader-2-0');Since you will often have to deal with difficult people and have to see many unpleasant things, you will soon take things less seriously and your overall frustration tolerance will increase as well. finds relevant news, identifies important training information, Officers get to work on an individual basis as well as in a team environment. Giving officers the power to make determinations on the job without having to seek approval or permission frees up human and monetary resources. As a policeman, you will also have the power to do good for others. In fact, many people struggle with it since it destroys the natural sleeping rhythm. Let's look at some examples of when a police officer must use his or her discretion. The various decisions that different participants in the legal system are allowed to make shows what forms discretion takes in criminal justice. If discretion in law enforcement is used in a wrongful manner, it has great potential for being abused out of the field. Police discretion is police officers' freedom to make decisions as they perform official duties on a daily basis. The job is difficult and risky because it requires the officer to protect the individuals and property where he works. The suspect obeys, and Officer Bob makes an arrest. For instance, the officer could misinterpret a statute and make an erroneous arrest. Varied hours. We would be lost without our firearm and badged clipped to our waistbands. 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. This is due to the fact that police officers often see pretty bad things that they can hardly process in an emotionally healthy manner. There are occasions when our friends or family want us to share our darkest moments, but we usually leave them contained. There are, however, cons to police discretion, which include: Police can use their discretion when deciding whether or not to search a vehicle, but they may make the wrong determination and violate the rights of a person. This is far earlier than in most other professions and if you plan to retire early, becoming a police officer can be a serious option for you. It is unique devotion to people which comes along with the territory. The advantages of police discretion are that it makes the position more flexible, allows for quick interpretation and action, and fosters judicial economy. 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 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. In turn, many officers are simply not able to process those experiences in an emotionally healthy manner and will suffer from mental problems like depression later on in their lives. Another advantage of being a policeman is that you can keep your neighborhood safe. You may not only lose your job, you may even have to pay high fines and this could ruin you also from a financial perspective. Problem-oriented policing is a proactive strategy to identify crime problems in communities. It is a natural outcome of being on the force with an abundance of Type A personalities. Policing is a very interesting job and the situations officers face change constantly. Protecting the community and being on the front lines takes an emotional toll. Policemen can support local neighborhoods. Officers utilize their discretion on the job constantly, as they make decisions while performing routine duties, while in the heat of the moment, and while they are alone with no partner or backup to consult with. Thus, especially if you are a rather skeptic person who doesnt like to rely on others for such important things, becoming a police officer may also not be the right way to go for you. interacts online and researches product purchases All rights reserved. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. To begin, it can result in unnecessary escalation, injury or death. 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