advantages and disadvantages of being a police officerlow income nonprofits

In fact, attacks and insults towards police officers have increased quite a lot over the past years. In turn, you can improve the quality of life of many people and can help them out in difficult periods of their lives. 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. Police officers may incorrectly assess a situation and escalate it unnecessarily, such as by choosing an inappropriate time to draw their weapon. 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 However, the Many citizens are shielded from the horrors we encounter. Being a police officer can be incredibly rewarding. This can be rather unclear in many situations and one mistake in this regard can even cost your life. As a police officer, you will surely be both loved and hated. Disadvantages of Becoming a Probation Officer. Cops are not immune to the changes in the divisiveness of society and the emotional drama associated with it. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. Research shows that, overall, college-educated officers generate fewer citizen complaints. Disadvantages of Security Officers. Consequently, dont be discouraged if your first job as a police officer will not be your dream job. State Law Enforcement Agencies & Roles | What Is State Law Enforcement? Officer discretion is a useful and necessary part of an officer's ability to do their job, as police officers must often make quick, in-the-moment decisions that cannot wait for specific laws to be consulted or reviewed. Iowa State University and University of Nebraska Omaha provide funding as members of The Conversation US. 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, many people struggle with it since it destroys the natural sleeping rhythm. 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. Good since not many people want to do this job. Its the nature of the beast. Some exposures to police work change us for the better and others for the worse. All rights reserved. Those attributes we contract from experience tend to become permanent character traits. In fact, most police officers are not replaceable with machines in the near future since the job as police officer just involves too much personal judgement to automize it. How pleasant your life will be as a police officer also greatly depends on the neighborhood you have to work in. An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice. 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Hence, make sure that you are able and willing to deal with all this negativity before deciding for becoming a police officer. This could mean that you will not be able to celebrate Christmas or other important holidays with your family and your kids will be quite sad and may even resent you for that in the long run. In fact, this can get really nasty, especially if your mistakes have led to serious adverse outcomes. Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology, Iowa State University, Director, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice; Co-Director, Nebraska Collaborative for Violence Intervention and Prevention, University of Nebraska Omaha. Similarly, researchers have found that officers with at least a two-year degree were 40% less likely to lose their jobs due to misconduct. However, there are also many downsides related to this career path. An aggravating factor is an aspect of crime that increases an act's severity and culpability. 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. Officers genuinely care about making a positive impact in their community. Being a police officer also includes writing police reports and doing other paperwork, so it may not be a source of constant thrills. Here are eight advantages of being a security officer: 1. All rights reserved. Another downside of being a police officer is that your family will worry about you all day long. 14 chapters | Inside our minds are images, voices, screams, visions, smells, and dreams which have been influenced by our career. Gaylene Armstrong receives funding from various state and federal granting agencies in support of criminal justice research. 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. All rights reserved. Many of these are advantages for wellness and creativity. Now I can do what I really love to do and I want to enable as many other people as well to go this exciting path towards happiness instead of money. Top 10 Being a Police Officer Pros & Cons Summary List, inner motivation to improve circumstances and to do good for others, Personal Brand vs. Corporate Brand: 24 Key Pros & Cons, 24 Key Pros & Cons Of Investing In (Retro) Video Games, 34 Major Pros & Cons Of Investing In Comic Books, Gold Bars vs. Gold Coins: 23 Precious Pros & Cons, 31 Cool Pros & Cons Of Owning A Classic Car, 24 Key Pros & Cons Of Unemployment Benefits, 32 Key Pros & Cons Of Investing In Trading Cards, 30 Precious Pros & Cons Of Investing In Art, You learn how to deal with difficult people, Police officers have a good fitness level, Being a police officer lets you grow in character, Variety of different fields you can work in, Police officers often suffer from mental issues, You can improve conditions in your community, Police officers have to make difficult decisions, Police officers can retire relatively early, Mistakes of your colleagues can cost your life. However, in reality, there are also many downsides related to this job. Similarly, community-oriented policing emphasizes building relationships with citizens to identify and respond to community crime problems. Discretion gives officers the flexibility to perform their job. Let's look at some examples of when a police officer must use his or her discretion. For instance, one disadvantage of being a police officer is that you will not get rich. Thus, every goodbye will sound strange and will have a sad implication of what might happen sooner or later. 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. We constantly scan our surroundings, look for exits, and keep alert. 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. Next: 13 reasons why you love being a cop. 1. Whether it is a call to action in the line of duty or a personal crisis, the blue family will be there for one another come hell or high water. If you are still not sure yet, you may have some friends who are police officers and can give you some additional information on this topic. Officers who have an understanding of scientific methods, as taught in college, are better positioned to adjust their departments policies. As long as your kids are still small, they will not realize how dangerous your job really is. In fact, unlawful behavior doesnt care about holidays too much and you as a police officer have to chase the bad guys on holidays as well. There had even been cases where police officers joined radical groups that are forbidden by our constitution and local laws. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. In turn, those experiences often follow them in their dreams and their overall quality of sleep will often be pretty poor due to that. Quite often, police officers are confronted with situations that are pretty unpleasant. 2017 shooting of an unarmed youth. In fact, many police officers see things during their career that are that disgusting that they have difficulties to mentally process and to forget them their whole lives. When the police perform their official duties, there is a certain level of discretion they must use. Officer Bob pulls the car over and requests the driver's license and registration. We would be lost without our firearm and badged clipped to our waistbands. If you make mistakes, you may also get fired. Officer Bob decides simply to warn the driver in this instance. Giving officers the power to make determinations on the job without having to seek approval or permission frees up human and monetary resources. WebAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Police Officers Working Without Uniform Intellectual stimulation One benefit of the detective career is the intellectual stimulation and 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. and LL.M. Varied hours. 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. You It permits the police to make quick and appropriate determinations under the circumstances and effectively use law enforcement and judicial resources. In fact, most police officers dont earn more than 70,000 dollars a year and especially in big metropolitan areas, this will imply a rather simple lifestyle since rents will eat up a significant fraction of the income. A police officer can also impact the area they serve as a whole. However, I will not take any responsibility for incorrect information and will not be liable for any negative consequences that might occur due to the reliance on this information. For example, internships and service-learning opportunities in college provide future police officers a chance to develop civic engagement skills. Policing is a very interesting job and the situations officers face change constantly. Higher education, including graduate degrees, can enhance the leadership potential of criminal justice professionals and support their promotion through the ranks. 551 lessons. There are various reasons why the use of police discretion is a positive aspect of a police officer's position. succeed. 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. It is awkward at times, but we think we are funny. Officer Bob decides to intervene. Consequently, if you are not willing to take this risk, you should definitely go for a different career path instead. The job is difficult and risky because it requires the officer to protect the individuals and property where he works. Police officers have a duty to serve and protect their communities, but some officers may be discouraged by the fact that crimes will continue to be committed no matter what. A college education helps officers become better at identifying quality information and scientific evidence. Consequently, those wrong decisions can really break you in the long run since you will know that a better choice of you could have saved lives and many police officers simply cant deal with those things in an emotionally proper manner. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. What is police discretion? Many police officers are also not happy with their overall working environment. 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. Bringing about meaningful police reform requires transformational leadership. Here are the top recognized benefits of community policing: Improved officer morale: The national narrative around policing has had a significantly negative impact on In this case, police are given discretion, or freedom to decide, on the job to make decisions, but there is a 'thin blue line' that the police cannot cross or they will be in violation of the law. In fact, many police officers have to spend significant amounts of time on paperwork and other administrative tasks. Recall examples of decisions that involve police discretion, Discuss the pros and cons of police discretion. Hence, you can make really strong bonds during your career as a police officer and can even make friends for a lifetime. 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. No matter which way you personally feel about the subject, the police must be sure not to cross the 'thin blue line' when it comes to utilizing police discretion. It means that police in their blue uniforms often act as a line between lawfulness and illegal acts. In one study, officers with criminal justice degrees said their education helped them gain managerial skills. 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. 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. Those who truly love the work will go to extra lengths for others. 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