advantages and disadvantages of being a police officer

$55,000 per year on average, ranging from $45,000 to $75,000 per year. WebPhotos by Chris Roussakis. In one study, officers with criminal justice degrees said their education helped them gain managerial skills. 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 exposures to police work change us for the better and others for the worse. In fact, there is plenty of hate around on the streets and you will no longer experience the level of respect previous police officer generations got from the general public. Others may feel the risk is not worth the benefits that come with being a police officer. WebPolice discretion presents a clear danger to society because the average officer can make a poor decision and affect the life of a person or persons. Since police officers enjoy a high reputation among the general public, they often get additional perks. Learn about the practice of police discretion and how police officers make decisions based on the best possible situational outcome. - Definition, Qualifications & Responsibilities, The Office for Victims of Crime: History, Role & Purpose, Discrimination within Police Departments: Law, Incidents & Impact, The Impact of State Prosecutors on Police Practices, The History & Impact of Policing in America, Jury Selection Process | Trial, Civil Cases & Litigation, The U.S. Court Systems & History | Overview & Purpose of the Dual-Court System. Iowa State University and University of Nebraska Omaha provide funding as members of The Conversation US. Officer Bob then sees a person matching the description and follows him on foot. It also allows the police officer to quickly interpret the applicable statutory law and then act upon the determination. Cons of a Career as a Probation Officer. 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. Police officers may incorrectly assess a situation and escalate it unnecessarily, such as by choosing an inappropriate time to draw their weapon. Police officers with at least some college experience are more focused on promotion and expect to retire at a higher rank compared to officers with no college. Some people may find this type of job exciting and like doing new tasks every day. Higher education and police reform efforts are at a critical juncture. 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There are advantages and disadvantages of police discretion, just like there are pros and cons of being a cop. Officers are afforded the opportunity to use their best judgement and knowledge to make decisions. Since enough sleep is crucial for our body and our brain to work properly, sleep deprivation can lead to many serious health issues and also significantly decreases overall quality of life. 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. 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. 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. Police officers may face disciplinary action for making the wrong decision. Being fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not only wise, but it is crucial for an officers physical and mental states. These changes often come with company benefits. Another advantage of being a policeman is that you can keep your neighborhood safe. Bringing about meaningful police reform requires transformational leadership. Many people will also secretly admire you for what you are doing for them. There will always be the risk to get injured or dying during your shift as a police officer. In my opinion, people often make the mistake to choose their profession solely based on how much money they can earn from it instead of doing what makes them really happy. Now that you know all the pros and cons of being a police officer, it is on you to decide whether you still want to become a policeman or if you want to go for an alternative career path instead. Enter https://www.police1.com/ and click OK. Especially in case your mistakes become publicly known and have something to do with race, gender or other sensitive topics, you will be at great risk of losing your job since the general public wants justice and some scapegoat will be needed in this regard. If your colleagues make mistakes, you could potentially lose your life. Hence, dont think that your job as a police officer is entirely safe. One important advantage of being a police officer is that cops have a pretty high reputation in society. Christine Liddell graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering. Private Law Enforcement: Types, Functions & Roles. Especially in your early years as a policeman, you will be on the street quite often. Comraderies among peers also deflect negative work thoughts. An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. While some people will be rather cooperative, others will try to insult you or to bring you down whenever they can. See disclaimer. There will also be the possibility that you have to work at nighttime as a police officer. Our ethics and morals have been tossed out the window and replaced with disconnect and desensitized human shells. 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. 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. As an associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon or other programs. All rights reserved. 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. 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We have come to an age where the public thinks the system and the police have a solution for their every problem. While there are many benefits of becoming a police officer, there are also some issues related to it. Great! The various decisions that different participants in the legal system are allowed to make shows what forms discretion takes in criminal justice. 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. 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. 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 Research shows that, overall, college-educated officers generate fewer citizen complaints. It is all a balancing act. Policemen can support local neighborhoods. In general, police officers face quite irregular shifts and often dont know how the next weeks will look like for them. Here are the top recognized benefits of community policing: Improved officer morale: The national narrative around policing has had a significantly negative impact on copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. [Youre smart and curious about the world. Always remember that one wrong decision in this regard can also take away your own life. You will also have to make difficult decisions within minutes or even seconds and your life will not be as easy as you might think now. For instance, one disadvantage of being a police officer is that you will not get rich. During your career as a police officer, you will also learn quite a lot of patience. 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. Chances are that it can get much better if you stay ambitious and try to get into different departments. Discretion affords police officers autonomy and authority. Policemen can also retire earlier than people in most other jobs. Police officers are allowed to use their discretion, which grants them the freedom to make decisions as they perform their official duties. Police officers also have to make really difficult decisions. There will only be the harsh reality left and most policemen become really tired of being insulted and attacked in the long run. Officer Bob decides simply to warn the driver in this instance. In fact, you will only be called if there are problems to solve and you will not see many nice things during your career as a policeman. As a police officer, you can also help your family and friends in case they get problems with neighbors or suffer from any other injustice. From there, once the supposed offender has been arrested, the prosecutor can use their discretion to chose to either bring charges against the offender or to dismiss them. 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. 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. 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. A critical step in knowing whether an approach is achieving its intended goal is evaluating its impact. It is up to the prosecutor's discretion to decide whether the offense was serious enough to spend valuable time, money, and resources in pursuing the punishment. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. Many police officers are also not able to deal with the emotional burden that comes along with their job. In turn, you will get to know each other quite well and your colleagues will become your second family. As a police officer, you will also have to deal with many difficult family problems and you will generally see the worst of humanity. Most police officers get paid to work overtime, and many receive hefty pensions when they retire. They also make sure that people who dont play according to the rules get arrested. Officers get to work on an individual basis as well as in a team environment. Regarding the use of force, officers whove graduated from college are almost 40% less likely to use force. Another advantage of becoming a police officer is that it can also help you overcome your fears. Hence, make sure that your career is worth all this emotional stress to you before becoming a police officer. Police work is rife with circumstantial stressors. Consequently, make sure that you are also willing to do this kind of work before deciding to become a police officer. People still want the personal component since they feel safer talking to a police officer instead of just talking to a robot in case of emergency. If anything does go bad, they are here, a Grade 9. Next: 13 reasons why you love being a cop. You may also just not be eligible for a career as a police officer. You always feel secure.. The pay and advancement opportunities can be good depending on where you work. With all these ambitious peers and competitive factors pressuring us, who wants to be at the bottom? However, the majority of the general public is still thankful for the help and security police officers ensure on our streets. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OOH: Police and Detectives, Police One: The Pros and Cons of Being a Police Officer. Christine Liddell graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2019 with a Bachelor of in... And University of Nevada, Reno in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering because of! Inappropriate time to draw their weapon and the police officer really difficult decisions monetary resources Enforcement:,. Play according to the rules get arrested get paid to work on an individual basis as well in... Law and then act upon the determination away your own life safe as possible one: the pros and of! 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