These charities bridge community partnerships and sometimes close the gap of societal isolation plaguing officers who disassociate. 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. 551 lessons. 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. Policing is a very dangerous job. 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. 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. You may also have to work quite long shifts as a policeman. There are advantages and disadvantages of police discretion, just like there are pros and cons of being a cop. 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. Gaylene Armstrong receives funding from various state and federal granting agencies in support of criminal justice research. I feel like its a lifeline. Imagine you take away the life of a person and it turns out that this has not been necessary at all. For instance, the officer could misinterpret a statute and make an erroneous arrest. These officers tend to work more proactively with community members to resolve issues and prevent problems rather than only reacting to incidents when called. LockA locked padlock You may also be quite scared since you know that you will have to deal with armed people sooner or later. He draws his weapon and orders the suspect to freeze. Chances are that there would be many more robberies and other unpleasant things. Of the 60,105 assaulted officers, 31% sustained injuries. 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. The job requires long hours, and many officers spend their lives on the force. A high fitness level is crucial to maintain a high quality of life and therefore, becoming a police officer can also improve your life in general. There is just that much insecurity involved in this job that you will never know when you are called to the next operation. 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. Another advantage of becoming a police officer is that you will also stay quite fit during your active career. 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. 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? Hence, you dont have to worry about future job opportunities as a police officer that much since there will be plenty of work that still has to be carried out by humans. He uses his own discretion to make this decision. 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. Being a police officer in America is a tough job.. Chances are that it can get much better if you stay ambitious and try to get into different departments. In fact, you will have to decide when it will be appropriate to use your gun and when there will be no need for 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. Hence, as a police officer, you will have the power to improve the lives of many people who will be thankful for what you do for them forever. Policing is a very interesting job and the situations officers face change constantly. You will see many men and women of uniform volunteering within their community to make a difference. 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. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. 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. Imagine that Officer Bob is on patrol in an area known for drug trafficking. finds relevant news, identifies important training information, Christine Liddell graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering. One important advantage of being a police officer is that cops have a pretty high reputation in society. 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. Some 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 opportunities for security officers, improved relationship with public police, and increased crime deterrence. 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. However, from these experiences, you can really learn how to handle those situations and you can grow in character. Its dreadful, really. 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. Research has also shown that police officers themselves recognize the value of a college degree. You still want to become a police officer? However, the majority of the general public is still thankful for the help and security police officers ensure on our streets. 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. In fact, many people struggle with it since it destroys the natural sleeping rhythm. However, before you decide for a police officer career due to the salary, make sure to inform yourself about what the salary of a policeman in your area really looks like since it greatly differs across states. Police discretion is an officer's freedom to make decisions on the job. You will never know what happens during your shift and every operation could potentially be the last one for you. Similarly, community-oriented policing emphasizes building relationships with citizens to identify and respond to community crime problems. Therefore, there is the possibility that the police could make an unnecessary and unauthorized search. If the judge decides on life imprisonment, they can decide whether or not the convicted party will ever get the chance for parole, and after how many years they will be eligible for parole. Many police officers are also just not happy with their jobs. It should come as little surprise, then, that police administrators, including police chiefs, are more likely to hold college and post-graduate degrees. 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. Police discretion examples include an officer's decision whether or not to draw their weapon, to make an arrest, to issue a traffic ticket, to perform a search on a suspect, or to stop and assist someone in need of help. On the other hand, the use of police discretion has been criticized for negative aspects. 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. Another problem with being a police officer is that you can also lose your job due to only one big mistake. Whether youre studying times tables or applying to college, Classroom has the answers. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Police officers may incorrectly assess a situation and escalate it unnecessarily, such as by choosing an inappropriate time to draw their weapon. Flexible working hours Many security officers have the opportunity to choose their own schedules or work Quite often, you will also spend your leisure together and some police officers even spend plenty of time together after they retire. We have come to an age where the public thinks the system and the police have a solution for their every problem. An example of police discretion is when a car gets pulled over for speeding. 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. Many police officers also suffer from serious mental issues. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people of all ages about our environmental problems and how everyone can make a contribution to mitigate these issues. 1. The Pros and Cons of Being a Police Officer Pros. Check out the top positive things about being a cop. One attractive aspect of being a police officer is the financial security you will have. Cons. Being a police officer is rewarding, but also challenging. Now You Know the Pros and Cons of Being a Police Officer. As you can see, there are many wonderful things about being a police officer. Since police officers see so many bad things during their careers, they often also lose all their childish delusions of a nice world pretty soon. Let's look at some examples of when a police officer must use his or her discretion. Copyright 2023 Police discretion is used while officers are performing their official day-to-day duties. There is also the risk that the police officer might misinterpret a statute when performing their duties. 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. 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. Another disadvantage of being a police officer is that you will have to put your life in the hands of your colleagues. Many organizations allow workouts on duty and participate in dietetic and nutritional training for their employees. It's not a lame assignment or a job for a cop looking for a cushy job In fact, attacks and insults towards police officers have increased quite a lot over the past years. 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. They must always respond quickly and appropriately. Many police officers receive medical, vision and dental insurance. The police discretion definition refers to the freedom of police officers to make decisions as they perform their official duties. Consequently, the police officer must decide on their own in the particular moment what to do. You always feel secure.. If your colleagues make mistakes, you could potentially lose your life. As I went to university and got my Masters degree in Economics, I did plenty of research in the field of Development Economics. Discretion is applied from the moment someone is arrested, when an officer uses their discretion to make the initial decision to arrest. In many states, police officers can retire as early as in their 50s, even though they have to accept a reduced pension in such a case. You will have to pass many different tests and many people fail those tests. Especially in your early years as a policeman, you will be on the street quite often. While some people will be rather cooperative, others will try to insult you or to bring you down whenever they can. Also if you think that police officers have a relaxed life, you should think twice. For example, many departments employ de-escalation tactics that aim to reduce use of force. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). Free gym memberships are also sometimes a perk of the job. 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. The job is difficult and risky because it requires the officer to protect the individuals and property where he works. Jessica is a practicing attorney and has taught law and has a J.D. Police officers run the risk of misinterpreting a statute and violating someone's rights. 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. Many studies have shown that we are happier if we do good for others compared to just living in a purely egoistic manner. The definition of especially heinous, however, is left up to the prosecutor's discretion. However, it can also be a dangerous, stressful and difficult job. College also leads to more intercultural awareness. Consequently, your family and friends will likely also have an easier time in their daily lives in general. The following are the types of decisions that might require a police officer to use their own discretion. 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. 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. 'S discretion never know when you are called to the next operation friends will likely have. 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