I Want to Be a Police Officer

As children, we have been groomed to know what we want to become in our adult lives. I do not know the answers to all of life’s questions and what my life will ultimately end up looking like, but I do have the answers for the present time. I am currently working towards a career as a law enforcement officer. In this paper, I will outline the duties of a law enforcement officer, the training involved to become a police officer and why I want to have a career in this field.

Police officers play very critical roles in peoples’ lives because they ensure that security and peace prevails. Although they are government employees, they give services that go beyond what their salaries can pay them this is because their roles entail a lot of sacrifices and risks. They rarely sleep when others go to their homes to enjoy time with their families or rest on their own. Policing is service to the state but also requires perseverance and patience (Myhill & Bradford, 2013). The role of a police officer entails enforcement of laws, apprehension of criminals, testifying in court, doing investigations, Maintaining law and order among other duties that they may be assigned by their superiors or the state from time to time. Police officers also fall under different ranks for instance sheriffs, prison warders, detectives, correctional officers among others. Each category is assigned a specific duty in a given area of jurisdiction (Myhill & Bradford, 2013). When police officers are on a mission, they are expected to respond to different situations as and when they arise. They also have rules and regulations that govern them while they are on purpose and when they are within the community.

A police officer can be defined as a government employee charged with the responsibility of law enforcement, prevention, and detection of crime, apprehension of criminals, maintenance of law and order in areas of jurisdiction. A police officer is a general term that does not specify the ranks but gives a wholesome definition. The primary roles of a police officer are to maintain law and order within a given area of jurisdiction (Papazoglou & Andersen, 2014). Also, they are charged with the prevention and detection of crime. In this case, they do investigations to detect crimes that may be anticipated or suspected. Besides, they also ensure that laws about every sector of the states or the municipality are followed. They also play the role of protecting people and their property (Papazoglou & Andersen, 2014). They ensure that peace prevails through patrols and surveillance within the areas that they are assigned. There are different ranks and roles of police officers. The traffic police officers ensure that road safety prevails and also see to it that all the traffic rules are followed. Correctional officers are in charge of the prisoners or people under probation or any correctional facilities; game warders play the role of protecting the wildlife and fish (Papazoglou & Andersen, 2014). They ensure that there is no arbitrary killing of animals and ensure that there is controlled fishing. The police promotions start from the lower rank where everyone is joining the police begin which is the police academy training. Here the police officers are given the primary law enforcement training which will prepare them for the next field training (Papazoglou & Andersen, 2014). After the academy one goes to police field training where deep drilling is done to achieve the probationary solo patrol. The police are then taking to their first year of work and still under probation. They are monitored closely by their supervisors can even be fired if they are not up to the expected standard (Papazoglou & Andersen, 2014). After two years of probation, police officers can make a lateral move into specialty positions such as the K-9unit, member of SWAT, detectives, investigators among others. When police officers work for a period of 5-10 years they can begin to climb the ladder to supervisory roles such as police sergeant, then to the level of a lieutenant, captain among others, they can then go to high level ranks such as the majors, chief commanders, colonels among others(Papazoglou & Andersen, 2014).

Becoming a licensed police officer in Texas require a series of steps which entail training and obtaining specific skills. Firstly, the police officer needs to complete training programs that have been approved by the Texas law enforcement officer’s standard and education (TCLEOSE). The particular training may be offered by police academy, government agency, community college or a university extension service (Timpf, 2014). The officers are required to maintain 618 hours of training although some institutions provide more extended training hours. To enroll for the certification training an officer is supposed to be having a high school diploma or a GED (Timpf, 2014). Similarly, those with two years and above experience in the military can also enroll. The officers must also pass criminal background checks, physical and psychological fitness test, and drug screening tests. Similarly, one should be a US citizen who has the ability to operate a motor vehicle and possess a firearm (Timpf, 2014). Besides, some college will require that the officers pass the entry examination test such as grammar reading among others. The course training topics entail penal codes, field sobriety tests, first aid training, and defensive driving among others. After the completion of the program licensing examination is offered and the officers must complete and pass it (Timpf, 2014). The test can be taken from police academies, colleges and universities and police departments among others.

I want to be a police officer so that I can have help people in my community in various ways. One of the ways I can help people in my city is through saving lives from a car crash or a scene of the accident. Through the first aid course that I will have learned, I will help them have chances of survival before they get to the hospitals (Myhill & Bradford, 2013). Similarly, I will maintain my community through response to violence, over speeding, response to robbery cases among others. Additionally, I will keep my community through by guiding them into making the right choices in life for instance on matters such as drug abuse, robbery, spouse domestic wrangles among other crimes that can be committed in the community(Myhill & Bradford, 2013). Also policing offers a platform where I can build a bond and solidarity with my coworkers, and this can be helpful socially and even emotionally. The police officer career is a life-changing and impacting career where one helps people to be law abiding citizens and live lives free of crime. Furthermore, it is a noble career with excellent remuneration and benefits. Because of good pay, I will live a comfortable life together with my family (Myhill & Bradford, 2013). I will not struggle to make ends meet. Similarly, it is a good way of serving my people and my nation. I will love to be in this career because I enjoy seeing people’s lives transform. In conclusion, it is important to note that being a police officer is a passion because it entails a lot of sacrifices and perseverance (Myhill & Bradford, 2013). The police go through a lot of life-risking situations, and most of the times their lives are at risk. Therefore, one needs to be prepared for the worst as they hope for the best as they give service to humanity. It is a good career but should be passion driven.

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