First and foremost, to become a police officer, it is often said a sense of helping others would be required. A sense of right and wrong also helps. But some people think it's easy; they think it's like the film Police Academy, but it couldn't be more different. This line of work is high stress, high risk and can sometimes be fatal. But, when you take someone dangerous off the street, it's incredibly rewarding.
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| Ironically enough, these officers are with the Cincinnati Police Department. The bridge in the back ground is known as the Roebling Bridge, or to locals, the Suspension Bridge. It leads to the Kentucky city of Covington |
Half of police involved in shootings suffer from PTSD
-Like members of the military, police can suffer from PTSD after traumatic events, such as having to shoot someone, seeing something horrific at a crime scene, etc.
Police officers have vastly different opinions on the gun laws
-Not surprisingly, police officers are usually armed to protect themselves. But even police officers have opinions on the gun laws. Some officers are completely in favor of concealed carry licenses while other officers are strongly opposed to it
Firing a weapon is not out of the question
-Being a police officer, you will have to use your weapon to protect yourself, even if that means taking the life of someone who means you harm. But, as investigations proceed, it sometimes turns out that that was the other person's intention-suicide by cop. Despite what you hear in the news anymore, a lot of police officers go almost their entire career without discharging their weapon, let alone taking a life
There is a specifically high rate of alcoholism among police
-If you think, for one second, your job is stressful and requires a stiff drink at the end of the week, think about the high level of stress police officers are under. They see things they shouldn't see, they go to places they shouldn't. Various studies have shown that alcoholism can affect 1 in 4, which equals to 25%, of all police officers. The situation certainly is not helped by drinking in social situations because of the stress of their jobs
There is a strong connection between poor health and police work
-Sure, cops love donuts. It's a stereotype that can sometimes poke fun at police. But in all total seriousness, poor health and being a police officer go hand in hand. Because of the random sets of hours they work, they have to eat when they can, sometimes on the run. And because of this, they develop bad eating habits, leading to poor health, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes
They often use outdated equipment
-You would think that being a police officer, you'd get updated equipment. That's not true; a lot of police departments don't always get the newest, shiniest equipment out there because of funding. If a department does not have a lot of funding, they will stretch their equipment to their maximum amount of use. A lot of police departments depend on government funding to help them get new equipment and if that government is strapped for cash, there's a high chance the local police aren't getting new cars, new guns, new Kevlar vests and more
Police academy training is demanding
-It should be demanding; it's teaching you skills that will save your life and other's lives. The police academy is tough both physically and mentally. You must be able to have the physicality to get you through as well as the mentality to help you through. You must be physically able to chase down a suspect as well has have good mental health to help you through the times that make you want to quit.
Field training is difficult, near impossible
-Police academy training is one thing, but field training is another. Out in the field, you do what are called "ride alongs". You ride in the passenger side of a patrol car or shadow another police officer and learn how they do their job. This helps you to develop a style of policing that will be both effective and unique to you. Field training can prove difficult, even impossible because you have to take EVERYTHING you learned in the academy and apply it to real life and you're being constantly scrutinized by veteran officers
Long and irregular hours
-It's said that being a police officer, you will work crazy hours. You might be working the lonely graveyard shift one week, dayshift another and so on. This is because police officers are needed at all times. There could be times when you work 12 hours one day and have the next day off.
Thorough background check
-Becoming a police officer involves a thorough background check. The rule of thumb here is if you have anything to hide, the police world is not for you. You better believe in a New York minute that if you're thinking about becoming a police officer, they will do a thorough background check on you, which includes investigating any misdemeanors, felonies, past drug use, credit checks, etc.
Long hiring process
-If you think, for one second, becoming a police officer is a piece of cake, think again. The process of hiring a police officer is long and tedious. It can take more than a year to become a police officer. Potential officers are scrutinized through a lengthy training process and intense background check. And some departments even require previous experience from other law enforcement-type jobs before becoming an officer. If all is good and everything comes through clear and positive, you're on your way to becoming an officer
Excuses, excuses
-Whether you are actually breaking the law or some other reason, everyone has been pulled over at one point or another. Every driver has an excuse of one thing or another. Police have heard every excuse in the book and sometimes, if they are lucky, they get to hear new excuses. So the next time the blue and red or blue lights appear in your rearview mirror, just be honest or keep the talking to a minimum and move it on out
Higher education is not necessary
-While it does sound nice and certainly helps, it's not necessary to becoming a police officer. The reason for no requirement on higher education is because potential officers go through academy and field training.
Not so great $$$
-This is not one of those high paying, Fortune 500-level paycheck jobs. The pay isn't great, but for a lot of officers and even detectives, the reward of giving someone closure on a murder case or taking someone dangerous off the streets often is better than the pay. Police work is often said to have a poor work-life balance
Police officers are only drug tested during the hiring process
-There is a sad but true statistic about police officers and struggles with drug addiction. Some officers are able to struggle from drug addiction and hide it well from their fellow officers and even their lieutenants and captains. The reason? Many police departments only do drug testing during the initial hiring process. Like alcohol, drugs can quickly become the other major coping mechanism for the nasty sights and horrors seen by officers
It's all about politics
-To give you a sense of this meaning, watch the television show Blue Bloods and notice how there are always politics involved. In addition to trying to do their jobs by keeping the streets safe, police have to deal with politicians, local police watchdog groups, civil rights groups and the public. It feels as though every move they make is under constant scrutiny and this can lead to frustration and lack of trust. It's all because of politics on the job
High level of scrutiny
-Every time you hear about a shooting on the news, what is the first thing you hear about nowadays? Body cam footage! Police are under constant scrutiny because even the littlest mistake will be reported to their superiors. Like politicians, police are the second most scrutinized job in the world. Some decisions are not fair, but police still take heat for it. It's almost superhuman how police officers can take so much crap from people but still manage to do their jobs
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