In the long run, officers are becoming physically and mentally stronger, which helps to ward off depression and disease. Police discretion allows officers to make decisions when a clear solution may not exist. As a policeman, you will also have the power to do good for others. Also, the prosecutor exercises their discretion to decide the severity of charges levied against the offender. 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. In fact, especially if you have children, it can be quite hard to go to work as a police officer since you know that you might never come back and so do your children and your wife. The job is simply too hard for that and you would just not become happy if you dont have an inner motivation for it. How pleasant your life will be as a police officer also greatly depends on the neighborhood you have to work in. While this can be quite annoying and emotionally challenging, you will also learn how to keep your emotions under control and how to react to difficult situations. In fact, night shifts are rather common and if you dont want to work at night, you should just go for another occupation instead. As a police officer, you will also have to rely on the support of your colleagues. 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It's not a lame assignment or a job for a cop looking for a cushy job Being a police officer is more than a profession. 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. Those attributes we contract from experience tend to become permanent character traits. Resources in the criminal justice system are limited and must be used efficiently. Though each day is going to be different as a police officer, some people might rather have a more predictable, mundane type of job. Next: 13 reasons why you love being a cop. Studies have found that a small proportion of police officers about 5% produce most citizen complaints, and officers with a two-year degree are about half as likely to be in the high-rate complaint group. 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. You can make a huge difference in many peoples lives over the span of a careerand in Therefore, there is the possibility that the police could make an unnecessary and unauthorized search. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 In fact, you will spend a significant fraction of your day as a police officer writing reports and documenting how things have happened and if you are not willing to do this kind of paperwork, you may want to search for other job opportunities instead. WebOne important advantage of being a police officer is that cops have a pretty high reputation in society. 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. Police officers also have to make really difficult decisions. Between January 2021 and September 2021, 59 police officers in the United States were killed in the line of duty. Hence, as a policeman, you will have a significant level of freedom regarding where and on what topics you want to work on. Gaylene Armstrong receives funding from various state and federal granting agencies in support of criminal justice research. Police work is particularly dynamic and no day is the same. What is police discretion? Imagine you take away the life of a person and it turns out that this has not been necessary at all. Most young people have a relatively nave view of how the job as a policeman really looks like and most hopes and wishes will fade soon. Furthermore, the use of discretion helps to foster police and judicial economy. 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. All rights reserved. Others think police officers are mean, uncaring snitches who simply arrest people and hand out traffic tickets. Denying reality gets you killed. Discretion in criminal justice is present at all levels of the system and in its bureaucracies. Since police officers enjoy a high reputation among the general public, they often get additional perks. In fact, policemen are at much higher risk to suffer from mental problems since they have to deal with so many conflicts and also see so many bad things during their active careers. It also allows the police officer to quickly interpret the applicable statutory law and then act upon the determination. By far, the residual payoffs outweigh the bad. So are The Conversations authors and editors. In order to perform their duties, police must make quick determinations and use their best judgment in situations like whether to draw/fire a weapon, issue a traffic ticket, make an arrest, search someone, or stop or assist a person. 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. Research shows that, overall, college-educated officers generate fewer citizen complaints. Similarly, researchers have found that officers with at least a two-year degree were 40% less likely to lose their jobs due to misconduct. As an associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon or other programs. 551 lessons. With all these ambitious peers and competitive factors pressuring us, who wants to be at the bottom? She has tutored English and History, as well as STEM classes, such as Statics, Calculus, and Thermodynamics. Among others, articles have been cited by NPOs, Wikipedia, Medium.com as well as on several college websites and lifestyle blogs. The more ambitious you are, the more people you can help and this can give you a feeling of having a purpose in life. This also means that you have to interact with the general public on a daily basis and you will also be the one who has to solve conflicts. 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 are not replaceable with machines in the near future since the job as police officer just involves too much personal judgement to automize it. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'environmental_conscience_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_18',188,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');While many other jobs can be automized in the near future and many people will lose their jobs due to that, this will not be true for police officers. 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. 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, 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. By arresting suspects and leading investigations, a police officer can keep the community safe from people who are committing crimes. Consequently, the police officer must decide on their own in the particular moment what to do. When the police perform their official duties, there is a certain level of discretion they must use. Policing is a very dangerous job. He draws his weapon and orders the suspect to freeze. 39 Pros & Cons Of Being A Police Officer. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'environmental_conscience_com-box-4','ezslot_14',142,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-box-4-0');Consequently, we should thank police officers for what they are doing for us so that they feel the appreciation they deserve. Among street-level officers who have the most interaction with the public, having a bachelors degree significantly increases commitment to community policing. 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. Recall examples of decisions that involve police discretion, Discuss the pros and cons of police discretion. 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. Many people also greatly underestimate the stress that comes along with being a police officer. See disclaimer. In Texas, a police officer was fired, charged with murder, and sentenced to a $10,000 fine and 15 years in prison after body-worn camera footage contradicted his initial statement in the Apr. 1. Along with the good, we get hit with the bad. There are advantages and disadvantages of police discretion, just like there are pros and cons of being a cop. 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. You may also have to work quite long shifts as a policeman. Also if you think that police officers have a relaxed life, you should think twice. Id like to think it made me a better person. Additionally, there are those who argue that the use of police discretion can potentially result in a violation of one's Fourth Amendment rights. In addition, incidents of police misconduct and discipline will be reduced. In other words, the statute may indicate that a certain act is illegal; the police officer can then expeditiously make an arrest based upon his interpretation. Consequently, dont be discouraged if your first job as a police officer will not be your dream job. Another advantage of becoming a police officer is that you will also stay quite fit during your active career. Many police officers receive medical, vision and dental insurance. They also make sure that people who dont play according to the rules get arrested. Although juries do have instructions, it is ultimately up to all twelve individuals to use their discretion when hearing a case and evaluating the facts. Being a police officer also doesnt mean that you have to stay in the field you began your career in. Some regions have pretty demanding hiring processes and you will often also have to prove your abilities as well as a high fitness level before you an become a police officer. Police1 is revolutionizing the way the law enforcement community You should really be convinced about it and should take your mission quite seriously. Chances are that it can get much better if you stay ambitious and try to get into different departments. WebPros of a Career as a Probation Officer. Research has found that when police departments use community-policing strategies, people are more satisfied with how police serve their community and view them as more legitimate. In fact, while many other jobs will be automized and will be carried out by machines in the near future, policemen are not that replaceable since there is plenty of individuality and discretion in each case and police officers have to make decisions depending on many different variables and circumstances. Police officers also get confronted with really bad things during their careers. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS As a police officer, you have the power to significantly improve the conditions in your neighborhood since you can send people who behave in a criminal manner to court and many of them will end up in jail and can no longer have a bad influence on your neighborhood. 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. 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. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. 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. You will see many men and women of uniform volunteering within their community to make a difference. 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. 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