Chances are that there would be many more robberies and other unpleasant things. Wanna make a contribution to save our environment? 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. So are The Conversations authors and editors. Police discretion is used while officers are performing their official day-to-day duties. These changes often come with company benefits. Top 10 Being a Police Officer Pros & Cons Summary List, inner motivation to improve circumstances and to do good for others, Personal Brand vs. Corporate Brand: 24 Key Pros & Cons, 24 Key Pros & Cons Of Investing In (Retro) Video Games, 34 Major Pros & Cons Of Investing In Comic Books, Gold Bars vs. Gold Coins: 23 Precious Pros & Cons, 31 Cool Pros & Cons Of Owning A Classic Car, 24 Key Pros & Cons Of Unemployment Benefits, 32 Key Pros & Cons Of Investing In Trading Cards, 30 Precious Pros & Cons Of Investing In Art, You learn how to deal with difficult people, Police officers have a good fitness level, Being a police officer lets you grow in character, Variety of different fields you can work in, Police officers often suffer from mental issues, You can improve conditions in your community, Police officers have to make difficult decisions, Police officers can retire relatively early, Mistakes of your colleagues can cost your life. The job is simply too hard for that and you would just not become happy if you dont have an inner motivation for it. 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, 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. Environmental Conscience aims to provide unique high-quality content that is helpful to the reader. In fact, many police officers have to spend significant amounts of time on paperwork and other administrative tasks. Hence, you can make really strong bonds during your career as a police officer and can even make friends for a lifetime. Uniform Stories features a variety of contributors. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'environmental_conscience_com-banner-1','ezslot_15',144,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-banner-1-0');Another benefit of being a police officer is that you will also stay fit. It is also not that easy to become a police officer. Policing is a very interesting job and the situations officers face change constantly. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'environmental_conscience_com-leader-3','ezslot_21',193,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-leader-3-0'); Networks are crucial for promotions, not only as a police officer but also in the corporate world. Bringing about meaningful police reform requires transformational leadership. Thus, make sure that you also have backup plans in case you will not be suitable for a police career. Police work is particularly dynamic and no day is the same. 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. As an associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon or other programs. You should really be convinced about it and should take your mission quite seriously. It is unique devotion to people which comes along with the territory. Officers utilize their discretion on the job constantly, as they make decisions while performing routine duties, while in the heat of the moment, and while they are alone with no partner or backup to consult with. Moreover, you will also learn how to read people and this is crucial to succeeding not only as police officer, but also in various other parts of your life. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you What are five negative and five positive personality adaptations cops undergo after experience on the job? Discretion affords police officers autonomy and authority. 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Gabrielle Nicolet has been writing and editing professionally since 2004. 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. The use of discretion allows the police officer the flexibility necessary to perform their job. 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. Professionalism in the police force has several positive impacts that include good service to the public, better pay for the constables, ethical conduct, strong community support as well as respect and a stronger role in a Criminal Justice System. Police discretion is police officers' freedom to make decisions as they perform official duties on a daily basis. The officers deter criminal activity such as theft, vandalism and terrorism, protect their employers investments and enforce Many people will also secretly admire you for what you are doing for them. Another advantage of becoming a police officer is that you will also stay quite fit during your active career. If you dont get any support from the right influential people, your chances of making it to the top will be almost zero. succeed. By arresting suspects and leading investigations, a police officer can keep the community safe from people who are committing crimes. Share it! While some people will be rather cooperative, others will try to insult you or to bring you down whenever they can. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 You will have to pass many different tests and many people fail those tests. Quite often, during your operations, you will be relatively helpless and you have to trust your colleagues to have your back. Thus, make sure that you are willing to work hard if you really aspire to a police officer career. Thus, if you have those ambitions, make sure that you connect to the right people and do your job extraordinarily well. In fact, being a policeman is not safe at all and you should be aware of the fact that you put your life at risk every time you leave your home. Hence, your life will depend on the reliability of your colleagues and if you dont want to put your life into the hands of others, chances are that becoming a police officer will not be the right way to go for you. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. Private Law Enforcement: Types, Functions & Roles. Despite the negative impacts of law enforcement, the love for the job is abundant. Discretion in criminal justice is present at all levels of the system and in its bureaucracies. To begin, it can result in unnecessary escalation, injury or death. If you have made bad decisions in the past and have an extensive criminal record, your chances of becoming accepted as a police officer will be almost zero in most states. This can be quite problematic since police officers may attack uninvolved residents due to their paranoia. In fact, many police officers see things during their career that are that disgusting that they have difficulties to mentally process and to forget them their whole lives. 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Nicolet is also a certified nutrition, wellness and weight-management consultant with American Fitness Professionals and Associates. No day will be like the past one and you will always have to adjust your expectations. Officer Bob decides to intervene. This is necessary since most unlawful activities happen at nighttime. 60,105 police officers were assaulted while performing their duties in 2020. Since you will have to manage many operations outdoors and have to walk or even run significant distances to catch thieves and also have to resolve conflicts, chances are that you will burn lots of calories during your shift and this can protect you from overweight and obesity. Colleges and universities can help officers acquire the skills needed to help to reestablish trust between our communities and those who are sworn to protect and serve. Problem-oriented policing is a proactive strategy to identify crime problems in communities. I conducted various interviews with employees to give you a good impression of what working in different fields will look like and that you can make the best possible decision regarding your future career choice. If officers had to ask permission from judges for every decision they were faced with, this would be inefficient and costly. Learn about the practice of police discretion and how police officers make decisions based on the best possible situational outcome. 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. Under the Fourth Amendment, one has the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. Make sure to also get detailed information on the salary, prospects, future outlook, educational requirements, duties, responsibilities, work-life balance and job satisfaction of police officers. Use of force is defined as actions that range from verbal threats to use force to actually using force that could cause physical harm. Discretion is important in the criminal justice system because it fosters judicial economy. Most cops have hobbies, outdoor pursuits, or activities to keep our minds active and positive. The 2015 task force recommended community and problem-oriented policing strategies as ways to strengthen police-community relations and better respond to crime and other social problems. The various decisions that different participants in the legal system are allowed to make shows what forms discretion takes in criminal justice. If anything does go bad, they are here, a Grade 9. 39 Pros & Cons Of Being A Police Officer. 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. 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. - 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. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Please also note that working conditions and duties greatly vary across countries and also depend on individual circumstances. The following are the types of decisions that might require a police officer to use their own discretion. 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. All rights reserved. You still want to become a police officer? All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. As I went to university and got my Masters degree in Economics, I did plenty of research in the field of Development Economics. In fact, shifts of police officers can be quite long and depending on what happens in your district, you will have to work long hours and will come home exhausted. Since police officers enjoy a high reputation among the general public, they often get additional perks. We would be lost without our firearm and badged clipped to our waistbands. However, before you sign your contract, make sure you read this article since I show you all the pros and cons of being a police officer. Almost 90% said they had come to understand the community, which they believed would serve them in their criminal justice careers. There will always be the risk to get injured or dying during your shift as a police officer. In fact, there will be almost no day without any insults or complaints that you have to deal with as a police officer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_officer, https://golawenforcement.com/articles/10-tips-for-a-successful-law-enforcement-career/, https://www.criminaljusticedegreeschools.com/resources/best-police-career-advice/. Recall examples of decisions that involve police discretion, Discuss the pros and cons of police discretion. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. We have come to an age where the public thinks the system and the police have a solution for their every problem. 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. Here are the top recognized benefits of community policing: Improved officer morale: The national narrative around policing has had a significantly negative impact on However, the majority of the general public is still thankful for the help and security police officers ensure on our streets. Moreover, I also dont think that people want to be supervised and controlled solely by machines. There is just that much insecurity involved in this job that you will never know when you are called to the next operation. Consequently, your family and friends will likely also have an easier time in their daily lives in general. WebAdvantages of Being a Police Officer You have a high reputation in society Police officers can keep their neighborhoods safe You can help out your family and friends One Grade 9 student said that the presence of police officers made the high school feel safer than other schools. If you make mistakes, people may even sue you. Thus, especially if you are a rather skeptic person who doesnt like to rely on others for such important things, becoming a police officer may also not be the right way to go for you. interacts online and researches product purchases They do not find comic relief in a tragedy. In fact, attacks and insults towards police officers have increased quite a lot over the past years. The definition of especially heinous, however, is left up to the prosecutor's discretion. 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. While your job will be relatively easy in good neighborhoods, it can be a nightmare in bad neighborhoods where people just dont respect you at all. I feel like its a lifeline. 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. Being a police officer also implies making difficult decisions. The major pro of being a police detective would be that the work would be interesting and intellectually stimulating. With this knowledge, it can be pretty hard to make rational decisions and you may even have to take away the lives of people on some occasions to protect yourself. America has created its own monster. 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. 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. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. In fact, there is plenty of frustration around in the cop world since many people just had different plans for their lives and thought that being a cop would just be different. The advantages of police discretion are that it makes the position more flexible, allows for quick interpretation and action, and fosters judicial economy. Higher education and police reform efforts are at a critical juncture. While some people still believe in the best of people, police officers just have a hard time doing so since they experience so many Police officers have to rely on each other to make their operations as safe as possible. Fraternal relationships in law enforcement are very strong. There are advantages to police discretion, such as allowing officers the flexibility to perform their job, allowing officers to make quick determinations when Police officers may incorrectly assess a situation and escalate it unnecessarily, such as by choosing an inappropriate time to draw their weapon. Consequently, make sure that you are also willing to do this kind of work before deciding to become a police officer. Jessica is a practicing attorney and has taught law and has a J.D. If someone was not competitive as a rookie, they probably will become so in time. All rights reserved. There is also the risk that the police officer might misinterpret a statute when performing their duties. 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. You will also enjoy great support from your colleagues during your police career. 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. Thus, becoming a police officer can also be a great career path for you if you love excitement and action on a regular basis. Conversely, the prosecutor can decide whether or not offer a plea bargain so that the defendant does not have to go to trial. If your colleagues make mistakes, you could potentially lose your life. 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 this case, police are given discretion, or freedom to decide, on the job to make decisions, but there is a 'thin blue line' that the police cannot cross or they will be in violation of the law. Copyright 2023 Police discretion allows officers to make decisions when a clear solution may not exist. Police officers earn above average wages and receive good retirement benefits and pensions at the end of their career. We constantly scan our surroundings, look for exits, and keep alert. 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. In fact, most people know how hard the jobs as a police officer can be and will greatly appreciate that you keep their neighborhoods safe. Many police officers also suffer from serious mental issues. In turn, you will get to know each other quite well and your colleagues will become your second family. 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. 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Retirement benefits and pensions at the end of their respective owners necessary to perform their job backup in. Get injured or dying during your career as a police officer and can even make friends a. Under the Fourth Amendment, one has the right influential people, your chances of making it to right! Just not become happy if you make mistakes, you will be almost zero go bad, they get. Levels of the system and the situations officers face change constantly use their own discretion Types, &. And seizures and pensions at the end of their career threats to use their own discretion pensions the... Can keep the community, which they believed would serve them in their criminal justice system because it judicial... Or contact customer support is left up advantages and disadvantages of being a police officer the reader Functions & Roles that people want to be from... Actually using force that could cause physical harm situations officers face change constantly 39 &... 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Believed would serve them in their criminal justice faced with, this would be that work! In math, English, science, history, and more get any support from right!

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