The Job of Police Officers
A police officer’s duty is to maintain public order, preventing, and detecting crime. The concept of police officers, also known as cops, and law enforcement has been around ever since the ancient Romans had a theory that an organization of “peacekeepers” would reduce the crime and violence being committed. This theory stuck with society and is still around today. People of law enforcement have a mission when they step into their police car, that mission is to enforce the rules of conduct or law. Of course, accomplishing this mission can be dangerous. Often when a cop leaves his or her house to go to work worries start to set it, such as “will I be coming back home when my day is over” or “will a simple traffic stop go sour and someone ends up dead?” These thoughts are apart of the stress that comes with the job and most people are trained to deal with this stress.
Speaking of training, there are classes that a high school student can take to prepare for a career in law enforcement. Psychology, sociology, foreign languages, and computer courses are recommended for those students who plan to take criminal justice as their higher education major. Participating in sports can improve your chances on becoming an officer of law because it improves strength and endurance. Other student activities can be helpful in this career because they help to improve leadership skills and other publications. Every law enforcement agency has different requirements for qualification; however, almost all of them require a college degree. You can either have a degree in police science, administration of justice, public administration, or criminal justice to qualify for employment. English, Sociology, Psychology, Personal Computer Operations, Survey of Criminal Justice, and Principles of Criminology are classes that need to be taken to complete a criminal justice major. Almost every college nationwide offers these classes. (“Police and Detectives”).
There are many colleges that offer either an Associate’s degree or a Bachelor’s in criminal justice or any other type of law enforcement class. However, the decision is whether to attend a two-year community college and receive an Associate’s degree or whether to attend a four-year community or state college to receive a Bachelor’s degree. Some colleges that offer an Associate’s degree in criminal justice are Delaware Technical and Community College, Gibbs College, and Hagerstown Business College. Some colleges that offer a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice are Wilmington College, Brown College, and Parks College.
The criminal justice field is made up of many facets. The court system includes many professions which include lawyers, judges, police officers and polygraph examiners. The federal justice system has numerous professions as well. Two highly recognizable organizations in the government criminal justice system are the CIA and the FBI. Two careers of interest worth future investigation are a polygraph examiner and a special agent in the FBI.
Other careers that will be available with the degree would be an expert witness, jury specialist, law enforcement, victim activism, and juvenile offenders.
My interest in law enforcement grew in me at a young age probably around the age of 8. I would always watch the show Cops and that got me really interested. It was not until the age of 10 that I said to myself that I wanted to be a police officer or something in that field. During my years in junior high one of the officers who worked there told me about a program called police explorers, once he explained the program to me I knew that that was what I wanted to do: police work. A week after I turned fourteen I decided to join the Costa Mesa Police explorer program, in order to get I accepted to the program I had to attend four consecutive meetings and on my fourth meeting I was given an application the following week I was interviewed by four police officer; it was scary. This program has taught me many lessons such as responsibility, respect, integrity and many other qualities that one must have to be considered eligible for police work.
The majority of departments only require a high school diploma. Although a college education is not a requirement, it can greatly increase one’s chances of getting hired. A degree in criminal justice or criminology would be very beneficial, but an associate or bachelor's degree in any department gives a person the best chance of advancement within his or her specific department. In fact, most higher positions such as chief of police require a bachelor’s degree or higher. Besides this, an individual who is going into law enforcement will need to attend a police
The expectations for a criminal justice students interests in law enforcement requiresna pre-hiring process and job requirements. A specific law enforcement, I’ve always had an interest being part of the Des Moines, Iowa Police Department. To apply for a position at this police department you must go to the City of Des Moines - Government jobs, human resource page. The abilities, skills and required knowledge requirements of being a possible candidate you must know basic math, speak English, be able to write directions and follow oral directions (Moines, 2010). Having an interest with the Des Moines Police Department you have to pass a psychological testing, writing and a background investigation (Moines, 2010). The writing entrance examination for candidates includes completing a post test that has report writing, math, grammer and reading getting a 70% to pass (Moines, 2010). The physical
In discussions of law enforcement one controversial issue has been whether liberal arts courses are necessary or should be required. In “The New Liberal Arts” Sanford J. Ungar believes that liberal arts are crucial to any professional career. Mike Rose however disagrees, and suggests that a college education in general is not necessarily a must. Although both articles make a good argument, I concur with Ungar. The liberal arts are the foundation in almost any professional field, and teach students how to adapt, especially in law enforcement.
Criminal justice is one of the most important majors one can study due to the necessity to keep the streets safe and clean. From street cops, to state troopers all the way to criminal psychologists the criminal justice system is a very important part of modern society as it keeps us safe from murders, rapists and various other criminals. The street cops are the ones that are out on our streets protecting every citizen. It can be as simple as writing a parking ticket on a car that is illegally parked, to arresting murderers and rapist in a quiet neighborhood in the suburbs. The cops are the ones that are keeping our streets more safe for families everywhere. The main thing I want to learn about Criminal Justice is where I can go with my degree. By studying criminal justice I would like to be able to pursue my dreams of becoming a Drug enforcement agent so that I can help make neighborhoods safe and take bad people off the public streets.
The criminal justice field is changing right before our eyes. The legal and corrections systems, ethical codes of behavior, philosophy of punishment and deterrence of crimes are changing every day. What I learned the pass 3 years could have slighting changed. Obtaining a Master degree in Criminal Justice it totally different from, obtaining an Undergrad degree in criminal justice. The range of opportunities is in list with a Master Degree. Pursuing a degree in criminal justice can help poise me for exciting and rewarding career opportunities. I love a challenges and I have the passion for what the criminal justice field. This degree will offer me a positive impact on
Firstly, the job role I will be exploring is a police officer which falls into the sector of justice.
To become a Police Detective you have to at least have a high school diploma; bachelor’s degree. It is required because it can help you earn good jobs as detectives. After high school, state and local agencies encourage you to continue education by taking course and training related to law enforcement. The federal agencies and some police department require some college coursework or a college degree. Many community colleges, 4 year colleges, and universities offer programs in law enforcement and criminal justice.
The minimum education requirements to become a police officer in America is a general education diploma or High school diploma. But with increased competition in becoming a police officer many departments require that you have an associate’s degree or bachelor 's degree, even if the department you apply for only requires that you only have a G.E.D/high school diploma having somewhat
Police officers have to accomplish many things in their workday. (Career Cruising.com) They have to write detailed reports and fill out forms.(Career Cruising.com) They are responsible for making sure that people obey the law and are kept safe at all times.(Career Cruising.com) They also observe the activities of suspects.(Career Cruising.com) Cops have to gather facts and collect evidence from many crimes.(Career Cruising.com) Many police officers duties depend on the size and type of their department or agency.(Career Cruising.com) They must conduct traffic stops and issue citations.(Career Cruising.com) On many occasions they must prepare cases and testify in court.(Career Cruising.com) Cops may work with special units or task forces.(Career Cruising.com) Police officers investigate criminal activity by interviewing witnesses and looking for evidence at the crime scenes.(Career Cruising.com) Cops help victims of many crimes or accidents.(Career Cruising.com) Many times they will have to respond to calls such as assaults, car accidents, or noisy parties.(Career Cruising.com) The police must work undercover when required to gain certain intelligence.(Career Cruising.com) They patrol areas on foot, motorcycle, bicycles, or in their patrol cars.(Career Cruising.com) While on a patrol, officers are always prepared to respond to all types of emergencies.(Career Cruising.com) A Police officer could be called to any type of situation wh...
I have always taken an interest in Criminal Justice and crime prevention ever since middle school and I set out to make my career goal to become a Criminal Justice professional. Thus, pursuing a Criminal Justice master’s degree has been a part of my plans for the future and will become one of my core focuses that I will set up in my graduate studies. It will also enable me to become a more competent working professional and encourage me to advance towards the doctoral program.
Choosing a path in the Criminal Justice field is a very unique, fulfilling and exciting opportunity. Although it does require hard work and commitment, it is not
When you think of police what does it mean to you? The responsibility of a police officer is to protect the public and to serve the community. Also, they detect and to prevent crime, police officers strive to maintain the law. New police officers work with the general duty as patrol divisions, that provides a range of experiences and assignments. The General duty of policing involves patrolling in assigned areas to enforce laws, protect public safety, and arrest criminal suspects either by car, foot, bicycle, or in some cases, horse. Police officers can also do some of the following: they Investigate accidents and crime scenes; to secure evidence and interview any witnesses; they collect notes and reports; they can provide emergency assistance to victims an disaster, crime, and accidents;