Due to the bad things and the difficult decisions they have to make during their shifts, many police officers also suffer from serious sleeping issues. You can also work in many different departments. If you have started your career as a police officer in your 20s, chances are that you will be eligible for retirement in your 50s in many states. Officer Bob then sees a person matching the description and follows him on foot. 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. Probation officers play a significant role in society and in the law enforcement process. Some exposures to police work change us for the better and others for the worse. For both the corporation and the community, there are advantages and disadvantages to empowering private security officers with police authority. WebPolice discretion presents a clear danger to society because the average officer can make a poor decision and affect the life of a person or persons. Sometimes, you will also not be able to choose the neighborhood you have to work in and you might get unlucky and have to work in a rather bad one. In fact, this can get really nasty, especially if your mistakes have led to serious adverse outcomes. Others think police officers are mean, uncaring snitches who simply arrest people and hand out traffic tickets. 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. Consequently, many police officers are also unable to unplug from what has happened during their shift and carry their worries and emotional issues back home. He notices that the person is carrying a gun. The use of discretion allows the police officer the flexibility necessary to perform their job. Discretion affords police officers autonomy and authority. 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. The more ambitious you are, the more people you can help and this can give you a feeling of having a purpose in life. Not only do we have individual interests, officers often influence each other and share in the fun. Request a quote for the most accurate & reliable non-lethal training, DragonEye Tech: Leaders in LIDAR Speed Measurement, Get Curious Before Getting Furious: How Cynicism Impacts Behavior On Scene, Despite the negative impacts of law enforcement, the love for the job is abundant. These sources are experts and educators within their profession. Hence, if you are not able to process those issues in an emotionally healthy manner, chances are that you will be quite unhappy as a policeman. finds relevant news, identifies important training information, In fact, teamwork is key during your operations and if you have colleagues that dont have your back, you may even lose your life due to that. However, there are also many downsides related to this career path. Many times, a police officer is alone when performing their work, so situations arise where discretion must come into play. Along with the good, we get hit with the bad. Those who truly love the work will go to extra lengths for others. WebPhotos by Chris Roussakis. 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. Often police officers have to deal with angry, distressed citizens or people who do not want to cooperate, which can make police work feel like a thankless job. Inside our minds are images, voices, screams, visions, smells, and dreams which have been influenced by our career. Over the past years, there has also been a trend of people losing respect for the police. These are held in a tiny little space inside our heads often referred to as Pandoras box which complicates our moods and influences. and manufacturers. Next: 13 reasons why you love being a cop. Some policemen also get special training for free which in turn can translate into better chances for promotions in the future. 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. The prosecutor can choose whether to attempt to charge someone with a felony or a misdemeanor, and can try to add on sentence enhancements as well. 2017 shooting of an unarmed youth. There are also disadvantages to being a police officer, which include: Due to the high-stress and critical nature of the situations police officers face every day, which often include life-or-death decision-making, there are pros and cons of police discretion. Cops are not immune to the changes in the divisiveness of society and the emotional drama associated with it. State and local agencies and governments can do more to encourage officers to seek a college degree, including through incentives, like the Nebraska Law Enforcement Education Act, which allows for a partial tuition waiver or the Quinn Bill in Massachusetts, which provides scaled bonuses depending on the degree an officer holds or tuition reimbursement scholarships like those offered by the Fraternal Order of Police. At the beginning of your career, you will likely be rather intimidated and insecure regarding how to handle difficult situations. He uses his own discretion to make this decision. It also allows the police officer to quickly interpret the applicable statutory law and then act upon the determination. Policing is a very dangerous job. Recall examples of decisions that involve police discretion, Discuss the pros and cons of police discretion. Being a police officer can also be quite stressful. In fact, many police officers have to spend significant amounts of time on paperwork and other administrative tasks. While police officers can make a decent salary in many states, they will simply not make as much money as a doctor or a lawyer. Conversely, such discretion can result in the misinterpretation of statutes and the abuse of the Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches. Gabrielle Nicolet has been writing and editing professionally since 2004. As a police officer, you will surely be both loved and hated. Regarding the use of force, officers whove graduated from college are almost 40% less likely to use force. 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. As a police officer, you will also become really good friends with your colleagues over time. If someone was not competitive as a rookie, they probably will become so in time. I did the same when I started working in consulting after finishing my Masters degree in Economics. Of the 60,105 assaulted officers, 31% sustained injuries. Regardless of how old we are, we never stop learning. As we can see from the previous chapter, there are definitely many important advantages of working as a police officer. Discretion gives officers the flexibility to perform their job. Officer Bob sees the person assault a passerby and must now use his discretion to decide whether he will intervene and possibly draw and use his weapon, or call for back up assistance. 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. Police officers with at least some college experience are more focused on promotion and expect to retire at a higher rank compared to officers with no college. Being a police officer also means that you will face a high level of insecurity regarding how your day will really look like. As an associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon or other programs. Another problem with being a police officer is that you can also lose your job due to only one big mistake. A lock ( Police discretion, however, has been criticized because it may result in the incorrect application of certain statutes and thereby violate someone's rights, such as their right to not be subjected to unlawful search and seizure as defined by the Fourth Amendment. Police discretion is an officer's freedom to make decisions on the job. These internal perks and lack of humdrum keep officers job satisfaction rates high. Classroom is the educational resource for people of all ages. Hence, make sure that your career is worth all this emotional stress to you before becoming a police officer. Once the jury uses their discretion to render a verdict, the judge may use their discretion in sentencing. In murder cases, an aggravating factor might include whether the defendant committed the crime in an especially heinous, cruel, or depraved manner. Leaders with a graduate degree are twice as likely to be familiar with evidence-based policing, which uses research to guide effective policy and practice. On the other hand, the use of police discretion has been criticized for negative aspects. Officer Bob decides to intervene. Also make sure to check out the following articles: Advantages and disadvantages of becoming a dentist, Advantages and disadvantages of becoming an actor, https://golawenforcement.com/articles/tips-for-going-into-law-enforcement/, https://www.how2become.com/blog/5-tips-to-pass-the-police-officer-selection-process/. In one study, officers with criminal justice degrees said their education helped them gain managerial skills. Use of force is defined as actions that range from verbal threats to use force to actually using force that could cause physical harm. It is a curse and a blessing. Police body cameras provide visual and audio evidence that can independently verify events. 551 lessons. It is a natural outcome of being on the force with an abundance of Type A personalities. Many police officers also suffer from sleep deprivation or even insomnia. WebAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Police Officers Working Without Uniform Intellectual stimulation One benefit of the detective career is the intellectual stimulation and 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. Being a police officer assures financial security. Research shows that, overall, college-educated officers generate fewer citizen complaints. These internal perks and lack of humdrum keep officers job satisfaction rates high. Also, the prosecutor can determine if there are aggravating factors that make a crime even worse. 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. The various decisions that different participants in the legal system are allowed to make shows what forms discretion takes in criminal justice. While many people who work in office jobs have to go to the gym to stay in shape, you as a police officer dont have to do this since you will stay in shape in a natural manner and can spend your time in a more enjoyable manner. While some people will be rather cooperative, others will try to insult you or to bring you down whenever they can. No day will be like the past one and you will always have to adjust your expectations. Officers love the fact that no two calls are alike and you never know what you are going to get sent to by your dispatch center. 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. These changes often come with company benefits. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Some people may enjoy the commitment and camaraderie, but others may seek a change in career after a few years. In turn, you will get to know each other quite well and your colleagues will become your second family. Higher education has been shown to enhance the technical training that police get in the academy or on the job. All rights reserved. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'environmental_conscience_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_13',132,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-medrectangle-4-0'); Yes, there are people who simply dont like them. This does not mean that police officers can make unlawful decisions, but rather that they must use their knowledge of what is lawful and reasonable and what is unlawful and unreasonable to make appropriate decisions in stressful circumstances. Another downside of becoming a police officer is that you will also have to work at nighttime. A police officer can also impact the area they serve as a whole. There are advantages to police discretion, such as allowing officers the flexibility to perform their job, allowing officers to make quick determinations when applying statutory law, and fostering judicial economy. $55,000 per year on average, ranging from $45,000 to $75,000 per year. There are many instances throughout a police officer's day-to-day work where they can decide how to respond to a situation using their own best judgement and wisdom rather than a strict law. Lexipol. Great! Thus, before deciding for a career as police officer, make sure that you are mentally stable enough to deal with those pictures in your head that will not look pretty most of the time. Police work is rife with circumstantial stressors. You will just have to live with the fact that your life could be over anytime. All rights reserved. It can be a great alternative to a boring desk job. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Officer discretion is a useful and necessary part of an officer's ability to do their job, as police officers must often make quick, in-the-moment decisions that cannot wait for specific laws to be consulted or reviewed. 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. As a police officer, you can also help your family and friends in case they get problems with neighbors or suffer from any other injustice. My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people of all ages about our environmental problems and how everyone can make a contribution to mitigate these issues. Many studies have shown that we are happier if we do good for others compared to just living in a purely egoistic manner. and LL.M. Police officers are often misinterpreted when our antics are overheard in public. Chances are that there would be many more robberies and other unpleasant things. 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. So daily we are exposed to human misery and conflict which gives us a very narrow version of society. In many states, police officers can retire as early as in their 50s, even though they have to accept a reduced pension in such a case. As you can see, there are many additional benefits for police officers and this can compensate for the relatively low salary policemen get at the beginning of their careers. Policemen also learn how to deal with difficult people early on in their careers. Quite often, police officers are confronted with situations that are pretty unpleasant. In fact, many people struggle with it since it destroys the natural sleeping rhythm. 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. Officers with a bachelors degree reportedly: have fewer citizen complaints choose options short of an arrest to resolve problems are less authoritarian are more ethical have fewer disciplinary problems compared to their high school graduate counterparts What are the reported disadvantages of a bachelors degree? Gaylene Armstrong receives funding from various state and federal granting agencies in support of criminal justice research. Being a police officer also doesnt mean that you have to stay in the field you began your career in. Since you will never know what you have to deal with next, your body and your brain will always be exposed to some level of tension during your shift. College also leads to more intercultural awareness. Jessica is a practicing attorney and has taught law and has a J.D. Quite often, during your operations, you will be relatively helpless and you have to trust your colleagues to have your back. Police work affords theopportunity for giving back both on duty and off. Hence, dont think that your job as a police officer is entirely safe. Upon completion of this lesson, students should be able to: To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Quite often, you will also spend your leisure together and some police officers even spend plenty of time together after they retire. From this time on, I wanted to make a contribution to ensure a livable future for the next generations in every part of our beautiful planet. Iowa State University and University of Nebraska Omaha provide funding as members of The Conversation US. All rights reserved. Webnational police and troopers association; Community. They are also terminated less frequently for Among students who participated in a criminal justice service-learning course working with young people in the community, 80% reported a change from stereotypical assumptions that all of them would be criminals to a better understanding of them as individuals with goals and potential - some not so different from the students own dreams. Another downside of being a police officer is that your family will worry about you all day long. Police officers are given the freedom to use police discretion and make decisions on the job and in the heat of the moment. It becomes a part of us we share in small circles. Webadvantages and disadvantages of scatter graphs advantages and disadvantages of scatter graphs Being fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not only wise, but it is crucial for an officers physical and mental states. Create your account. The salaries are relatively handsome. As a policeman, you will also have the power to do good for others. In recent years, many people have also lost their trust and their respect for police officers. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. It is all a balancing act. The use of police discretion helps to foster the best use of police resources. While some people like this insecurity since they get a certain level of excitement out of it, others who need a structured day hate it and if you are the kind of person who wants to play way ahead, chances are that becoming a police officer will just not be the right way to go for you. 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. Consequently, make sure that you are also willing to do this kind of work before deciding to become a police officer. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, If you need further help setting your homepage, check your browsers Help menu. Another disadvantage of being a police officer is that you will have to put your life in the hands of your colleagues. 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. Because of the high level of responsibility, police are held to high standards by internal affairs and the general public. You should really be convinced about it and should take your mission quite seriously. After reading this article, you will get more aware of all the chances and dangers of becoming a police officer and you may even change your mind due to that. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Many policemen stay awake at night and think about the bad things that they have experienced during the day. Uniform Stories covers an array of subjects like field stories, entertaining anecdotes, and expert opinions. This can be quite problematic since police officers may attack uninvolved residents due to their paranoia. In addition, incidents of police misconduct and discipline will be reduced. Police officers also have to make really difficult decisions. We constantly scan our surroundings, look for exits, and keep alert. An example of police discretion is when a car gets pulled over for speeding. Bringing about meaningful police reform requires transformational leadership. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. 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. 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. 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. Territories Financial Support Center (TFSC), Tribal Financial Management Center (TFMC). Police Corruption Examples, Types & History | What is Police Corruption? Its the nature of the beast. There are many pros and cons of being a security officer. 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. Now I can do what I really love to do and I want to enable as many other people as well to go this exciting path towards happiness instead of money. Similarly, community-oriented policing emphasizes building relationships with citizens to identify and respond to community crime problems. : 13 reasons why you love being a police officer difficult situations after finishing my Masters degree Economics... Discipline will be reduced deprivation or even insomnia have also lost their and. Better and others for the police past years, many people struggle with it giving back both duty... 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