The Benefits And Drawbacks Of Wanting To Be A Police Officer

Many people say that they would like to become a police officer one day. It is a very interesting job to get into because you never know what you will be doing, you might be doing something different every day. It may be an intriguing profession, but it is also one of the most risky careers ever. We say that, not knowing what it all takes in order to get in this type of career. Not just anyone can get into this kind of career because they don’t have the intangibles to become a police officer. You have to be physically and mentally strong, intelligent, worthy, and brave. This job takes a lot of valor due to the rigorous situations you may encounter each day you go to work.

It takes a trustworthy person to become an officer. Police officers have so many responsibilities because they are watching over all civilians each day. Imagine a few people looking after a whole community. That’s what officers have to go through each and every day. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a few responsibilities are watching over the civilians while making sure nothing suspicious is happening, they patrol a designated area, can arrest criminals, conduct traffic. These are just a few duties an officer has.

Law enforcement has one of the worst working conditions. It may vary depending on what type of officer you want to become, but either way the conditions are not so great. The job is very stressful just because you never know what all can happen. It is dangerous because many police officers have been killed or injured when they are detaining a criminal. It is said to be a “stressful, physically demanding, and dangerous.” (Bureau of Labor Statistics) I believe this is why many police officers don’t last as long as many other professions do in their job.

On the bright side, police officers are known for getting great benefits. They have a sweet looking cop car they get to take home every day. They get paid during the holidays and vacations. Build great relationships with other police officers. Most officers get free gym memberships that way they can stay in shape all year. Many officers retire much earlier than the average person does. Can get scholarships for school. With benefits also come drawbacks. In my opinion, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits tremendously, but not many people become police officers because of the benefits. Most do it because they want to make their communities a much safer and better place.