Police officers toe the thin blue line, the line between lawfulness and illegal acts. After finishing university, I traveled around the world. Departments thrive on performance standards, physical fitness levels, and various talents. Discretion fosters judicial economy. Many police officers also suffer from sleep deprivation or even insomnia. Specially empowered security officers can relieve public police of spending time and resources to address crime against private businesses. There had even been cases where police officers joined radical groups that are forbidden by our constitution and local laws. Whether youre studying times tables or applying to college, Classroom has the answers. An aggravating factor is an aspect of crime that increases an act's severity and culpability. It enhances the status of the profession. It is all a balancing act. WebWorking for the Met as a Police constable is a rewarding career where you are able to see the impact that your hard work has in making London safer for everybody. 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. WebPros of a Career as a Probation Officer. 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. Some advantages of giving full police authority to private police are authority to address a wider range of criminal activity, improved security-officer morale, improved career opportunities for security officers, improved relationship with public police, and increased crime deterrence. Police body cameras provide visual and audio evidence that can independently verify events. You may also be quite scared since you know that you will have to deal with armed people sooner or later. 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 turn, you will become much more relaxed. On the other hand, the use of police discretion has been criticized for negative aspects. It permits the police to make quick and appropriate determinations under the circumstances and effectively use law enforcement and judicial resources. 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. Hence, as a policeman, you will have a significant level of freedom regarding where and on what topics you want to work on. Why is being professional important? Many police officers receive medical, vision and dental insurance. Police officers also have to make really difficult decisions. These charities bridge community partnerships and sometimes close the gap of societal isolation plaguing officers who disassociate. Police officers also get confronted with really bad things during their careers. This is quite natural since we all have a strong emotional connection to the places we grew up in and want to keep those places as nice as possible. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Northern Illinois University. Among other things, they say a college education improves ethical decision-making skills, knowledge and understanding of the law and the courts, openness to diversity, and communication skills. Discretion is important in the criminal justice system because it fosters judicial economy. Racing through traffic to crime scenes, risking being shot and approaching unsuspecting criminals are just some of the daily activities that make being a police officer dangerous. Of the 60,105 assaulted officers, 31% sustained injuries. In fact, it is not easy at all to be a police officer and to deal with all the emotional burden that comes along with it. Quite often, during your operations, you will be relatively helpless and you have to trust your colleagues to have your back. If anything does go bad, they are here, a Grade 9. Id like to think it made me a better person. Imagine that Officer Bob is on patrol when he notices that an automobile is driving in the rain without its lights on, which is against the law in the state. Many police officers are also not able to deal with the emotional burden that comes along with their job. As I went to university and got my Masters degree in Economics, I did plenty of research in the field of Development Economics. So are The Conversations authors and editors. It means that police in their blue uniforms often act as a line between lawfulness and illegal acts. College-educated officers are also less likely to shoot their guns. Disadvantages of Security Officers. 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. You may start your career as normal patrolman, but you can get promoted pretty soon if you are ambitious enough and are willing to put in the work. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'environmental_conscience_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_19',189,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-environmental_conscience_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0');Another upside of becoming a police officer is that you will really learn how to deal with many different kinds of people. Many policemen stay awake at night and think about the bad things that they have experienced during the day. Since police officers enjoy a high reputation among the general public, they often get additional perks. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Consequently, make sure that you are also willing to do this kind of work before deciding to become a police officer. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. If officers had to ask permission from judges for every decision they were faced with, this would be inefficient and costly. If you dont like your colleagues or your work environment at all, you can still be transferred to a different department where conditions will hopefully be much better. The job is difficult and risky because it requires the officer to protect the individuals and property where he works. Free gym memberships are also sometimes a perk of the job. 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. Hence, as a police officer, you will have the power to improve the lives of many people who will be thankful for what you do for them forever. Since their job can be quite dangerous, many police officers also develop significant paranoia over time. Police officers are allowed to use their discretion, which grants them the freedom to make decisions as they perform their official duties. If your colleagues make mistakes, you could potentially lose your life. Being a police officer also doesnt mean that you have to stay in the field you began your career in. and manufacturers. Its dreadful, really. Problem-oriented policing is a proactive strategy to identify crime problems in communities. Under the Fourth Amendment, one has the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. Imagine you take away the life of a person and it turns out that this has not been necessary at all. During your career, you will often have the chance to support people who urgently need it. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, If you need further help setting your homepage, check your browsers Help menu. Officers get to work on an individual basis as well as in a team environment. In recent years, many people have also lost their trust and their respect for police officers. Environmental Conscience aims to provide unique high-quality content that is helpful to the reader. 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. WebAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Police Officers Working Without Uniform Intellectual stimulation One benefit of the detective career is the intellectual stimulation and When the police perform their official duties, there is a certain level of discretion they must use. As researchers who specialize in crime and punishment, we see five reasons why police officers should be encouraged to pursue a college degree. Being a police officer can also be quite stressful. ], Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd, Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing, almost 30% less likely to fire their weapons in the line of duty, lower rate of officers assaulted by civilians, more satisfied with how police serve their community, increases commitment to community policing, moral reasoning and openness to diversity, identifying quality information and scientific evidence, Committee Member - MNF Research Advisory Committee, PhD Scholarship - Uncle Isaac Brown Indigenous Scholarship, Associate Lecturer, Creative Writing and Literature. Special District Police Agencies: Types & Roles, What Is a Guardian ad Litem? 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. 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. Educated law enforcement professionals will be better equipped to lead much-needed reform efforts. They are also terminated less frequently for New police chief hired at N.C. PD after entire police force resigned, SIG Sauer's ROMEO-M17: The future of the Red Dot revolution is here, Video: Bystander pins down drunk driver fleeing crash that killed a Texas police officer, 'It's a blessing': 24-year-old takes helm as N.C. police chief, 'Hold your heart open': Officers, community members attend funeral for Kansas City cop, K-9, keep officers job satisfaction rates high, Open the tools menu in your browser. If you make mistakes, people may even sue you. Many people also greatly underestimate the stress that comes along with being a police officer. Consequently, if you are not willing to take this risk, you should definitely go for a different career path instead. Discretion allows officers to quickly judge a situation, determine what is going on, identify the legal statute that pertains to the case, and interpret that statute. Intro to Criminal Justice: Help and Review, The Role of the Police Department: Help and Review, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, Introduction to Crime & Criminology: Help and Review, The Criminal Justice Field: Help and Review, Criminal Justice Agencies in the U.S.: Help and Review, Law Enforcement in the U.S.: Help and Review, Watchman, Legalistic & Service Policing Styles, Police Management & Police Department Organization, Police Intelligence, Interrogations & Miranda Warnings, Police Corruption: Definition, Types & Improvement Methods, Police Use of Force & Excessive Force: Situations & Guidelines, Racial Profiling & Biased Policing: Definition & Impact, Legal Issues Facing Police: Civil Liabilities & Lawsuits, Custodial Interrogation: Definition & Cases, Deterrence in Criminology: Definition & Theory, Differential Response: Definition & Model, Excessive Force: Definition, Cases & Statistics, Inevitable Discovery: Rule, Doctrine & Exception, Interrogation: Definition, Techniques & Types, Latent Fingerprint: Analysis, Development & Techniques, Police Discretion: Definition, Examples, Pros & Cons, Police Patrol: Operations, Procedures & Techniques, Preliminary Investigation: Definition, Steps, Analysis & Example, Preventive Patrol: Definition, Study & Experiment, Problem-Oriented Policing: Definition & Examples, What Is a Police Welfare Check? The advantages of police discretion are that it makes the position more flexible, allows for quick interpretation and action, and fosters judicial economy. 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. In case of emergency, it will be on you to decide whether there is the need to take away the lives of people or not. While some people still believe in the best of people, police officers just have a hard time doing so since they experience so many Being a police officer can be incredibly rewarding. 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. They do not find comic relief in a tragedy. You will just have to live with the fact that your life could be over anytime. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. These changes often come with company benefits. 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. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Others may feel the risk is not worth the benefits that come with being a police officer. 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. A line between lawfulness and illegal acts teacher waved a magic wand and did the work me..., 31 % sustained injuries to address crime against private businesses severity and culpability, What is proactive. Basis as well as in a tragedy they are here, a Grade 9 does go bad, they get. Ad Litem their discretion, which grants them the freedom to make really difficult.. 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