If you’re thinking about becoming a police officer, there are some obvious pros and cons to the job. Consider the background of the profession before applying:

• It is a very dangerous job. The US Department of Labor ranks police work as the #5 most dangerous job in America.

• After many years of service, it’s hard to take people at face value. Let’s face it, in this career you will have to deal with people with problems in crisis. Every day you will come across people who don’t seem to have any common sense, may want you dead, or may have hit or killed someone else. It’s not a pretty job and getting tough on people is a common coping mechanism for officers.

• In police work it’s hard to be “off duty” when you’re not on the job. Stan, now retired, always looked at the horizon every time he got into his personal vehicle. He found it impossible to even go to dinner without being “on alert.”

• The work demands and hours are enormous. Job stress and burnout are high in this career field. Every day is a stressful day at work. Some people thrive on drama, others just burn out. You have to love high energy and conflict to love this job. You should also have some downtime that gives you the reassurance that not everyone in the world is a criminal. Many officers dedicate time and energy to non-profit organizations, helping others in the community.

• It’s hard to have a normal family life when you’re a police officer. Because officers are reluctant to admit they have personal problems for fear of jeopardizing their careers, there is often a high incidence of alcohol and substance abuse. Suicide rates are higher than average in this profession. Due to the long hours and overtime, many officers do not make it home in time to share meals with their families.

However, most police officers admit that, given the opportunity, they would not choose another profession. They love their job. Some of the benefits they mention are:

1. Great job benefits, including insurance, paid vacations, sick leave, pension plans, uniforms, and weapons.

2. Employment opportunities are expected to remain high as crime rates rise. You will have a clear advantage in competing for job offers if you score well on both the physical and mental portions of your tests. Those with a college background have an even better chance of getting hired.

3. In most of the community police officers they are given respect and admiration by the citizens. In a society where we are always looking for heroes, police officers are often given that title.

4. Variety and challenge oriented people love this job. Additionally, those leaving the military find an easy transition into this job.

5. Police work offers a variety of types of work within the force. You may be an officer who rides horses in patrol cars, cars, boats, helicopters, motorcycles, bicycles, or on foot during your work shift.

6. While this is not the highest wage market, the job is stable and the paychecks are dependent.

7. You can retire after 20 years with an income of ½ salary.

8. According to Owain F. Carter, you have the opportunity to risk your life for people you don’t know and some who don’t care about you. But best of all, you learn to love life because you get to see and deal with death every day.

If you have the courage, health, and ability to quit your job at the end of the day; If you have values ​​that include a love of family and community and if you love the adrenaline rush of your workday, every day, then police work is the job for you.

A wide variety of police jobs are available in different fields:

• Forest ranger

• military police

• fight against terrorism

• Surveillance

• Child protection

• diplomatic protection

• Undercover detectives (drug repression, vice, organized crime)

• Investigate major crimes, such as fraud, rape, murder, robbery, and human or drug trafficking.

• K-9 Controller

• bomb squad

• Special Assignment Unit (SWAT)

• Field Training Officer

• gang squad officer

• School Resource Officer

• Helicopter pilot

• jails or prisons

Job titles are varied and you can easily find one that suits your personality. It is always better to know what to expect from your career choice, before making that decision.

If police work is still calling you, go ahead and email or call your local police department and ask for an application. You will take a civil service exam and you will also take a physical exam that tests your agility, strength, vision, and hearing.

If these tests are passed, you will be required to take lie detector and drug tests and a series of interviews with the police department. If he is accepted, he will be sent to the police academy for a period of three months to a year and then out on the streets to start his job.