A police officer (also known as a constable in some countries) is employed in most cases by federal, state/provincial or municipal governments and has the responsibility (or duty) of enforcing federal, state/provincial laws along with municipal/city ordinances. They also have the responsibility of keeping the public peace. This is usually done by uniformed pra-active patrolling within their jurisdiction looking for and investigating law breakers, and by responding to calls for service. Police officers are required to keep notes of all situations in which they take action and appear as witnesses during both criminal prosecutions and civil litigation. One of the lesser-known but most time-consuming duties of officers is completion of documentation of activity ("reporting").
It must be noted that the responsibilities of a police officer/constable are extremely broad and not in any way limited to the duties mentioned above. Police are expected to be able to respond in some fashion to any and all situations that may arise while they are on duty. Also police must act as government officials in the cases of investigation. In some communities rules and procedures governing conduct and duties of police officers requires that they act if needed even when off duty.
People depend on police officers and detectives to protect their lives and property. Law enforcement officers, some of whom are State or Federal special agents or inspectors, perform these duties in a variety of ways, depending on the size and type of their organization. In most jurisdictions, they are expected to exercise authority when necessary, whether on or off duty.
Uniformed police officers have general law enforcement duties, including maintaining regular patrols and responding to calls for service. They may direct traffic at the scene of an accident, investigate a burglary, or give first aid to an accident victim. In large police departments, officers usually are assigned to a specific type of duty. Many urban police agencies are involved in community policing'a practice in which an officer builds relationships with the citizens of local neighborhoods and mobilizes the public to help fight crime.
Some police officers specialize in such diverse fields as chemical and microscopic analysis, training and firearms instruction, or handwriting and fingerprint identification. Others work with special units, such as horseback, bicycle, motorcycle or harbor patrol; canine corps; special weapons and tactics (SWAT); or emergency response teams. A few local and special law enforcement officers primarily perform jail-related duties or work in courts. Regardless of job duties or location, police officers and detectives at all levels must write reports and maintain meticulous records that will be needed if they testify in court.
Sheriffs and deputy sheriffs enforce the law on the county level. Sheriffs are usually elected to their posts and perform duties similar to those of a local or county police chief. Sheriffs? departments tend to be relatively small, most having fewer than 50 sworn officers. Deputy sheriffs have law enforcement duties similar to those of officers in urban police departments.
State police officers (sometimes called State troopers or highway patrol officers) arrest criminals Statewide and patrol highways to enforce motor vehicle laws and regulations. State police officers are best known for issuing traffic citations to motorists. At the scene of accidents, they may direct traffic, give first aid, and call for emergency equipment.
Detectives are plainclothes investigators who gather facts and collect evidence for criminal cases. Some are assigned to interagency task forces to combat specific types of crime. They conduct interviews, examine records, observe the activities of suspects, and participate in raids or arrests.
Police and detective work can be very dangerous and stressful. In addition to the obvious dangers of confrontations with criminals, police officers and detectives need to be constantly alert and ready to deal appropriately with a number of other threatening situations. Many law enforcement officers witness death and suffering resulting from accidents and criminal behavior. A career in law enforcement may take a toll on their private lives.
Police and sheriff's patrol officers had median annual earnings of $45,210 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $34,410 and $56,360. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $26,910, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $68,880. Median annual earnings were $44,750 in Federal Government, $48,980 in State government, and $45,010 in local government. The opportunity for public service through law enforcement work is attractive to many because the job is challenging and involves much personal responsibility. Furthermore, law enforcement officers in many agencies may retire with a pension after 25 or 30 years of service, allowing them to pursue a second career while still in their 40s or 50s. Because of relatively attractive salaries and benefits, the number of qualified candidates exceeds the number of job openings in Federal law enforcement agencies and in most State police departments?resulting in increased hiring standards and selectivity by employers.
Candidates must be U.S. citizens, usually must be at least 20 years of age, and must meet rigorous physical and personal qualifications. Physical examinations for entrance into law enforcement often include tests of vision, hearing, strength, and agility. Eligibility for appointment usually depends on performance in competitive written examinations and previous education and experience. In larger departments, where the majority of law enforcement jobs are found, applicants usually must have at least a high school education, and some departments require a year or two of college coursework. Federal and State agencies typically require a college degree. Candidates should enjoy working with people and meeting the public.
Because personal characteristics such as honesty, sound judgment, integrity, and a sense of responsibility are especially important in law enforcement, candidates are interviewed by senior officers, and their character traits and backgrounds are investigated. In some agencies, candidates are interviewed by a psychiatrist or a psychologist or given a personality test. Most applicants are subjected to lie detector examinations or drug testing.
Before their first assignments, officers usually go through a period of training. In State and large local departments, recruits get training in their agency's police academy, often for 12 to 14 weeks. In small agencies, recruits often attend a regional or State academy. Training includes classroom instruction in constitutional law and civil rights, State laws and local ordinances, and accident investigation. Recruits also receive training and supervised experience in patrol, traffic control, use of firearms, self-defense, first aid, and emergency response. Police departments in some large cities hire high school graduates who are still in their teens as police cadets or trainees.
Police Detectives as Portrayed in the Media
Police detective TV series are on the rise. In fact, not one, but three Crime Scene Investigators or CSI TV series are available for public viewing: CSI New York, CSI Miami and CSI Las Vegas. Before, televiewers were already content with the action and suspense scenes that were packaged with police and detective TV shows, but now, they are clamoring for more.
It seems that the adventure and mysterious air that comes along with a police or detective work sparked the curiosity of televiewers. People do not only want to know whodunit; they want to know the ?How? of catching the perpetrator. These wants of televiewers are the inspiration behind the creation of the CSI TV series and other similar TV shows.
What people don't know, however, is that police detectives have an important and risky job that can bring a sense of excitement and adventure as well as fear and grief. Also, what is usually presented on TV is a filtered and hyped-up version of a police detective's life.
Police Detectives of the Real World
Job wise, the detective processes are more painstaking and laborious. It usually takes more time and effort from a police detective to solve a crime than what is depicted in TV shows.
For example, a particular case may require a police detective to interview each and every person in a neighborhood within five blocks from the crime scene. Now, interviews and inquiries are all part of a detective's work. Imagine the effort required from a detective to get to know different types of people?having different personalities and coming from different societies and races?make them feel safe and comfortable, while at the same time assessing their answers and reviewing their actions or reactions if they have some knowledge on the case. At the end of the day, a police detective has to filter out the interviews and scan the possibilities to at least figure out a suspect or lead.
The work of a police detective is also characterized by a chain of command present in military and police organizations. One subordinate police detective might be doing a particular work under a case while another does something different under the same case, although both are in the dark, unaware of the real objective of their work. Their superior will be the one collating the data for analysis of yet another subordinate police detective.
A police detective is also burdened with redundancy. To the eyes of a layman, redundancy may seem boring but to the police detective, it is more of a necessity that grows in you. For example, a police detective like all police and military personnel are required to undergo the daily practice of handling their service firearms. Why, because these are guns that commands a responsibility from the owner.
There is also the issue of moral and ethical pressure on the police detective. For one, each day in their work, a police detective is faced with multiple temptations to act on something to their advantage. They will always be tempted to abuse their position and authority as enforcers of the law, especially since they are licensed to carry firearms.
As you can see, the real police detective is not your typical hero of the day as depicted in TV shows that people believe will always do the right thing. In the real world, these people are always faced with a choice to do the wrong or right thing.
What Does A Police Detective Do?
A police detective conducts investigations to be able to solve crimes or prevent one from happening. When a crime is committed, a police detective will examine the crime scene, obtain clues, and gather evidence to try to piece together a real-life puzzle.
Throughout the duration of the case, the police detective will have to record its progress and keep tabs on suspects by maintaining contact with them directly or indirectly. After sufficient evidence has been gathered, he can submit a report to his superior recommending for the issuance of a warrant for the suspect. Only a commanding officer or a magistrate can authorize a warrant.
Handling a case can be quite a journey for a police detective; he will have to look into every possibility while at the same time maintaining the necessary course of the case. Information can be gathered from governmental agencies, and from the result of interviews of complainants or witnesses. More so, the course of the case will be supported further by conducting polygraph tests on the suspects, and depending on the clues obtained from the crime scene, fingerprint tests and other related tests can be conducted to fortify evidence.
The work of a police detective, however, does not end here. A police detective will afterwards have to testify before the courts and stand as a witness. He will have to testify on the truthfulness and accuracy of his investigation for it to have a bearing before the court.
Characteristics Of A Police Detective
A police detective has to have certain characteristics to be able to experience growth in his career. Basic abilities such as reading comprehension and writing, and speaking are important necessities. He needs to be able to communicate effectively in both written and oral aspects, as well as be capable of understanding formed sentences and paragraphs.
A police detective must be capable of active learning. Active learning is simply to understand or perceive the possible implications of new information relative to the case. A clue is hard to come by without a perception of its relevance.
Critical thinking is also important to a police detective. He must use logic and reasoning to be able to identify the right solution to a problem. There are also numerous approaches to a problem which a police detective has to choose from. The work of a police detective comes to its most challenging part when he is evaluating and analyzing the clues and evidence and trying to make sense out of it.
Customarily, a police detective uses more of his brain and social skills than his body in his work. Though, in real life, a police detective can never be really sure he has the need to sprint a mile during police operations. Such work entails that the police detective be physically able to defend or attack a known assailant. He must also be adept in handling his service firearm.