Why do police officers want to be police officers?

Thaddeus,

As a bouncer, you must be use to shfit work and mid week days off. As a rookie police officer, you're going to have years of it. You may miss out on a lot of family or social gatherings and become isolated from your present friends. If your family understands and adapts, then your transition will be easier. Wear rubber gloves and remember, the person with wet pants whom you've patted down didn't just walk out of the rain.

4V50 Gary

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
Power. Law enforcement officers should learn and understand that power and responsibility are equal. Many do not.

I have asked this question before, and always, at some point, the word or idea of power comes out. The key to being a quality LEO is responsibility. GLV
 
While Responsibility is importnat, it is important with any job which confers any power.. There are mutual components.. impossible to seperate. To have one, you must have the other in order to be successful, no matter what your undertaking.

The key to good law enforcement, dealing with people, excercising your power and dealing with responsibility, avoiding political sink holes and solving crimes, IMHO, is common sense.

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-Essayons
 
Psychology note:

I have always felt that all human behavior relates to the seeking of power.

The making of money is not about money in itself, it is the power that money can buy.

The seeking of political office is the seeking of power.

Sex is a means of gaining power over others, although men and women use it differently.

Becoming a guard, a police officer, a doctor, is seeking power.

Those too who feel too weak to exercise power themselves still want power and are envious of those who have it, so they become advocates for laws to reduce the power of others (extreme taxation) or to require police to exercise power for them (confiscate guns).

Jim
 
Curiously enough, I am considering quitting everything else I am currently doing and going full time LE.

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-Essayons

[This message has been edited by Rob (edited May 04, 1999).]
 
Common sense is not common. Power corrupts. If law enforcement is anything like flying, it will be hour upon hour of boredom followed by occasional seconds of stark terror. GLV
 
That would be a shallow comparison, as you have left out occassional adrenyline rushes which you can hardly get anywhere else (which are part of flying) and distinct moments of complete satisfaction in knowing that you did a good thing accompanied by feelings of victory when a particularly important break is made in a case.

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-Essayons
 
This thing about power disturbs me. While it is true that some folks want to become LEO because of the allure of power (or the love of the uniform/badge and other trappings), it is my belief that the vast majority do because of their community service orientation.

The exercise of "power" cannot be discretionary and must be based upon the Constitution and the body of laws interpreting it. Violation of the Constitution or the laws opens the individuals to civil liability which all aspiring recruits are warned of time and time again in the academy. Further, Dept. Administrators, Watch Commanders and Sergeants also don't want to be sued because of the inappropriate action of their subordinate. Granted that there are bad apples out there who don't care, but the vast majority of LEOs still believe in upholding the Constitution and abiding by it. They also know that power is never without responsibility and that abuse of the former results in being relieved from the latter. That's why most agencies have IA: to maintain the integrity of the department.

Folks who want the job because of the gun and the power and the thrill of exercising it are passed over by consciencous background investigators of "decent" agencies.

Most cops I know who have been in over 10 years are "trapped" and have few alternatives. It's not the wielding of power which keeps them there but the same thing which keeps most of us at our jobs: financial and family obligations.
 
The issue of power has many sides, so I'm going to try to keep this short and focused.

Firstly, I want to say that I agree whole-heartedly with Jim. In a sense, everybody wants to be empowered. Because ultimately, the pursuit of power is the desire to improve one's own condition in life. But how power is obtained and maintained is the main concern. To put it in grossly simplistic terms, power is either obtained at the expense of others, or through mutual cooperation.

I hope we choose to empower ourselves through mutual cooperation. I can try to present my case as to why I believe mutual cooperation is the better approach, but it would make the post too long. And for mutual cooperation to flourish, we need to be in a social environment where order and harmony is maintained to the best of our ability.

I'm sure it's true that there are those who enter the LE community for the power that goes with the shield. Of course, veterans will tell you that this is mostly a naively and foolish notion. In fact, sometimes, it can be quite the opposite.

To be fair, there are also those who enter it because they've had a positive influence in the past from those within the LE field. There are those who enter it because they've had a past traumatic experience and would like to do something about it. And there are also those who enter the LE community because they believe in trying to help make society a safer, better place to live in. I like to think I am one of those.

[This message has been edited by SB (edited May 06, 1999).]
 
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