Police Work And Related Fields Essay, Research Paper

Police Work and Related Fields

Bryan Watson

Block F

December 1 1995

CO-OP Christmas exam

1. The working conditions of a police officer can vary from easy to

stressful situations where the officers life and the lives of others are

threatened. The officer must deal with these situations in the way they feel is

best but sometimes the officer cannot deal with this situation on their own and

they have to call in backup witch can help them deal with the situation.

CHANGING IN THE WORK PLACE

In these times of change many work places are finding it necessary to change

the ways in which they do business. The RCMP for example are moving into a more

community based policing. This makes the police more accessible to the community.

In this new system the RCMP try to solve the problem if they are repeatedly

called to the same home for domestic disputes they will stay for how ever long

it takes to find the route of the problem, where as if they were to encounter

the same situation their policy was to arrive in two minutes and stay for 20

minutes. This new program is the starting stages and already it has had great

reviews and great public support, as it brings the police closer to the

community. Another part of this community based policing is that there are crime

prevention comities that are run by various community groups that have monthly

meetings with the police. A police officer starts their career with on the job

training and then they move on to become a constable where they must be able to

relocate to any part of the country where they are positioned. In order for an

officer to advance tier career they may have to switch divisions where their

careers may excel. The work values for a police officer is to uphold the law,

patrol assigned areas and maintain public safety. They also participate in

public information groups and safety programs.

2. The nature of the work is always changing as crimes are becoming more and

more sophisticated, as well as there is no set times that any crimes will happen

so their jobs are always different. The job of a police officer is always

different as they could be talking to various groups on any number of topics.

They could also be testifying in court in relation to an investigation they

participated in. Officers may also take calls on situations in which they can

provide counselling to the caller until help arrives or provide necessary

numbers of shelters and food banks.

3. The outlook in this field is good although an officer could go through the

six month training program at the ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE TRAINING

facilities in Regina Saskatchewan, but when an officer is finished they are not

necessarily guaranteed a job as the RCMP as the officers are selected as to

their qualities and what degrees that you may have from universities or colleges.

This training that you receive may be useful in finding a career in a city or

provincial police department.

GROWTH IN THIS FIELD

The projected growth in the field of law enforcement from the years 1995-

2000 is 0.65% and the projected growth rate for commissioned police officers is

0.72% from the years 1995-2000. This doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be

more demand for commissioned police officers as the public is more and more

dissatisfied with the RCMP and other police organizations. This information was

provided from the Canadian Occupational projection system (COPS). Commissioned

police officers work for the municipal, provincial and Federal agencies.

4. The starting salary for a police officer in at entry level is around $30,000

and the average yearly wage of a regular officer is around $49,000 and those at

the top of the field can earn up to $64,000 per year. Commissioned officers earn

at entry level $50,000 and the average commissioned officer earns $66,000 while

those at the top of the field earn up to $80,000.

5. Qualifications and or skills that would help a person to become a police

officer are sense of responsibility, successful completion of CPR courses and

survival swimming courses. You must also have a high school diploma and if you

have any post secondary education it would certainly be an asset if it is a

degree in social sciences such as sociology and or criminology. At the time of

entry into the RCMP training facility you must also have a valid drivers license

and before you are allowed to drive a patrol car(once you have been posted) you

must have at least 16,000 km of driving experience.

6. Some spin off fields of work that a police officer can use his/her training

or skills in are:

Police officer

^

Commissioned police officer

^ ^

Private Detective Sheriffs and Bailiffs

^ ^

Store Detective Security Guards

7. Some advantages and disadvantages that are associated with this field of work

as stated by officers in the field are:

Advantages

– A sense of good for helping others

– The variety of the job in each day

– Being able to help individuals who are victims of a crime or

An accident.

– being able to meet all kinds of different people

Disadvantages

– The probability of injury or death on the job

– Working nights, weekends, and holidays

– being on call 24 hours a day

– Working long hours during an emergency

– Moving around the country

8. Post secondary education that is required for the job of a police officer

are: A degree in sociology and or criminology, training at the RCMP training

facility in Regina or you could attend Holland college in PEI(Which is a

training facility were officers for city and commissioned officers) You should

also attend a university were you could receive a degree in sociology or

criminology. Entrance requirements for in trance into these courses at

universities are English and it is suggested that you have a high school credit

for sociology, modern word problems and law.

9. Questions that you should ask yourself before perusing a career as a Police

Officer are:

a) Do I have the necessary education to Perdue this career?

B) Can I preform the to physical and mental demands of the job?

C) Can I adjust to another part of the country if I am transferred?

D) Can I handle going to a crime scene where there is a victim of a homicide or

suicide?

e) Can I preform under a great deal of stress?

F) Can I preform to the social and mental demands of this job?

G) Can I keep my physical condition within the parameters of the job?

H) how will this job effect my present and or future family?

I) could I testify in court and participats in community outreach programs

effectively?

10.Steps that I will need to take to better Perdue this career are: To study

harder at my school work, take and pass both a CPR and survival swimming course,

I must also get my physical condition up to the necessary levels and maintain

that level for the duration of my being a police officer.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Discover program on the network at A.D.H.S,1995

Saint Mary’s 1995-96 school calender – from student services.

Talking with officers in the fiel on how they feel about thier job and what is

required of them on the job.

Post secondary education day in the gym on the 29th of November I talked with a

representative of Holland college