Questions to Ask Yourself as a Police Hopeful
I recently had a conversation with a colleague of mine about what we should communicate to people considering a career in law enforcement.
My colleague, who helps with recruit training, said the following question should be asked of all police hopefuls:
“Why do you want to be a police officer?”
Most will give the appropriate answer of wanting to help people, of wanting to give back to their communities, and of wanting to make a difference. While all of these answers are just and true, and are all issues any new/prospective recruit should be thinking about, the real answer lies in how the question is answered.
There should be some element of wanting to catch the bad guy.
Yes, you read that correctly. For all the political correctness in this world, there remains the need to put bad guys in jail. To do so, a police officer has to think like a bad guy to catch one, and has to educate him/herself on how crooks commit crime, how bad guys flee crime scenes, as well as the patterns and nuances of actual crimes. I covered this in some detail last year with a post about mind set, but it is important enough to bring up again.
Another question that any new officer or prospect needs to ask themselves is whether or not they are ready/willing/able to use force when it is required. Much of policing utilizes an officers skill at verbal judo, but there are times when force is a necessity.
So, if you are a police hopeful, ask yourself the following:
- Are you ready to protect yourself and others by using the appropriate level of force to control the situation?
- Are you ready to use lethal force to protect yourself and/or others from grievous bodily harm and/or death?
This means looking at who you are as a person. Look deep down inside.
For all it’s job security, policing is a job that requires quite a bit of courage and a readiness to do battle if called upon. You need to be able to step up and take control of volitile situations, verbally or physically, and you have to have the maturity and where-with-all to explain why you took the action you did. You have to expect to be challenged, to be confronted, to be physically and verbally assaulted.
If these are questions you can answer in the affirmative, then law enforcement just might be the career for you.
4. February 2010 at 9:22 pm :
Someone I know said “I’d like a job where I have the freedom to decide what I do. Yes, I’m running traffic, but it’s my call as to which street, which citation, which ticket.” 15 years later, he seems happy.
I don’t know if he ever asked himself those questions. I’ll ask when he gets home from swat training.
5. February 2010 at 10:08 am :
Good post.
I think another misconception about policing is that you don’t get to start in any assignment that you want. A new officer is assigned to patrol and should be eager to learn the profession from the street level.
5. February 2010 at 10:20 am :
Spot on, Slam Dunk. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard people say that want to join the SWAT team. Like they’ll just go “sign up” and that’ll be their first policing job. Ummmm… yeah, doesn’t QUITE work that way.
5. February 2010 at 1:12 pm :
Thanks for putting this up.
When I applied for VPD, I likely wasn’t ready to carry out the duties of the job. I ended up giving up on the POPAT because it was “too hard”.
I ended up withdrawing from VPD to get a fresh start elsewhere and it’s been much better. I’ve put a lot more work into the application, the fitness is up where it needs to be and I’ve been told to expect the “yea or nay” phone call in about two weeks. I don’t want to get my hopes up too much, but Iv’e been told things “don’t look bad” so we shall see.
As a LPO I’ve seen just a glimpse of what “bad guys” are capable of. This job is mostly boring, it’s why policing and being able to enforce multiple peices of legislation, instead of two sections of the criminal code is appealing. As an LPO, you get to see professional criminals, normal people who have given in to “opportunity”, people stealing to break even on a job/food, misguided kids and even one who did it out of mental illness(That guy is not on my “Wall of shame”, because I felt really sorry for him).
I understand your point on force, namely because if you aren’t willing to use force(which people don’t realize includes raising your voice), people will exploit your weakness and you will fail, or worse. I am so lucky to have the benefit of dozens of “free” mistakes that I won’t make in a police unifrom.
A friend recently challenged me on my facebook status as a joke and said that I should put something very politically correct about policework and the agency I am applying for. So, I typed something along the lines of me enjoying the feeling of interrupting a crime in progress.
With me, the reason for wanting to be a police officer is a two fold one. The first is that I NEED structure to be happy and to get my work done. I’ve been a military reservist since I was 17, went into it full time for a few months and realized I didn’t want that as a career. I thought I would need regular military time to be able to get into shape and apply for the police. I really just needed to try harder.
The second is that I wan’t my job to have a point besides a routine making other people money. The reward for me isn’t financial in what I choose to do, it has to be the accomplishment of doing something useful. Case in point, one of the guys I caught eventually went to jail, after deciding he couldn’t fit court into his busy day. He got eventually three months. I like the idea of working in patrol for however long, then doing something else(the department I’m applying for has some helicopters, that looks really interesting).
Thanks again for blogging, I enjoy reading it, especially the others you’ve linked to. It’s all very interesting and even helpful.
5. February 2010 at 5:43 pm :
Thanks for the post. These questions (particuarly the second one) has always been in the back of my mind and reading this post made me really think about it. I am reaffirmed that my answers are a definitive “yes” – even though I still have a lot more developing to go, I know that my passion for policing & its values will bring me there. Thanks again.
5. February 2010 at 6:50 pm :
Having sat on oral boards, another question that is important to be able to answer is, “What have you done to prepare yourself for this position?” It’s amazing how many people are taking by surprise by this question, and give the impression law enforcement was an arbitrary decision.
5. February 2010 at 6:51 pm :
Feel free to edit my grammatical errors
5. February 2010 at 10:45 pm :
I think the who you are as a person is really important. Especially remembering who you are. Don’t let a job/career change who you are deep down – meaning stay true to your values & beliefs because if you do get hired then they’re obviously the right qualities (or at least some of them
).
Remember that you are still human. I’m “just a voice at the other end of the radio”. Aside from a few friends on the job I don’t know most cops from Adam (or Eve). Yet I know where every single one of “my guys” are (if I’ve sent them there and often when I haven’t I know where they are too…mwhahahaha) and I’ve got their back. I hold their safety & well-being in such a high regard that I don’t care if I sometimes get a frustrated “we’re fine” when I’m checking a status. I’m human. I care. It was therefore EXTREMELY touching to have a good number of the guys from one of the districts show up in the trauma room at VGH last night when I unfortunately became part of a police file. They showed up for “just a voice at the other end of the radio”. With flowers, chocolates and well wishes. The PW who rode with me in the back of an ambulance as I lay on a spine board treated me as though I was her friend – keeping my spirits up, listening to me talk about absolute rubbish (because I was in shock & scared), asking if there were anything she could do for me. After we had parted company she called & left a voicemail on my phone primarily asking me if I was doing ok before getting down to the business of statements and stuff. Her boss called me to see how I was doing. Little old me ‘just a voice at the other end of the radio’.
Police Officers with a job to do but staying true to themselves and remembering that they are still human.
Could you?
6. February 2010 at 4:55 pm :
SD – I can’t believe how many people want to get into policing simply so they can go straight to CSI. When you tell them they have to 5+ years in patrol first they usually lose interest.
Applicant – good luck! It sounds as if you have made the decision at the right time in your life, and that perhaps the first go around had been too soon.
OH – best of luck to you as well!
Christopher – nice to see you’re still dropping by…and if I correct the grammar then people will get confused…
Nic – I hope you’re feeling better. Don’t scare me like that! Now I understand why you weren’t on radio yesterday morning…
7. February 2010 at 6:47 am :
Thank you for this post.
I’m only 18 and living in France and I’m contemplating a career in the police (probably in Canada) for many reasons. I have already asked myself these determinant questions and many more. I’m starting to realize it’s truly a job I’d love to do.
I so agree with you about people associating the word “police” to CSI – many ask me if I want to do that when I tell them about my desire to become a police officer. The answer usually is “you watch too much TV”
I’m currently studying law at university but apart from general knowledge, it’s frustrating to learn the basics to become a lawyer or a judge but never of a police officer. I hear that in Canada, many more subjects surrounding police work are developed like criminology and policing studies. Such a shame it is not the case here.
Thanks again for doing this wonderful blog!
8. February 2010 at 5:18 pm :
I would say if you want to help people, give back to your community, and make a difference, a good profession would be social worker, nurse, etc.
I am none of these valuable professions.
If you want to do that plus deal with people the rest of us don’t want to deal with, be a police officer.
I’m not a police officer either.
All of us are needed to make our cities safer.
Citizens as well.
8. February 2010 at 5:47 pm :
Well said, Chris.
8. February 2010 at 8:29 pm :
I’ve never thought of it that way before Chris – thank you… definately a whole new (and refreshing) perspective.
10. February 2010 at 1:17 pm :
Correct me, Sandra, if I am wrong, but after dealing with many police officers and learning a lot about the requirements of various departments for police applicants, it appears that anyone wishing to ENJOY being a police officer shoud be ready to:
1. Be physically active
2. Get along with a wide variety of people you would not want to hang out with
3. Be very, very patient
4. Be ready and able to have a small talk with either colleagues or the public. All shift long.
5. Have a strong bladder
6. Have high tolerance for shift work
7. Enjoy coffee
8. Be very good at verbal judo
9. Not mind tons of paperwork
10. Keep things in perspective
10. February 2010 at 2:05 pm :
Here it Goes – you are very correct on all point. The only addition I would add is Part 7(b). or tea. Mayn officers I know have coffeed themselves out.
17. February 2010 at 12:45 pm :
The bladder isn’t much of an issue, unless you’re stuck on a perimeter or a crime scene. A lot of convenience stores open up their restroom to you, which is pretty cool.