Being a cop is not an easy job... free essay sample

Being a cop is not an easy job. There are many skills required to even enter an academy. The police force is a well known career and should be taken very seriously when deciding that you want to be involved in it. Cops work hard every day to keep everyone safe. There are many skills required to become a good cop. This consists of being in good, physical condition, mental stability, and good communication skills. Take time to appreciate the work that cops do in protecting your community.First off to become a cop one must be very active and be in very good physical shape. In the everyday life of law enforcement there is no way to tell what troopers will be facing so cops have to be ready for anything and everything. Even if youre in very good shape, applying to be a police officer requires commitment to fitness. The physical fitness tests for police officers include specific requirements for speed, distance and strength, in addition to passing scores on vision and hearing tests. Preparing for a physical fitness test as part of your police officer application is a major undertaking for most people. (Stewart. Web) When trying to become a police officer, cadets will be put to the test more than once. There are multiple physical tests to train for such as a running test of 3 miles in a certain amount of time, an obstacle course, and finally a strength test. In a strength test recruits are required to do so many pushups/sit-ups in one minute and have a certain bench press. All of these times, however, will vary from department to department. Follow a healthy diet that includes a variety of foods and drink plenty of water. (Livestrong.web). Following these steps and having these abilities will help tremendously when chasing a suspect on foot, climbing fences or even fighting. Staying in shape helps ensure success when forced into these activities. Another big reason to stay in shape is so one will be more likely to stay away from injury and illness. Though many may not think it by looking at some officers, physical fitness is an important part to any law enforcement career. Also, police officers must have the ability to solve problems and use good judgment in the course of their day-to-day work. People are going to look up to officers as a figure of authority and in many cases, they are going to go to law enforcement to seek help about a problem they have. Using good judgment is a skill that all police officers should have because it could be needed in emergency situations where the circumstances arent exactly clear-cut and gray areas leave a lot of room for interpretation. In times like these cops must rely on their own evaluation of the situation to determine the action that should performed. It may be necessary to make these decisions quickly even under the most difficult circumstances. Cops must be able to take charge and lead people to safety. Police officers can not freak out and over react in stressful situations. When people see someone in the law enforcement they automatically think that cops are trained and know what to do. So in these situations they are going to look to you to ensure their safety. An officer is called upon to make hundreds of decisions throughout the course of a day, often using a combination of instinct, research, proper procedure, and analysis. While some problem-solving abilities come with years of experience, its still important to be able to make snap decisions at the beginning of your career. (lindenwood.web) Another key in having good judgment is knowing when to say nothing and not react. Even when a suspect insults or abuses you, losing your cool can interfere with your ability to enforce the law. Police officers are hated by many and will often get hatred looks and rude comments. You must be able to know the difference between your emotions and the law. People do not understand that cops are just looking out for their safety they just simply believe that you are out to get them. Another key attribute needed to becoming a good cop is having very good communication skills. The most successful law enforcement officers are able to effectively communicate with their colleagues, fellow officers and the general public. In situations of life and death officers must keep cool and have very good communication skills. This can be anywhere from convincing a criminal to stand down and confess to helping talk to and calm down a victim. Officers must also be able to read the victim and determine how to handle the situation. They use communication to build trust, create transparency and foster an atmosphere of mutual respect and empathy, be it in the office, on the streets or in the courtroom. (san Diego. Web) Public safety leaders at San Diego university tell how crucial it is that cops have good communication skills. Another way cops use communication is to stop bad situations so they dont get worse. To do this they use something called de-escalation. De-escalation in policing is a technique that attempts to reverse the long taught and encouraged method of applying force to control a situation. Instead it attempts to stop a situation through peaceful means such as speaking calmly, showing empathy and asking open-ended questions to engage them in a real dialogue rather than demanding answers and showing displays of power and authority. Many departments are starting to emphasize on this tactic such as Chicago police department and Las Vegas metropolitan. So without communication daily things seen in a law enforcers life could end way worse and cause much more damage. So as you can see the job is not for everyone. Being a good cop takes hard work and dedication. You must have both physical and mental strengths. Working in the law enforcement is not all fun and games like the television may show you. If youre just looking to get in fight and goof off the police force is not for you. So if youre considering making law enforcement your career, make sure to have what it takes.