When asked to name a law enforcement job, a police officer is usually the first career that comes to people's minds. Police officers are the frontline of the criminal justice system, charged with upholding the law and maintaining the public peace. Like firefighters and EMTs, police officers are amongst the first people to respond to an emergency.
Few jobs in criminal justice are as challenging or potentially dangerous as police work. A successful police officer can keep his or her head in a crisis, be diplomatic and even-tempered, and adapt quickly to stressful or threatening situations.
Police officers have a number of responsibilities. Depending on the type of law enforcement job you chose, you could be collecting evidence at crime scenes, patrolling neighborhood beats, settling domestic disputes, responding to traffic accidents or providing crowd control. Sometimes an officer must give testimony in law courts.
Police officers patrol on foot or in police cruisers. Some use motorcycles, bicycles, or horses for mobility. Other officers work with police dogs to catch criminals and sniff out drugs or bomb materials.
Police work can't be summed up as a single law enforcement job. Multiple criminal justice careers make up the police force. Here are some of the more common types of police work:
The workweek for most police officers is 40 hours, with longer work hours and overtime pay to be expected. Law enforcement is always needed, so police work weekends and night shifts, and may be called into work on very short notice if there is a sudden need for more on-duty officers.
The average annual salary for police officers and sheriff's officers is between $35,600 and $59,880. The lowest ten percent of officers receive less than $27,310, while, officers in the highest ten percent of salaries receive over $72,450.
Higher ranking law enforcement jobs offer more competitive pay. Detectives, police chiefs and other high-ranking officers make an average of $53,900 to $83,940 a year, with the top ten percent making over $104,410 annually.
In order to become a police officer you need to be a U.S. citizen over the age of twenty years. You cannot be a convicted felon, and must be in good physical shape. Applicants also need a high school diploma or a GED.
Applicants must pass both written and physical examinations to qualify for law enforcement jobs in police departments. Once accepted into the force, new recruits complete 12 to 14 weeks of police academy training, where they receive instruction in the following areas:
Although not essential, many law enforcement agencies strongly recommend new applicants earn criminal justice degrees before applying for law enforcement jobs.
Higher-ranking and administrative positions usually require a degree in criminal justice, pubic administration or justice administration, and as competition for higher positions is often intense, detectives and officers often chose to continue their education while on the job. State and federal police jobs may require such degrees as prerequisites.
The general outlook for law enforcement jobs looks good, with new applicants needed on a regular basis. Competition is highest for urban positions and higher ranked positions.
Many police officers retire on half pay after 20 to 25 years of service and move into other criminal justice careers. Ex-police officers may find employment as private investigators, security experts, correctional officers or other jobs in criminal justice.
There are many state, national and international associations for people working law enforcement jobs. Contacting such organizations can be valuable for anyone considering criminal justice careers. The following is a select group of associations focused on law enforcement jobs: