Law Enforcement Officer Essay

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Law enforcement officers will always be a position that is in demand here in the United States. This is ever so evident since the first known law enforcement system was created in America over 350 years ago. (Johnson, 1981). From its most humble beginnings with the Sheriff and the Constables being appointed to the current structures that exist today where there is an application process and an election process. Times have changed and so has the qualifications needed to fill these positions of law enforcement. Gone are the days of where you just walked into an office and said you wanted to be a deputy and were handed a badge. The process is more grueling now and has changed to fit the needs of the ever changing populations. Take a few of the agencies in the State of Texas. Texas has Sheriffs, Constables, City Police, and School District Police just to name some of the agencies. The hiring process, qualifications, and trainings may differ from agency to agency but they all have one goal, to enforce the laws. Each agency has its own system of phases for recruitment and hiring. The agencies normally start with a short application to get basic information about you and you then need to take an exam known as a civil service exam. This exam was created to test an applicants’ basic knowledge on items such as reading, comprehension, …show more content…
If you look at it on paper it seems rather daunting and a bit intrusive, but in reality it is not as bad as it looks. There will be some that outshine others on paper, but it doesn’t mean they will be a better officer. The type of officer depends on the type of person and that person’s strength and commitment. The academy will teach you the basics of what you need to know, but not enough to survive. The journey really begins when you hit the streets after your FTO or PTO and you have to make split second decisions on your own. The journey is definitely worth it and the rewards are

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