The life of a police officer comes with many different factors. They have to become a part of the police subculture and personality, the must have integrity, and they face many dangers that they must deal with. There is a lot that people do not see that comes with being a police officer that others do not see. It has a meaning all its own that separates them from other servicemen.
First up when it comes to the life of a police officer is the personality and culture. Police officers are a part of a subculture that is “the set of informal values which characterize the police force as a distinct community with a common identity.” (Schmalleger, 2014, p. 166) This is what makes an officer street wise, which means that they know what the policy is …show more content…
A police officer has to be able to withstand corruption. This can come in the form of an officer using their “police authority for personal or organizational gain” (Schmalleger, 2014, p. 167). This could be an officer using their role to intimidate others into letting them get away with something or for some type of monetary gain. They can also force corruption from outside sources. They could have people trying to bribe them for favors or threaten them ino tampering into evidence. Police offers have all of these different temptations of corruptions coming at them that they must have a strong sense and force of integrity to do their jobs. They have to have strong morals and values and be prepared to hold to them no matter what. If they cannot hold to them it is a good possibility that they could fall victim to …show more content…
These dangers can come in many forms. The most common form is violence. There is always a chance that an officer can be harmed in some way to include death in the line of duty. They can go to a call for a domestic disturbance and be assaulted or killed due to them just doing their jobs. Another danger they face is the unknown medical status of the civilians they encounter. An officer rarely knows the health status of the offenders they encounter and offenders who knew that they have an infectious disease can use their bodily fluids as a biological weapon (Schmalleger, 2014). An officer could be bit, spit on, or have blood on them and be immediately exposed to whatever infectious disease the offender may be caring and that could be anything from HIV/AIDS to Hepatitis. They are constantly faced with the unknown of what an offender is capable of doing. Other dangers officers face a lot of stress. An example of stress an officer can face can be clearly seen in the accounts made by officers who were employed in New Orleans at the time of hurricane Katrina. Chief Riley gave accounts about feeling helpless for not being able to offer any one in the shelter any real help that would ease any of their suffering (Schmalleger, 2014). There is also the effect of long term stress they face. Frustration with continuously working hard to make their communities better and safer, but seeing no real change can cause a substantial
First up when it comes to the life of a police officer is the personality and culture. Police officers are a part of a subculture that is “the set of informal values which characterize the police force as a distinct community with a common identity.” (Schmalleger, 2014, p. 166) This is what makes an officer street wise, which means that they know what the policy is …show more content…
A police officer has to be able to withstand corruption. This can come in the form of an officer using their “police authority for personal or organizational gain” (Schmalleger, 2014, p. 167). This could be an officer using their role to intimidate others into letting them get away with something or for some type of monetary gain. They can also force corruption from outside sources. They could have people trying to bribe them for favors or threaten them ino tampering into evidence. Police offers have all of these different temptations of corruptions coming at them that they must have a strong sense and force of integrity to do their jobs. They have to have strong morals and values and be prepared to hold to them no matter what. If they cannot hold to them it is a good possibility that they could fall victim to …show more content…
These dangers can come in many forms. The most common form is violence. There is always a chance that an officer can be harmed in some way to include death in the line of duty. They can go to a call for a domestic disturbance and be assaulted or killed due to them just doing their jobs. Another danger they face is the unknown medical status of the civilians they encounter. An officer rarely knows the health status of the offenders they encounter and offenders who knew that they have an infectious disease can use their bodily fluids as a biological weapon (Schmalleger, 2014). An officer could be bit, spit on, or have blood on them and be immediately exposed to whatever infectious disease the offender may be caring and that could be anything from HIV/AIDS to Hepatitis. They are constantly faced with the unknown of what an offender is capable of doing. Other dangers officers face a lot of stress. An example of stress an officer can face can be clearly seen in the accounts made by officers who were employed in New Orleans at the time of hurricane Katrina. Chief Riley gave accounts about feeling helpless for not being able to offer any one in the shelter any real help that would ease any of their suffering (Schmalleger, 2014). There is also the effect of long term stress they face. Frustration with continuously working hard to make their communities better and safer, but seeing no real change can cause a substantial