Police officer
A
police officer is a person who works for a
police force. It usually only refers to those who have been sworn in as law enforcement officers, and does not include civilian support personnel (some of whom may be uniformed and have certain limited enforcement powers).
A police officer (also known as a
constable in some countries) is employed in most cases by
federal,
state/
provincial or
municipal governments and has the responsibility (or duty) of enforcing federal, state/provincial
laws along with municipal/city
ordinances. They also have the responsibility of keeping the public peace. This is usually done by uniformed pro-active
patrolling within their
jurisdiction looking for and investigating
law breakers, and by responding to
calls for service. Police officers are required to keep notes of all situations in which they take action and appear as witnesses during both
criminal prosecutions and
civil litigation. One of the lesser-known but most time-consuming duties of officers is completion of
documentation of activity ("
reporting").
It must be noted that the responsibilities of a police officer/constable are extremely broad and not in any way limited to the duties mentioned above. Police are expected to be able to respond in some fashion to any and all situations that may arise while they are on duty. Also police must act as government officials in the cases of investigation. In some communities
rules and procedures governing conduct and duties of police officers requires that they act if needed even when off duty.
|
A Chicago police officer patrolling on a Segway |
In most Western legal systems, the major role of the police is to maintain order, keeping the peace through enforcement of laws and societal norms. They also function to discourage
deter and investigate
crimes, with particular emphases on crime against persons, property or the law, and the maintenance of public order, and if able to apprehend suspected perpetrator(s), to detain them, and inform the appropriate authorities. See
criminal law.
Police are often used as an
emergency service and may provide a public safety function at large gatherings, as well as in emergencies,
disasters, and
search and rescue situations. To provide a prompt response in emergencies, the police often coordinate their operations with
fire and
emergency medical services. In many countries there is a common
emergency service number that allows the police, firefighters or medical services to be summoned to an emergency.
Police are also responsible for reporting minor offences by issuing
citations which typically may result in the imposition of
fines, particularly for violations of
traffic law. Police sometimes involve themselves in the maintenance of public order, even where no legal transgressions have occurred — for example, in some
Australian jurisdictions, people who are
drunk and causing a public nuisance may be removed to a "drying-out centre" until they recover from the effects of the alcohol. Police are also trained in Basic First Aid such as
CPR.
In
socialist and
anarchist theory and analysis, the police are seen as the main force responsible for defending the interests of the
bourgeoisie and maintaining the
status quo, primarily by protecting
private property and
capital from the "dispossessed" classes (the "
proletariat"). Socialists and anarchists argue that although police are responsible for maintaining the safety of citizens, most crimes originate from
class inequality or the psychological effects of this as well as
hierarchy, and therefore that these crimes would not exist in a
classless and non-hierarchical society, where goods are evenly distributed and hierarchy has been removed.
Under
socialist theories of law, the law, and the state itself, are established to serve as a tool of the dominant class or classes of a society. In a Communist society, this has meant that law is intended to serve as a tool of the Communist party in promoting and protecting the revolution and overseeing the restructuring of society. In practice, this meant that police in Communist countries have had a role as
secret police against political opponents and dissidents against the Party. This has presented a challenge in many
post-Communist societies to establishing effective police institutions and the
rule of law as the vacuum following Party dominance and the memories of the activities of predecessors such as the
NKVD,
KGB,
Stasi and
Securitate left many post-Communist states without police forces widely considered legitimate or respectable.
In most countries, candidates for the police force must have completed some formal education. Increasing numbers of people are joining the police force who possess
tertiary education and in response to this many police forces have developed a "fast-track" scheme whereby those with
university degrees spend 2-3 years as a police constable before receiving promotion to higher ranks, such as sergants, inspectors etc.... (officers who work within the CID or plain clothes are not a higher rank, they merely do a slightly different job)Police officers are also recruited from those with experience in the military or security services. Most law enforcement agencies now have measurable
physical fitness requirements for officers. In the United States,
state laws codify state-wide qualification standards regarding age, education, criminal record, and training.
Police agencies are usually semi-
military in organization, so that with specified experience or training qualifications officers become eligible for promotion to a higher
supervisory rank, such as
sergeant. Promotion is not automatic and usually requires the candidate to pass some kind of examination, interview board or other selection procedure. Although promotion normally includes an increase in
salary, it also brings with it an increase in responsibility and for most, an increase in administrative paperwork.
After completing a certain period of service, officers may also apply for specialist positions, such as
detective,
police dog handler,
mounted police officer,
motorcycle officer,
water police officer, or
firearms officer (in forces which are not routinely armed).
In addition to any formal qualifications required, potential police officers should have a genuine interest in working with the public and possess an inquiring mind.
Police officers face many dangers in their jobs. Police officers are constantly being faced with the unknown and the unpredictable. They never truly know the outcome of any situation they enter into. This can make policing a dangerous profession. Dangers faced by police include death, increased risk of
infectious diseases, and serious and minor
trauma, both physical and emotional. These dangers are encountered in many different situations i.e. apprehension/arrest and investigation of criminals, conducting
vehicle stops, investigating people and crimes, protecting the public from dangerous situations or individuals, investigating traffic accidents and witnessing the carnage that often results from those accidents, responding to
suicides and directing
traffic.
Individuals are drawn to police work for many reasons. Among these often include a desire to protect the public and social order from criminals and danger; a desire to hold a position of respect and authority; a disdain for or antipathy towards criminals and rulebreakers; the professional challenges of the work; the employment benefits that are provided with civil service jobs in many countries; the sense of camaraderie that often holds among police; or a family tradition of police work or civil service. An important task of the recruitment activity of police agencies in many countries is screening potential candidates to determine the fitness of their character and personality for the work, often through background investigations and consultation with a psychologist.
In the
United States, 18,092 law enforcement officers are known to have died in the line of duty. In
Canada, 757 law enforcement officers are known to have died in the line of duty. In the
United Kingdom, about 3,600 law enforcement officers are known to have died in the line of duty.
Notable historical police personalities
*
Joe Arpaio*
Alphonse Bertillon*
James E. Davis* Sir
Herbert Dowbiggin*
Wyatt Earp*
Izzy Einstein*
Aida D. Fariscal*
Daniel Faulkner*
Louis Freeh*
Mark Fuhrman*
Pat Garrett*
Darryl F. Gates*
Doc Holliday*
J. Edgar Hoover*
Ray Kelly*
Bernard Kerik*
Bat Masterson*
Charles Moose*
Eliot Ness*
Padikkal*
Robert Peel*
Allan Pinkerton*
Theodore Roosevelt*
Frank Serpico*
Sam Steele*
John Varrone*
Eugène François Vidocq*
August Vollmer*
Juan Vucetich*
Joseph Wambaugh*
Sir Arthur YoungNotable police officers better known in other walks of life
*
Nicola Calipari, Italian intelligence officer (
Polizia di Stato)
*
Jessie Camacho, American contestant on
Survivor: Africa (Altamonte Springs Police Department/
Orange County Sheriff's Office)
*
Geoff Capes, British strongman (
Metropolitan Police)
*
John Reginald Christie, British
serial killer (
Metropolitan Police War Reserve)
*
Bill Clark, American screenwriter and producer of
NYPD Blue (
New York City Police Department)
*
Grover Cleveland, American President; Sheriff,
Erie County,
New York*
Lynn "Buck" Compton, American army officer featured in
Band of Brothers (
Los Angeles Police Department)
*
Ronnie Coleman, seven-time
Mr. Olympia*
Rico Constantino, ex-
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestler (
Las Vegas Police Department)
*
Ana-Lucía Cortez, fictional character from
Lost (TV Series). Played by
Michelle Rodriguez.
*
Lisa Dalton, American actress and drama teacher (
Englewood Police Department)
*
Jimmie Davis, singer and
Governor of Louisiana (
Shreveport Police Department)
*
Christopher Dean, British
ice dancer (
Nottinghamshire Police)
*
Dave Dee, British singer (Metropolitan Police)
*
Reed Diamond, American actor (Los Angeles Police Department)
*
John DiResta, American comedian and actor (
New York City Transit Police/New York City Police Department)
*
Seán Doherty, Irish politician (
Garda Síochána)
*
Dennis Farina, American actor (
Chicago Police Department)
*
Robert Emmett Fitzsimmons, American actor (New York City Police Department)
*
Errol Flynn, Australian actor
*
Kam Fong Chun, American actor (
Honolulu Police Department)
*
Don Galloway, American actor (
San Bernardino Sheriff's Department Reserve)
*
Lucy Gannon, British screenwriter (
Royal Military Police)
*
Deryck Guyler, British actor (
Royal Air Force Police)
*
Rafael Hernández, Spanish actor
*
Maralyn Hershey, American contestant on
Survivor: The Australian Outback (
DC Metropolitan Police Department)
*
Charlotte Hobrough, winner of British
Survivor*
Robert Holmes, British screenwriter (Metropolitan Police)
*
Al Hoxie, American silent movie actor (
Anaheim Police Department)
*
Reina Leone, American porn actress (
San Francisco Sheriff's Department)
*
Walter Long, American actor (
United States Army Military Police Corps)
*
Arthur McKenzie, British screenwriter (
Northumbria Police)
*
Victor McLaglen, British actor (
British Army Provost Marshal)
*
Nigel Mansell, British racing driver (Isle of Man Special Constabulary)
*
Barney Martin, American actor (
New York City Police Department)
*
Eddie Money, American musician (New York City Police Department)
*
Dennis Nilsen, British serial killer (Metropolitan Police)
*
Sergio Oliva, Cuban-born American weightlifter and bodybuilder (Chicago Police Department)
*
Shaquille O'Neal, American basketball player (
Los Angeles Port Police Reserve/
Miami Beach Police Reserve)
*
George Orwell, British author (
Burma Police)
*
Ken Osmond, American actor (Los Angeles Police Department)
*
John Powell, American discus thrower (
San Jose Police Department)
*
Ray Reardon, British
snooker player (
Stoke-on-Trent City Police)
*
Phil Regan, American tenor (New York City Police Department)
*
Rick Rescorla, British-born American security official (
British South Africa Police/Metropolitan Police)
*
Nicholas Rhea, British novelist
*
Chuck Roberson, American stuntman (
Culver City Police Department)
*
Gene Roddenberry, American producer of
Star Trek (Los Angeles Police Department)
*
Theodore Roosevelt American president; Deputy Sheriff in
Dakota Territory &
Police Commissioner of
New York City*
Talbot Rothwell, British screenwriter for the
Carry On film series*
Sathyan, Indian actor (
Kerala Police)
*
John Savident, British actor (
Manchester City Police)
*
Bobby Sherman, American singer and actor (Los Angeles Police Department and
San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department)
*
Kim Taylforth, British actress (Metropolitan Police)
*
Dan White, American murderer (San Francisco Police Department)
*
Clancy Wiggum, American
cartoon character from
The Simpsons. Voiced by
Hank Azaria.
*
James Woods, American actor (Los Angeles Police Department Reserve)
*
Frode Johnsen, Norwegian soccerplayer
*
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