Careers: Police/typical work day

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Expert: - 10/28/2008


Question
Hello, this website is really cool.  I am writing a paper on a career as a Police Officer and I had two questions: What is a typical day like as an Officer?  I know each day brings it's own things, but on average, how is the time spent?  Also, in reading other responses, you have said that the term 'cop' is derogatory - why is that?  Thank you so much.

Answer
Jody,

There is no typical day for a patrol officer or for a detective.  A patrol officer might spend one day answering calls for service all day long and not have five minutes for preventive patrol.  The next day he might get a call five minutes into the shift and then spend the rest of the day investigating it.  The next day he might have court and spend all day in court.  The following day might be dead and he could decide to concentrate on a particular area where people have complained about traffic issues and he might spend the day writing tickets.  The next day could be a combination of day 1, day 2, day 3, day 5.  So you see there is no typical day because police work has so much variety that nothing is typical.

The term "cop" is considered to be derogatory just like terms for doctors and lawyers are considered to be derogatory.  It has its roots in corruption and very few people would say "cop" to an officers face and that basically answers the question.  If you would say it someone's face then it is not derogatory.  If polite society dicates otherwise then it is probably derogatory.

Careers: Police

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Jack Toomey

Expertise

U.S.: I am an expert in this category for the purpose of giving young people an idea what the hiring process involves for the position of police officer. I am getting a flood of questions from young people who are being influenced by unrealistic television shows. I'd ask you to consider that when you watch police shows on television that they are NOT realistic and most of what you see does not happen in real life. Please do not ask me about potential jail sentences that you, your friends, or family might receive in court. There is no way for me to know that. I am NOT a probation officer so I cannot answer questions about probation and parole matters. I am a retired police officer with 26 years experience.I worked in a variety of assignments including investigations, homicide, sex crimes, runaway investigations, missing persons, and fraud.I also dealt with the general public during that time giving a wide range of advice on matters such as domestic disputes, problem solving, teenage problems, civil/criminal matters, and dealing with the mentally ill. I am available to give sound and reasonable advice which can solve most problems. Please do not ask me to do homework questions or online interviews. Young people should not rely on the Internet for interviews. Local police officers are normally very agreeable to assist students with interviews and surveys.

Experience

Worked as a police officer/detective for 26 years.

Graduate of the University of Maryland.B.S. in Law Enforcement.Attended numerous schools and training courses involving investigations, interviewing, interrogations, crime detection, domestic violence, and others. Recognized in court as an expert witness.

Received numerous awards during my police career for expert investigations. Handled the most sensitive and confidential investigations. In 1999 I won an award for my work with high school students while working in my new career in a large suburban high school.

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