Expert: Loren Stevens - 9/20/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I am considering law enforcement as a career when I graduate. What are some of the ups and downs of being in your field? What kind of school does it take to get there, as well?

Thank you in advance for your time!

ANSWER: Hello Emi,
My first suggestion to you, would be for you to visit your school career counselor. You can derive an abundance from that resource.
The "ups and downs" of a police career are plentiful, on both sides of the continuum.
But, to list a few: There are plenty of opportunities for job satisfaction, and making a difference in the lives of people. As an officer, you are engaged in what is happening, not merely a spectator.
You gain respect from peers, and community. And, belive it or not, even some criminals will respect an honest and hard working officer.
The "downs" are the obvious risks, and safety issues of being a "first responder" to a host of dangerous situations.
Working shift work, being the two night shifts, relief shifts, week ends and holidays becomes a strain on family, and friends, in terms of your availability
And, often you are at the front of unpopular positions, that you had nothing to do with e.g.., "Exclusionary Rule".
You may have a difficult time convincing people that there are no "ticket-quota's'
Ethical standards will be challenged, as perceptional points of view come with bias
You'll be continually assessed by journalists, who have a right to do so, even if their knowledge of relevant details is often in error.

As for schools.
You can take courses at a Community College, or University in areas of Police Science, or Criminal Justice.
I would encourage you to initially focus in on written and oral communication skills.
Then, take the social sciences.
If you are under 21. See if there are jobs like courier, cadet, vehicle transport etc at the police agency that interests you, and take classes part time. If you are 21 or older, take some comm. classes, and study the 4th Amendment, and maybe some past civil service quizzers, and go ahead and apply some research on what kind of agency appeals to you: local, state or federal.
And, do some serious evaluation on why you are interested in this kind of work.I think this is enough to get you started.
Good Luck.
loren

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: What are some examples of jobs that are more or less constant? Could it be possible to work part time, like maybe a certain portion of the week, if you had another job as well?
Thank you!

Answer
Hello,
I'm not sure I understand your question.
If you mean working a part-time job as you go to school, I think that is a good idea.
If a local law enforcement agency hires part -time youth for jobs like courier, cadet, transport/veh. maint. etc. That would be great, as it provides you with an "in-siders" peek at the agency. It gives you an idea of organization, and how agency "process" works, and how each subdivision works.
It also puts faces to names for you, as you get to know these folks, you can pose your questions to them, as they pertain to that particular agency.
If you mean a part-time job as an additional means of income while working as an officer, that gets a bit tricky. Most agencies have policy issues, where they identify what areas of out side jobs would be viewed as a conflict of interest, or simply an appearance of impropriety for the organization.
If these answers do not answer what it is you want to know, please be specific, on what you seek.
Thanks.
loren