Paper Example on Police Officers: Serving Community, Safeguarding Rights & Risking Life

Introduction

Law enforcement officers serve the community by enforcing the laws that have been written by the parliament. The officers are responsible for protecting the people through preventing crime as well as safeguarding civil liberties and rights. The police officers are expected to carry out their duties and handle those who have judicially broken the rules. Despite enjoying recognition for their work, police officers also experience the risk of injury and death. In addition, the officers also face the effect of isolation as their convictions have been hardened to anticipate the worst case scenario in every situation. Being a police officer has many advantages, disadvantages, and effects. Therefore, this paper will analyze the expectations of the society towards the police officers by highlighting the roles, advantages, and disadvantages of police officers in society. The article will also highlight the effect of police officers.

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The Real Goal of Law Enforcement

Police officers are expected a focus on achieving voluntary collaboration with the law instead of getting to their family safely at the end of every shift. Police officers can use this goal in their shifts by ensuring that every person they interact with gets to go wherever they are supposed to go such as jail, home or mental facilities according to the situation. Also, law enforcement authorities can accomplish this goal while at the same time ensuring their safety. The society should understand that there are people who will force the police officers to use force in a different situation. For the safety of both the community and the officers themselves, the authorities must work to counter the threat as efficiently and quickly as possible.

Despite this analysis, it is clear that some officers have encountered many situations that necessitated force to the point that force has become the most preferred option. This case is evident in instances that police violence has resulted in public outrage. The authorities are taught basic principles that ensure officer safety when they attend police academies. One of these principles includes discouraging even the thought of defiance through the application of distance, commanding presence, cover as well as professional behavior. According to Nivette & Akoensi (2017), the confidence officers have towards their authority combined with the felt obligations of citizens to obey creates a mental orientation that prepares an individual to obey the authority of the officer. Confidence in an officer's authority can be identified in their actions, professional behavior as well as performance measurements. This legitimization can help the police achieve their goals with minimal force. Therefore, officers can use this principle to eliminate the need for violence before the situation escalates to the point that force is necessary to contain the scene.

Role of Police Officers in the Society

Khan Academy (2019) identifies the role of police officers are sworn and trained to uphold the law. This act may not be natural as expected by many people in society. Some of the minor duties include identifying underage drinkers, handling a traffic accident, detaining a shoplifter and investigating burglaries. Aside from these duties, police officers also have to play a proactive role in society. Some of these roles include organizing a neighborhood watch, working with the society to address community issues such as gang violence. Besides, police officers can also give presentations to schools regarding safety issues that may affect children and teenagers.

The police officers in every society have a tough job to fulfill as they are expected to deal with the criminals while continuously exposing themselves to the possibility of injury. The police officers must arrest criminals. Though this duty may seem simple, it is complicated by the fact that the officers are faced with tough moral decisions such as when or how to act when the law is broken. For instance, even though officers are allowed to use force when necessary to prevent crime, the application of force is often questioned or viewed as excessive or unnecessary.

The Advantages of Being a Police Officer

One of the benefits of being a police officer is that officers get to shape their communities. The officers prevent crime and volunteer to make a difference for the people they serve. Additionally, they also take part in building a community that the members can be proud of every day. Such activities include making presentations at school as well as interacting with scouting groups.

Ayres (2016) explains that police officers have a rewarding pay despite the reputation that they earn lower than the majority of the professionals. In addition, the police can work in environments that are very diverse in such a way that there are no same days. Despite this uncertainty, the officers revel in the fact that they live to serve the people whether alone or with partners as part of a team. The unique line of work is often identified as very fulfilling for police officers. Aside from that, police officers are also recognized for their hard work. The recognition may be in the form of awards that are issued at local, regional or national levels. This recognition makes it easier for police officers to do their job.

Police officers work in a very competitive environment. Ayres (2016) also explains that being a police officer is a challenging career choice due to the competition in the law enforcement environment. The competition between police officers in their departments push one to become better through talent application, performance standards, as well as skill-based activities. The competitive environment ensures that a police officer will always be active in some way. The officers are required to be mentally and physically active which requires active hobbies to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The Disadvantages of Being a Police Officer

Despite the numerous benefits, there are several downsides to being a police officer. Ayres (2016) explains that being a police officer is a dangerous occupation. This notion is due to the idea that officers are faced with human misery every day. Furthermore, the officers may encounter hazardous situations in their attempt to ensure the safety and security of society. These dangers may result put the officer at risk of injury or death. For instance, an encounter with violent criminals may result in injury or death of an officer while in the line of duty. Aside from the dangers, law enforcement is an occupation that is often under too much scrutiny. Officers are often the subject of community complains as well as internal investigations.

Working in law enforcement may expose an individual to frightening scenarios such as violent acts, fatal accidents, deceased victims. The exposure to high-pressure situations officers experience in their law enforcement quest may result in post-traumatic stress disorders (Ayres, 2016). Maran, Zedda, & Varetto (2018) also explain that the stressful nature of law enforcement may affect the mental and physical health of police officers by causing high distress levels. Physical health disorders such as sleep disorders and cardiovascular diseases may manifest themselves on highly distressed officers. In addition, the officer may also experience anxiety, flashbacks, and depression. No amount of training is sufficient to prepare an officer for the eventualities that they may face in their line of work.

The Effects of Being a Police Officer

The authority and power of police officers result in a different perception from the other society. Also, the negative and often unrealistic portrayals of an officer in films twist the understanding of police work by the community. Nix & Akoensi (2017) also identify that negative perception of society greatly affect the sense of legitimacy that police officers have towards themselves. Legitimacy can be identified as the confidence, which police officers have in their authority as law enforcement officers. Officers who have a high sense of legitimacy are more likely to embrace the concept of procedural justice as compared to officers with a low sense of legitimacy. As a result, these officers are less likely to use force as they prefer to engage in actions that are beneficial for their department and society as a whole. The scrutiny that police officers face results in the necessitation to evaluate how their decision-making processes, as well as to conduct, comes across in the community that they serve. This necessity makes the officer worry that all their actions will be criticized heavily by people who were not at the scene.

Law enforcement occupation exposes officers to chronic stress due to unrelenting exposure to stressful situations. Buffalo (2012) identifies that there were high suicide rates among active officers as compared to retired officers. Moreover, the officers are likely to develop a dependency on alcohol as a coping mechanism to the trauma as well as a form of socializing with their peers. Also, the different expectations from the society add on to the stress experienced by the officers. The strict military-style procedures that govern the professional conduct of officers collide with the complex situations that may arise within the society thus confusing the officer on the best practices to apply in these complex situations.

Aside from chronic stress, the officers also experience long hours of rotating shifts and canceled leaves. These factors result in an officer making his career the most important aspect of his life. These elements also affect the officer's family life, as the officer may be unable to carry out his parental responsibilities effectively. Additionally, the family life of the officer is affected when the officer feels the need to exercise overprotective control over the rest of his family at home thus putting them under more stress.

Police officers also experience social isolation merely because they are officers. Thus, officers may prefer to interact with fellow officers, as they are uncomfortable in situations that are not law enforcement settings. These restrictions may be as an effect of the conviction of officer that the world is made up of criminals and fools. These convictions are as a result of seeing people at their worst. Additionally, the isolation may lead to the officers developing a negative mentality when dealing with the public.

Conclusion

The public expects the minimum force to contain a situation. However, officers can use force if they have no other option and not because the force is the more comfortable option. Also, the role of an officer is to ensure that they protect and uphold the law by protecting the rights of the public that they serve. With this role, the officers should strive to achieve their real goal, which is to ensure that every interaction results in collaboration with the law such that the officer can send the victim home or the criminal to jail or a mental facility. The public, however, should understand that every police officer assumes the great responsibility they have and that they chose the law enforcement occupation because they want to do the right thing at the right time. However, the police officer should also understand that their responsibility is to protect and ensure the safety of every individual in the society which also includes the protection of the suspected criminal.

References

Ayres, C. (2016, August 13). 6 Pros and Cons of Being a Police Officer. Retrieved from https://greengarageblog.org/6-pros-and-cons-of-being-a-police-officer

Buffalo, E. G. (2012, July 10). Police work takes mental, physical toll. Retrieved from https://www.futurity.org/police-work-takes-mental-physical-toll/

Khan Academy. (2019). What...