Police Officer: Skills and Abilities for Effective Law Enforcement - Essay Sample

Introduction

The police officer is charged with the significant role and duty of enforcing law and order and always ensures that people and their properties are safe. Being a police officer does not only involve being physically fit and good health records, but it also requires the need to enhance some skills and knowledge. The unique abilities will enable an officer to discharge his duties effectively within the recommendation of the law. The police officer should always have the positive integrity mind of serving the community with honesty by keeping the dangerous criminal off the streets and ensure that citizens live with peace and harmony. A person must ensure that he or she got what it takes to succeed in the career of a police officer; this is possible by mastering the knowledge, skills, and ability needed in the police departments.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for a Police Officer

There are knowledge, skills, and abilities that an officer must have; these include the knowledge, skill, and ability to apply self-defense techniques to protect oneself and the citizens in situations that threaten life and the ability to control the individuals. The second one is the knowledge, skill, and ability to be able to read, interpret, and be in a position to apply codes, regulations, rules, and practices of law enforcement (Weitzer & Tuch, 2004). A police officer's knowledge, skill, and ability to establish and effectively maintain the working relationships with the city manager and other employees, also with other law enforcement agencies.

The police officer should have the knowledge, skill, and ability to operate a vehicle safely under any conditions, thus normal or adverse conditions. A police officer needs to have knowledge skills and the ability to be able to perform assigned equipment, which includes police computers, radar devices, and moderate radios. The knowledge skill and expertise of a police officer to be able to work and communicate effectively in oral and writing with individuals and groups are very critical.

Two Specific Knowledge Base, Skills, and Abilities That Are Important For Officers to Possess

The essential knowledge, skill, and ability that a police officer must have are being able to work and communicate effectively in oral and writing with individuals and groups. Another most essential knowledge, skill, and ability are being in a position to apply self-defense technique to protect citizens and their properties.

The Knowledge, Skill, and Ability of a Police Officer to Be Able to Work and Communicate Effectively In Oral and Writing With Individuals and Groups Is Very Critical

Effective communication is very critical to police carrier. Most of the responsibilities associated with the police works need one to talk and to give proper orders and command to others. The police officer will always be attending the meetings with other officers and sometimes required to testify in court on criminal cases that they are handling. According to the police duties, proper communication will assist when interviewing the suspects and ordering them to drop weapons in critical situations (Loveday, 1995). All these responsibilities will always require an active speaker who is in a position to listen actively and make the right decision.

The knowledge, skill, and ability to communicate effectively will help assist in better policing. The police officer, who excels on the duties, will always be very conscious. This will reflect on the police's ability to predict and anticipate the actions and thoughts of other people. The police will be able to detect any criminal activity and respond to it effectively. The excellent communication will make the investigation comfortable in that members of the criminal gang will be at ease to give vital information to those who show respect to them which will include the police who are doing an investigation. At the scene, the police officer is required to set the tone of the incident when the police begin in a friendly manner this will reserve the situation and make the police work more straightforward.

Knowledge, Skill, and Ability Are Being In a Position to Apply Self-Defense Techniques to Protect Citizens and Their Properties

This skill is very critical because it serves as the first duty of the police to protect the people and the properties. The mission will be charged energetically when the police equipped with the defense technique. The police officer is required to have the ability to solve technical problems under critical situations (Carnevale, 1990). The civilians will always look up to the police as the figure of authority, and when under attack, they will always seek help from the police officer. The defense technique will give the police the courage to tackle the criminal activities on the hot spot areas, which are marked to be the criminal dominated areas. When the head of police does the hot spot policing, then the city will be assigned to the police officer with the best technique in self-defense. Such areas will require the most trained and skilled officers who can handle the situation to outdo the criminals and ensure that the civilians and their properties are safe.

The knowledge, skill, and ability to apply self-defense techniques will help assist in better policing because it will play a role in the overall prevention of crime in society.

The police officer will always have the courage and bravery to counter any criminal activity with the self-defense technique which they have. When the police officer is well trained with the best defense technique, their lives will always be protected, when in the crime scene. The investigation and identification of criminal suspects will be straightforward. Some of the criminals are trained with the attacking techniques which will always put the police and the civilian's lives at risk and in such a situation the police must be well prepared to counter the skills of the criminals.

Conclusion

Reforming the police department will need the hiring departments of the police to be in a position to identify the unique skills and the ability within the recruits who show interest in a police career. The police should not only be about the physical appearance and the health of the person, but they should identify the unique talents of an individual. The unique skills will always help to counter and manage the crime within the society to protect people and properties.

References

Carnevale, A. P. (1990). Workplace basics: The essential skills employers want. astd best practices series: training for a changing work force. Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers, 350 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94104.

Loveday, B. (1995). Reforming the police: from local service to state police?. Political Quarterly, 66(2), 141-156.

Weitzer, R., & Tuch, S. A. (2004). Reforming the police: Racial differences in public support for change. Criminology, 42(2), 391-416.