Police officer

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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).

Contents 1 Work as a police officer 2 Function in society 3 Qualifications 4 Dangers and rewards of being a police officer 5 Line of duty deaths 6 Police officers in popular culture 7 Well known police officers 7.1 Notable historical police personalities 7.2 Notable police officers better known in other walks of life 8 See also 9 External links

 Work as a police officer

A police officer (also known as a constable in some countries) is employed in most cases by national, 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.

 Function in society

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 some jurisdictions, individuals serve jointly as police officers as well as firefighters or paramedics. 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.

 Qualifications

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 sergeants, inspectors etc. (Officers who work within investigative divisions or plainclothes are not necessarily a higher rank but 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 may codify state-wide qualification standards regarding age, education, criminal record, and training but in other places requirements are set by local police agencies.

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.

In some countries such as in Singapore, police ranks may also be beefed up through conscription, similar to national service in the military. Qualifications may thus be relaxed or enhanced depending on the target mix of conscripts. In Singapore, for example, conscripts face tougher physical requirements in areas such as eyesight, but are less stringent with minimum academic qualification requirements. Some police officers also join as volunteers, who again may do so via differing qualification requirements.

 Dangers and rewards of being a police officer

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 e.g. 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.

 Line of duty deaths

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 met a similar fate. In the United Kingdom, about 3,600 law enforcement officers are known to have died in the line of duty. The Singapore Police Force registered just over 100 deaths in as many years up to the year 2000, many of whom were involved in traffic accidents in more recent decades.

Line of duty deaths include causes of death which occur while on duty, including ordinary automobile accidents, one of the most common causes. Officers are more likely to be involved in traffic accidents because of their large amount of time spent travelling/patrolling as well as their work outside their vehicles alongside or on the roadway or in dangerous pursuits. Officers killed by suspects make up a smaller proportion of deaths. In the U.S. in 2005, 156 line of duty deaths were recorded of which 44% were from assaults on officers, 35% vehicle related (only 3% during vehicular pursuits) and the rest from other causes: heart attacks during arrests/foot pursuits, diseases contracted from suspects, accidental gun discharges, falls, and drownings.[1]

Police officers who die in the line of duty, especially those who die from the actions of suspects, are often given elaborate funerals, attended by large numbers of fellow officers. Their families may also be eligible for special pensions. Fallen officers are often remembered in public memorials such as the U.S.'s National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

 Police officers in popular culture

In many films, police officers who are not protagonists are often portrayed as being slow on the uptake. In reality, police officers react much faster. Police officers are often stereotyped to mill around in doughnut shops.

 Well known police officers

 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
• Buford Pusser
• Theodore Roosevelt
• Frank Serpico
• Sam Steele
• John Varrone
• Eugène François Vidocq
• August Vollmer
• Juan Vucetich
• Joseph Wambaugh
• Sir Arthur Young

 Notable police officers better known in other walks of life

• Matt Barlow, Lead singer for the heavy metal band Iced Earth (1994-2003).
• 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)
• 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 Bernadino 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 (Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia)
• Charlotte Hobrough, winner of British Survivor
• Robert Holmes, British screenwriter (Metropolitan Police)
• Al Hoxie, American silent movie actor (Anaheim Police Department)
• Frode Johnsen, Norwegian soccer player
• 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)
• Daniel Morelon, French triple olympic cycling champion
• Dennis Nilsen, British serial killer (Metropolitan Police)
• Chuck Norris, Terrell Police Department, Military Police(Texas, Reserve for Terrell)
• 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)
• James Woods, American actor (Los Angeles Police Department Reserve)

This page was last modified 13:12, 20 November 2006.

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