Analyzing the Becoming of a Police Officer Essay

Police Officer

Houston Police Department (Houston City)

A police officer holds the responsibility of maintaining peace and enforcing laws in the community he/she is assigned to. Apart from the basic qualification of graduation from high school, police officers are trained at police academies. There are some who even go in for criminal justice or law enforcement degrees, which aid with career advancement. Recruits into the police force are also administered a succession of examinations determined by the academy they are enrolled in, such as psychiatric review and physical fitness exam. (Study.com)

There are a few primary requirements to be met for being eligible for the police force. Every police department mandates a minimum educational qualification -- a high school completion certificate. Some police divisions pick recruits fresh from high school, but a majority of them have a minimum age requirement of 21 years. Therefore, individuals hired immediately after completing high school need to train and work till the age of 21 years, for receiving officer status. The other basic requirements for eligibility for the police force include citizenship of the country in question, a clean record, and a valid driving license. (Study.com)

Completion of undergraduate education, such as a criminal justice or law enforcement degree, is also considered an added benefit for aspiring police officers, and can facilitate their securing of a job with the police force. Though not mandated by many police departments, formal education may prove advantageous for applicants competing for officer posts. Federal as well as state law enforcement organizations typically expect college education from their recruits. Furthermore, degree-holders might enjoy swifter career advancement than individuals without any relevant degree. A few departments even sponsor tuition of officers seeking degrees in relevant areas. (Study.com)

Enrolment at one of the many Police Academies; a majority of police officers join some or other police academy in order to receive formal training. Large departments have their very own training academies where they send their recruits. These academies also accept new hires of smaller departments. Academy programs are usually between three and four months in duration, and include classroom training as well as practical, physical training. The subjects commonly taught in academy classrooms include: Civil rights, Incident reporting, Local and state laws, Criminal Psychology, Crime investigation, and Constitutional law.

Police academies provide future law enforcement officers with active-duty training. A recruit enrolled in an academy will also acquire supervised experience when it comes to dealing with real-life scenarios. Police academies coach students in common requirements like: Patrol, Subject Apprehension, Risk Assessment, Emergency/Accident Response, CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), First-Aid, Self-Defence, Traffic Command, and Firearm Use (Study.com)

One of the mandatory eligibility criteria is: passing relevant examinations for gaining a post in the department. Candidates have to pass a number of tests for ensuring competence. They need to pass written examinations, often conducted by police academies. A majority of police departments also test candidates on factors like strength, speed, vision, and hearing. Some law enforcement units perform background…