Kylie
What are the main tasks of a police officer?
#law-enforcement #police
2 answers
treasa deepa
treasa’s Answer
Manage your department which includes hiring, assessing, disciplining and firing your personnel. Also, conduct training of your police officers whenever necessary.
Establishment and maintenance of a healthy working environment for all personnel.
Develop policies and procedures but they should be in line with the guidelines set by the City Council.
Lead the day-to-day operations of your department by preparing reports, conducting investigations (e.g. complaints) and maintaining peace and order all over the city.
Interpret codes, laws, and ordinances and uphold them at all times.
Submission of clear and complete materials such as policies, procedures, and reports. You must also be able to present them publicly as needed.
Work closely with the City Manager for planning the budget(s) of the Police Department and other duties that may be asked.
Perform all duties and responsibilities stated in the ordinances of your city.
Inventory
Develop programs that will prevent criminal activities within your scope of jurisdiction.
Perform public relations duties and attend the council meeting once a month.
Kim Igleheart
Kim’s Answer
Kylie,
Police officers are to preserve and protect, both lives and property. How they do this varies widely. Officers stay vigilant - always alert for anything that seems out of place or unusual. Their ability to just walk up and question suspicious people changes regularly with differing Court decisions. To make an arrest, they must have probable cause. They need to be able to explain, in detail, in their reports, why they think they made a valid arrest.
Police officers try to get to know the people in the area they are patrolling. Hopefully these people will help the police by providing information on activity in the area. Sometimes police officers spend a lot of time directing traffic. Or investigating traffic accidents. Some officers do community relations activities, like help out at bicycle rodeos or be a guest speaker at a scout meeting.
I was a police officer at an area that had a lot of people traveling in and out, but not a whole lot of criminal activity - this was at an airport. Our department emphasized customer service. Helping tourists with directions, for example, or changing flat tires, or helping people who locked their keys in their cars. Being visible acts as a deterrent. There are special police departments for other areas: schools, hospitals, beaches, parks, etc.
Being a police officer can be a very rewarding career. If this is something you are interested in, I encourage you to review the requirements for the state in which you want to work, and also look at some department requirements. There are different requirements for things such as physical fitness standards, tattoos, college education, background checks, etc.
Best of luck!
Kim