Why do YOU want to become a Police Officer??

[RCMPhereicome]

I am just curious to know, honestly, why all the people here want to become Police Officers...I know for me, there are a lot of factors. It's not somethnig I always had a passion for. But some of the reasons include: The fact that you do something positive and benifit the world, stand up for the weak, stand up to the ones who bring misery to all, job security, honourable title, status, money, unpredictability, the UNIFORM, leadership, etc etc
Also, what would be some of the things that you may not be looking forward to when becoming an Officer?...

[journey2cps-redux]

That's a good question, and it is something that could very well be asked in ANY LE interview. As for myself...

...there is no clear cut text book answer. This is something that I have always wanted to do, but was too afraid to try. Well I finally came to the realization that I don't want to be sitting around the nursing home when I'm 90 wondering what if...I'll never know if I never try, and worst case I get told no and I'm in the same situation as I am now, which thankfully is pretty good.

Being a police officer is a strange career choice. Aside from the obvious helping people, your community, and country, I'm choosing a career where most of the general population dislikes me sight unseen. While criminals are innocent until proven guilty it seems to be the opposite for police officers. You are always "on-duty" even on vacation, because you are a police officer, no matter what the situation the public sees you as a cop first, and a person second.

So why do it...Because I feel that the rewards will far outway the "disappointments". Where else can you have a lifelong career, but never work the same job twice? How many other jobs can almost guarantee that every day will be different?

The reasons are many and everyone will have their own, these are just a few of mine.

[BCRCMP wanabee]

positives:

i will be retired by the time i am 50 with a full pension.
extremely high job security.
decent salary after a few years in, especially if posted to a specialized section.
helping to improve the safety and quality of life for my community, friends and family.
highly respected agency throughout the world.
from what i hear, a high level of job satisfaction.
quality co-workers...if u have gone all the way through this recruiting process, u have to be pretty switched on.
the ability to completely change careers within the same company - a member in my recruiting office was on the ERT team for the last 10 years before he decided he wanted a desk job in recruiting...now that is a change of career!
be a part of canadian history!

negatives:

the hours
the chance of being posted somewhere u dont want to go
the beaurocracy associated with an organiztion with 10 000+ people. we have only gotten a taste of it through the application process.
too commonly some members become 'cocky' and power-trip
if u are a cop, the world always sees u as a cop, 24/7. friends, family and neighbours aren't sure if u are going to ticket them for speeding while u are in the car, arrest your cousin if he smokes pot and the likes. people can become afraid of u as a person, because u are the face of the law.

i am sure there are more and my answers will probably drastically change if and when i become a member.

[BCRCMP wanabee]

by 'thingyy' i meant 'c@cky'

did not know that was a bad word

[Macguy9]

I want to be able to go home at the end of the day and say 'I made a difference today'. I don't get that at my current job.

Plain and simple.

[Goose]

J2CPS.....I might be slow and have reading problems, but what exactly do you mean by "most of the general population dislikes me sight unseen." Are you saying that most of the population likes police to be seen...and not hiding in the office. I know, I'm stupid, but please help me figure it out.

My main reason for wanting policing is: the satisfaction of going home or reviewing my life history and knowing I helped in decreasing crime, assisting a person in need or having a tough time, and/or helping some criminal become a decent law abiding citizen. Yep....idealistic...but if you go into policing thinking you're just a bandaid or a 'law enforcer'...then that is all you will be (gets part of the job done, but doesn't really change things).

Main reason for the rcmp: History, pride, opportunities work wise and location wise.

[lich]

"...most of the general population dislikes me sight unseen."

It means he feels the general public dislikes police officers without having met them and evaluating them as individuals.

"Sight unseen" is more common to business transactions in which the purchase is made without an inspection of the goods.

[journey2cps-redux]

Goose...what lich said...and yes it is more of a bussiness term but I felt it was a good way of summing it up. Plus it was more catchier than the written out explaination. ;D

[Goose]

Told you I was stupid

Makes sense now....don't agree though....I think 'most' people LIKE police 'sight unseen' but the other 30% or so that don't like police for one reason or another can be so vocal with their opinion that it seems like the majority. Some cops will see the bigger picture in that there are "a lot of supportive people out there with the minority negative", others will have a narrower vision of people based on the people they interact with everyday..."some good, but most are people that have preceived to been: wrongly arrested, had their rights violated, didn't deserve that ticket, don't think the police should get involved in their spousal problems, find it offensive that the police suspect them............................"

[journey2cps-redux]

Hey Goose,

I don't want to get into an "argument" about this since everyone has their own POV on the subject, however... ;D

I beg to differ. How many people do you know that honestly smile, wave, and think what great people those officers are EVERYTIME they see a cop. Myself, I don't know any. Even before I was looking into LE, whenever I saw a cop I was think "ah crap, they better not pull me over" or "Don't they have better things to do than..." know what I mean. Granted that was when I was young and nieve, as opposed to old and bitter! (jk )
Now I'm not saying that everyone "hates" the police, that feeling would apply to the 30% you mentioned, but I still feel that most people do not care for us, unless of course they happen to need us...and even then we usually don't get there soon enough, or do what they think we should...race off with guns drawn and lights flashing after the person that dinged their door in the mall parking lot...

My 2 cents for what its worth...

[therecruit1]

The biggest reasons for me wanting to become a cop are, needing to do something that is challenging, rewarding and like Macguy said being able to come home at the end of the day feeling like you made a difference.

I think the large majority of people like and respect police officers. Only a small percent of the population are the criminals and bad guys who have reasons to hate them.
Although, at times people may dislike police for a variety of reasons overall people understand and appreciate what they do and that society would fall apart them.

[Goose]

You would think I live on the internet.....computers are just part of my job, so it's easy to take a brake from the grind and do a surf.

J2CPS....you are right about everyone having an opinion...and you opinion is good to hear. It is obvious that we see society a little different, neither of us right or wrong. I do remember the times as a teenager seeing the police drive behind me and wonder 'did he/she see me roll through that stop sign a half hour ago etc'.

If you drive a police car around with a stern robocop type of look, you will get a similar community response. If you wave when you pass a stranger, stop to just talk to the youth hanging out at the skate park (about sports, how some of the graffiti is quite artistic..not police stuff) then you will probably get a similar response back. I remember a cop in my home town...a place in BC with about 25 cops, and a few of the Cst. would frequently drop by an arcade and play a round of pool with us, or take us on in an arcade game. They would never talk police talk or ask for info on a crime....they were just tearing down a preceived wall between the poliec and youth. It had a lasting effect on a lot of youth, and made a good chunk of us teenagers wave at the police and even feel comfortable going to the police station to ask then for a team to play basketball with. The bad kids, which we all know a few, would not be so friendly with the police, but in talking with them, they knew that the police were ok, just doing a job, and not out to punish every youth they could find. Thoses 'bad kids' probably have a view of the police that isn't so negative now that they are older due to some clearing up of stereotypes when they were young.

OK.....I'm done. Somewhat off topic, but this thread is largely about exchanging opinions and ideas.....so this is mine. And I know there are opposing opinions.....and that IS OK. We would be boring robots if that wasn't the case.

[journey2cps-redux]

Good Rebutle Goose!

That situtation you described if a very good one and is something that everyone on this board should keep in mind and try to repeat wherever possible!!
Like you said, we're a little off topic but good to see others interpretations/opinions, without things degrading to a childish grudge match. ;D

J2CPS

[Cab]

RCMPhereicome...good thread to start.

I'm missing out on some good debate here. Interesting to see the different perspectives. I tend to lean more on Goose's view...I was fortunate enough as a kid between the ages of 8-13 to have a few run-ins with the police (throwing snow balls one time, and some metal another time) and the Cst. that dealt with me was very approachable, nice, and understanding (even though at the time I was a frightened little boy). This kind of laid a framework for the impression that I had of the police when I became a teen and on to my adult years. So, I guess it depends on how your first impresions of the police are formed, as to how you see them later in life. Also, my traffic interactions with the police as a teen were all positive...aside from the fine money paid out

WHY DO I WANT TO BE A PO:

Well, I have no desire to work for the all mighty dollar. I don't find joy and satisfaction in filling the pockets of shareholders or some rich owner. Business also has too many unethical or 'short cuts' taken in the name of the dollar. So, this leaves me with public service jobs.
Now, I like the independence, the team work, the responsibility, the diversity of the work, the unpredictability of the work, the job security, the love of the out doors, the intellectual challenge of figuring something or someone out, the challenge of working within the sometimes head banging limits of the Charter of R&F and the Constitution, the challenge of working within the bizzar rulings in case law, the challenge of working within the political arena of the federal buracracy..........and most of all the pride and satisfaction that my work as a rcmp member will bring me and hopefully most of the clients I see.

Why rcmp over muni........tradition, living opps, career opps, the Canadian pride, and I don't want to live in a big city for the rest of my career......and those small town muni forces just don't do it for me.

That's it. P.S. the challenges mentioned above are really how I feel, I'm not trying to be sarcastic.

[Cab]

Oh.....I just about forgot, I have trouble with matching clothing (colours, styles)...so wearing a uniform is a big plus. It's either policing or a McDonald's uniform ;D