My dream job as a NYC police officer

My dream job involves being a police officer in the New York City Police Department, which consists of providing security for people and their property and the administration of criminal justice. The career of a police officer suits an individual who is well suited to thrive on mountain of challenges facing the community and which involves serving others in that community to overcome the criminal justice challenges.  It is a job whose satisfaction is driven by keeping piece and order. An officer is tasked with reducing crime and promoting confidence among the public that the police department understand and is ready to handle the issues that matter most to them. Policing enables one to partner with various organizations and the public in making a tangible difference to the local community.

I always have a passion for serving the community in order to meet various pressing needs and I consider the police service as providing a good platform where I can explore fulfill this desire.  Law enforcement officer play a very crucial role through their maintenance of safety, order and welfare in the community including the safety of local and federal governments. Furthermore, policing involves filed work and I prefer field work compared to office work .Having been observing the dedication most of these officers have for their work, I reckon that it would be a fulfilling experience for me to exploit my dedication to tasks performance while serving the entire community. Among such officer is a friend of mine, Bridget Flynn, is an officer who passionately performs her duties and her dedication and hard work has seen her take a big step in personal career development. She encourages me to carry on with my dream and I cannot but look up to her for inspiration.

The reason for choosing this line of career is that it provides opportunities for growth and development which occurs through a structure in chain of command. Hence in the law enforcement organization there are great opportunities for promotion and advancement through the ranks, whose structures are the same as those in armed forces. As new positions become available, internal recruitment is done from the officers in the lower rank so as to fill the vacancies. While someone may be recruited from outside the department, in most cases there is always an objective of ensuring the promotional process considers the rank structure and more so the file officers (Wake Forest University, 2016). The larger agencies such as New York Police Department usually avails various promotion opportunities over the whole year which means there are enough chances for a person who is motivated to advance their career. Furthermore, learning does not cease in law enforcement. Since the job involves working in a dynamic and diverse environment, l will automatically be able to learn new techniques and tactics from the experience that I would gain throughout my career. There is also mandatory retraining which is imposed on police officers by training commissions which relate to standards provides trainings on numerous topics which assist in the development of one’s career.  Such trainings may include more languages, physical fitness, defensive tactics which are advanced and so much more skills. Of more importance is that the trainings are availed for individual police officer without having to bear the cost (Wake Forest University, 2016).

The central role for a police officer involves the enforcement of the law. The law enforcement officers are tasked with the responsibility of monitoring criminal activities which relates to the first order of their business which involves service and protection (Greene, 2006). To accomplish this, the officers normally take part in patrolling the community neighborhoods, responding to any emergency calls with immediate effect so as to contain any damage that may b caused by criminal activities. Further roles include make arrest of suspects who have been involved in criminal activities, investigating crimes that have been committed and arraigning the accused before the court of law (Cordner, 2016). The officers also testify in the court cases for crime suspects whom they have arrested. In the investigation of crimes, the officers take statements from the parties involved and any witnesses who provide additional information on the incident. The investigation also involves gathering any evidence that they can access immediately after the incident has happened and seal of the crime scene so as to allow the forensic scientist to carry out further thorough search for evidence (Cordner, 2016). The police officers also respond to calls involving minor incidents like traffic issues and noise complaints. The roles of police officer go beyond law enforcement, and they often take part in community welfare focused activities. These may include responding to crisis affecting the community such as natural disasters or in averting such disasters. The police officers also get involved in community projects and activities such as educating the public on how to avoid being caught up in dangerous situations, how to handle emergencies and the steps they should take in prevention of crime or reacting to a crime that has taken place.  Such education also involves how to relate with people who are considered as dangerous criminals in the society (Greene, 2006).  Such roles are inscribed in the NYPD’s mission that involves improving quality of life in NY City and ensuring that the legal system is upheld.

For one to be hired as a police officer more so in the New York Police Department, one must have a United States citizenship and be of the minimum age of 21 years. In addition, one must b a holder of a high school diploma, and should have attained a minimum of 60 credits in college and at least 2.0 GPA (NYPD, 2016). They should also have a legal driving license for the New York City and should be residing within 5 districts of the city or the neighboring counties. However, a waiver may be granted for the college experience requirement if someone has worked with US Armed Forces for 2 years full time service (NYPD, 2016). Individuals who fail to meet the requirement for college experience or military services may consider joined the department through Cadet Corps program which places the recruits in the different NYPD’s paid support assignments while offering tuition help. Once hired the potential officers join the NYC Police Academy where they are trained through a six months rigorous program (NYPD, 2016). The recruits are required to pass with at least 75 percent score for them to graduate. After graduating, the recruits are paid a starting basic salary of $42,819.00 constantly for the first one and half years. After this period the salary is increased to $44,521.63.  The gross salary ranges from $47,447 to $88,096 for the first five years (NYPD, 2016).

The job of police officer involves the enforcement of law which is encompassed within the criminal justice system. Law enforcement involves maintaining safety and order in public through prevention of violation of laws and through the arresting of those individual involved in the violation and arraigning them in court of law for punishment. In fact, most police officers involved in patrolling and detective activities look forward to becoming senior officers whose roles involve the administration of law enforcement. The police officers are involved in the enforcement of all laws such as traffic laws and dealing with law breakers. In the administration of criminal justice, enforcement of law by the police officer takes a central role (Kappeler, 2012). The criminal justice system clearly depends on the police officers to achieve a common goal of advancing criminal justice given that the officers act as the gatekeepers of the entire system. They are the ones to come into contact with accused offenders and normally the decisions they make determines what will happened such people. They initiate the journey of the suspects through the justice system by responding to criminal activity alarms, arresting them, recording statements, gathering evidence and serving as witnesses against the suspects in a court of law. They ensure that the cases flow without any hitch especially when they are required to serve the prosecutors with evidence for the crime (Kappeler, 2012). That way, they bring about a ripple effect throughout the system.

Reference

Cordner,G.(2016).Police Administration.Routledge. 417-420

Greene, J. (2006).Encyclopedia of Police Science: Vol.2. 586-587

NYPD, (2016). NYPD recruit. Retrieved from: http://www.nypdrecruit.com/

Kappeler, V. (2012).What is the Place of Police within the Criminal Justice System? Retrieved from: http://plsonline.eku.edu/insidelook/what-place-police-within-criminal-justice-system