What Are The Qualities of a Good Police Officer

Categories: Police Officer

Introduction

Becoming a good police officer is more than just education and training. While these are essential for all police officers it takes something more to become the best. Some things cannot be taught in classrooms. They radiate from within ourselves and it is who we are as a person that truly defines if we have what it takes to become a good officer. In this essay, I would like to explore what are the most important qualities of a good police officer and how to become such a good professional.

Becoming a Good Police Officer

Being a cop doesn’t exactly play out the way you see it on television. Having action twenty-four hours a day, never a dull moment would stress even the best officers out in a very short time. Although the day-to-day life of a cop is completely different from what the public sees on television, many of the outstanding qualities of the heroes on the silver screen are what you really need to be a good real-world police officer.

Get quality help now
WriterBelle
WriterBelle
checked Verified writer

Proficient in: Police Officer

star star star star 4.7 (657)

“ Really polite, and a great writer! Task done as described and better, responded to all my questions promptly too! ”

avatar avatar avatar
+84 relevant experts are online
Hire writer

What Makes You a Good Police Officer

To be a good police officer requires many traits and talents that don’t naturally exist in all of us. While most of them can be learned, some aspects are more personal, but it's possible to develop the qualities of a good police officer if you are highly motivated. First and foremost, education and continuous training are vital in the development of a good officer. Knowledge of what your job entails legally and physically is required in order to be successful.

Get to Know The Price Estimate For Your Paper
Topic
Number of pages
Email Invalid email

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

"You must agree to out terms of services and privacy policy"
Write my paper

You won’t be charged yet!

When things go bad, you must rely on your training in order to survive (Remsberg, C. 2010). You are only as good as your training has taught you.

Constant practice makes what you do more natural. The ability to naturally use your weapons as if you were blindfolded is the result of repetition and focus. Hesitation can cost you your life, and if you don’t practice enough to remain fluid in your movements and actions things can go wrong very quickly (Remsberg, C. 2010). Practice makes perfect, and in some cases, it can even save your life. The ability to act without thinking can be a deciding factor in whether or not you go home that night.

Taking initiative and the ability to act on your own can make you stand out among your fellow officers. Be proactive in your job. Don’t sit around and wait to be dispatched to a call, walk around and be “nosey”, in a professional way of course. Find out what is going on in your area. And when you do come across something, don’t ask for instruction on what to do. You’ll make yourself look like a fool who doesn’t know what he is doing. Be decisive and within the law in your decisions. Only you are the creator of your own success and path in life and only you have the opportunity to develop in yourself the qualities needed for being a good police officer. Remain true to your policies and procedures and your department will back you up.

Be compassionate and have good moral character and integrity. Today’s society doesn’t want a robotic cop who is rigid and disciplined in the ways of the law. They want a police officer who will stop and help out the community when he has the chance. Caring about the people that you are sworn to protect brings your job to a whole new level. When you care about something you tend to work harder to protect it and it drives you to know that you have pride in what you do. Integrity is a very personal trait, and not everyone has it. Being able to stand up for what is right even in the face of danger or job termination is what truly makes an outstanding officer. The ability to confront evil no matter where it may lay, even within your own organization, and to walk away knowing that you did the right thing can really impact those around you (Remsberg, C. 2010).

Conclusion

It is hard to find an office that has all of these traits. Most likely due to the fact they do not want to make a big deal out of what they do on a day-to-day basis. Even on television, you won’t find such an officer. However, Sergeant Ariel Soltura, of the Rosenberg Police Department in Texas has made an impact recently after a routine traffic stop. He noticed a young boy throwing a football around with no one else to play with. So Sergeant Soltura did what any good police officer should do, he made contact with the boy and proceeded to play catch with him (Hlavaty, C. 2014). Sergeant Soltura chalks up his actions to his take on community policing. To be engaged with the community on a personal level as well as a professional one really brings out the good qualities in any police officer.

Updated: Feb 02, 2024
Cite this page

What Are The Qualities of a Good Police Officer. (2024, Feb 09). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/what-are-the-qualities-of-a-good-police-officer-essay

Live chat  with support 24/7

👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!

Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.

get help with your assignment