9781422276693

Is This the Right Job for You? To find out if being a police officer is a good fit for you, read each of the following questions and answer “Yes” or “No.” Yes No 1. Do you enjoy working outdoors? Yes No 2. Could you handle a job that might threaten your physical safety? Yes No 3. Are you willing to work evening, night, weekend, and holiday shifts? Yes No 4. Do you consider yourself honest and reliable? Yes No 5. Can you maintain control of your emotions and keep personal feelings to yourself? Yes No 6. Can you learn and apply many rules, regulations, and laws? Yes No 7. Are you sensitive to others’ feelings and needs? Yes No 8. Can you maintain alertness during stressful situations? Yes No 9. Are you physically fit? Yes No 10. Do you enjoy working with and meeting people? If you answered “Yes” to most of these questions, consider a career as a police officer. To find out more about this job, read on. What’s the Work Like? When you finish your training, you will be a regular police officer. This means you will provide protective services, as well as prevent, de- tect, and investigate crimes. Police work often involves personal risk and requires good judgment in all situations. Police officers perform many different tasks. However, theirmost basic job is to patrol an assigned area in order to prevent crime and enforce laws and regulations. Tasks vary in their level of danger. Pulling over speeding cars and enforcing TALKING money Salaries for police officers vary a great deal depending on the particular job—pay can range from $30,000 to more than $100,000 per year, depending on the situation. Detectives and criminal investigators make the most, while patrol officers and game wardens make the least. According to 2016 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary is $61,600 per year. Benefits, such as vacation, sick leave, and medical insur- ance, are usually excellent.

public safety & Law

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