| A police officer (also known as a
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| | who gather facts and collect evidence for
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| constable in some countries) is employed
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| | criminal cases. Some are assigned to
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| in most cases by federal, state
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| | interagency task forces to combat
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| provincial or municipal governments and
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| | specific types of crime. They conduct
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| has the responsibility (or duty) of
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| | interviews, examine records, observe the
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| enforcing federal, state/provincial laws
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| | activities of suspects, and participate
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| along with municipal/city ordinances.
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| | in raids or arrests.
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| They also have the responsibility of
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| | Police and detective work can be very
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| keeping the public peace. This is usually
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| | dangerous and stressful. In addition to
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| done by uniformed pra-active patrolling
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| | the obvious dangers of confrontations
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| within their jurisdiction looking for and
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| | with criminals, police officers and
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| investigating law breakers, and by
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| | detectives need to be constantly alert
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| responding to calls for service. Police
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| | and ready to deal appropriately with a
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| officers are required to keep notes of
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| | number of other threatening situations.
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| all situations in which they take action
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| | Many law enforcement officers witness
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| and appear as witnesses during both
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| | death and suffering resulting from
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| criminal prosecutions and civil
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| | accidents and criminal behavior. A career
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| litigation. One of the lesser-known but
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| | in law enforcement may take a toll on
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| most time-consuming duties of officers is
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| | their private lives.
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| completion of documentation of activity
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| | Police and sheriff's patrol officers had
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| ("reporting").
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| | median annual earnings of $45,210 in May
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| It must be noted that the
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| | 2004. The middle 50 percent earned
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| responsibilities of a police officer
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| | between $34,410 and $56,360. The lowest
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| constable are extremely broad and not in
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| | 10 percent earned less than $26,910, and
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| any way limited to the duties mentioned
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| | the highest 10 percent earned more than
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| above. Police are expected to be able to
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| | $68,880. Median annual earnings were
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| respond in some fashion to any and all
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| | $44,750 in Federal Government, $48,980 in
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| situations that may arise while they are
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| | State government, and $45,010 in local
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| on duty. Also police must act as
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| | government. The opportunity for public
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| government officials in the cases of
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| | service through law enforcement work is
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| investigation. In some communities rules
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| | attractive to many because the job is
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| and procedures governing conduct and
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| | challenging and involves much personal
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| duties of police officers requires that
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| | responsibility. Furthermore, law
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| they act if needed even when off duty.
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| | enforcement officers in many agencies may
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| People depend on police officers and
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| | retire with a pension after 25 or 30
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| detectives to protect their lives and
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| | years of service, allowing them to pursue
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| property. Law enforcement officers, some
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| | a second career while still in their 40s
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| of whom are State or Federal special
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| | or 50s. Because of relatively attractive
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| agents or inspectors, perform these
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| | salaries and benefits, the number of
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| duties in a variety of ways, depending on
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| | qualified candidates exceeds the number
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| the size and type of their organization.
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| | of job openings in Federal law
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| In most jurisdictions, they are expected
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| | enforcement agencies and in most State
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| to exercise authority when necessary,
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| | police departments-resulting in increased
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| whether on or off duty.
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| | hiring standards and selectivity by
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| Uniformed police officers have general
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| | employers.
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| law enforcement duties, including
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| | Candidates must be U.S. citizens, usually
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| maintaining regular patrols and
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| | must be at least 20 years of age, and
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| responding to calls for service. They may
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| | must meet rigorous physical and personal
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| direct traffic at the scene of an
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| | qualifications. Physical examinations for
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| accident, investigate a burglary, or give
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| | entrance into law enforcement often
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| first aid to an accident victim. In large
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| | include tests of vision, hearing,
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| police departments, officers usually are
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| | strength, and agility. Eligibility for
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| assigned to a specific type of duty. Many
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| | appointment usually depends on
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| urban police agencies are involved in
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| | performance in competitive written
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| community policing-a practice in which an
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| | examinations and previous education and
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| officer builds relationships with the
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| | experience. In larger departments, where
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| citizens of local neighborhoods and
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| | the majority of law enforcement jobs are
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| mobilizes the public to help fight crime.
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| | found, applicants usually must have at
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| Some police officers specialize in such
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| | least a high school education, and some
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| diverse fields as chemical and
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| | departments require a year or two of
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| microscopic analysis, training and
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| | college coursework. Federal and State
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| firearms instruction, or handwriting and
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| | agencies typically require a college
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| fingerprint identification. Others work
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| | degree. Candidates should enjoy working
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| with special units, such as horseback,
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| | with people and meeting the public.
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| bicycle, motorcycle or harbor patrol;
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| | Because personal characteristics such as
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| canine corps; special weapons and tactics
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| | honesty, sound judgment, integrity, and a
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| (SWAT); or emergency response teams. A
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| | sense of responsibility are especially
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| few local and special law enforcement
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| | important in law enforcement, candidates
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| officers primarily perform jail-related
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| | are interviewed by senior officers, and
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| duties or work in courts. Regardless of
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| | their character traits and backgrounds
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| job duties or location, police officers
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| | are investigated. In some agencies,
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| and detectives at all levels must write
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| | candidates are interviewed by a
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| reports and maintain meticulous records
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| | psychiatrist or a psychologist or given a
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| that will be needed if they testify in
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| | personality test. Most applicants are
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| court.
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| | subjected to lie detector examinations or
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| Sheriffs and deputy sheriffs enforce the
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| | drug testing.
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| law on the county level. Sheriffs are
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| | Before their first assignments, officers
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| usually elected to their posts and
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| | usually go through a period of training.
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| perform duties similar to those of a
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| | In State and large local departments,
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| local or county police chief. Sheriffs'
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| | recruits get training in their agency's
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| departments tend to be relatively small,
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| | police academy, often for 12 to 14 weeks.
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| most having fewer than 50 sworn officers.
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| | In small agencies, recruits often attend
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| Deputy sheriffs have law enforcement
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| | a regional or State academy. Training
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| duties similar to those of officers in
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| | includes classroom instruction in
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| urban police departments.
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| | constitutional law and civil rights,
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| State police officers (sometimes called
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| | State laws and local ordinances, and
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| State troopers or highway patrol
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| | accident investigation. Recruits also
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| officers) arrest criminals Statewide and
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| | receive training and supervised
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| patrol highways to enforce motor vehicle
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| | experience in patrol, traffic control,
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| laws and regulations. State police
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| | use of firearms, self-defense, first aid,
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| officers are best known for issuing
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| | and emergency response. Police
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| traffic citations to motorists. At the
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| | departments in some large cities hire
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| scene of accidents, they may direct
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| | high school graduates who are still in
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| traffic, give first aid, and call for
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| | their teens as police cadets or trainees.
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| emergency equipment.
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| | Freelance writer for over eleven years.
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| Detectives are plainclothes investigators
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