Police officer
This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2009) |
Occupation | |
---|---|
Synonyms | policeman (PL: policemen) policewoman (PL: policewomen) |
Activity sectors | Law enforcement
public safety ,
civil service,
public service,
rescue,
protection of private property |
Description | |
Education required | Secondary or tertiary education |
Fields of employment | Public areas |
Related jobs | gendarmerie, military police, security guard, bodyguard, detective |
A police officer (also called a policeman (male) or policewoman (female), a cop, an officer, or less commonly a constable) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the rank "officer" is legally reserved for military personnel.[citation needed]
Police officers are generally charged with the apprehension of
Etymology
The word "police" comes from the Greek politeia, meaning government, which came to mean its civil administration. The more general term for the function is law enforcement officer or peace officer. A sheriff is typically the top police officer of a county, with that word coming from the person enforcing law over a shire. A person who has been deputized to serve the function of the sheriff is referred to as the deputy.[citation needed]
Police officers are those empowered by government to enforce the laws it creates. In
Duties and functions
The responsibilities of a police officer are varied, and may differ greatly from within one political context to another. Typical duties relate to keeping the peace, law enforcement, protection of people and property and the investigation of crimes. Officers are expected to respond to a variety of situations that may arise while they are on duty. Rules and guidelines dictate how an officer should behave within the community, and in many contexts, restrictions are placed on what the uniformed officer may wear. In some countries,
In the majority of
Police are often used as an
Police are also responsible for reprimanding minor offenders by issuing
Some park rangers are commissioned as law enforcement officers and carry out a law-enforcement role within national parks and other back-country wilderness and recreational areas, whereas military police perform law enforcement functions within the military.[5]
Entry and promotion qualifications
In most countries, candidates for the police force must have completed some formal education.
Dependent upon each agency, but generally after completing two years of service, officers may apply for specialist positions, such as detective, police dog handler, mounted police officer, motorcycle officer, water police officer, or firearms officer (in countries where police are not routinely armed).[citation needed]
In some countries, including Singapore, police ranks are supplemented through conscription, similar to national service in the military. Qualifications may thus be relaxed or enhanced depending on the target mix of conscripts. Conscripts face tougher physical requirements in areas such as eyesight, but minimum academic qualification requirements are less stringent. Some join as volunteers, again via differing qualification requirements.[citation needed]
Pay
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In some societies, police officers are paid relatively well compared to other occupations; their pay depends on what rank they are within their police force and how many years they have served.[8] In the United States, an average patrol officer's salary was $64,610 in 2021.[9] In London, capital of the UK, a police officer's average basic salary in 2020 was £36,773 per annum.[10] In the Netherlands, the average police officer working on the street is ranked in salary scale 6 to 9, €27,584 to €54,177 gross (€23,805 to €38,037 net) per year. Apart from these scales, there are higher functions which can increase an officer's salary.[11]
In some towns of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Police officers have earned $178,000-$312,000 with overtime.[12][13] Similar pay rates have made reports for New Jersey and Oakland, California police officers.[14][15]
Occupational safety and health
There are numerous concerns affecting the safety and health of police officers, including occupational stress and death in the line of duty. On August 6, 2019, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced the creation of the first U.S. state-wide program to support the mental health of police officers. The goal of the program is to train officers in emotional resiliency and to help destigmatize mental health problems.[16]
Application of force
Individual cases
Almost universally, police officers are authorized to use force, up to and including
Accountability
In the performance of their duties, police officers may act unlawfully, either deliberately or as a result of errors in judgment.[21] Police accountability efforts strive to protect citizens and their rights by ensuring legal and effective law enforcement conduct, while affording individual officers the required autonomy, protection, and discretion. As an example, the use of body-worn cameras has been shown to reduce both instances of misconduct and complaints against officers.[22]
See also
- Peace officer
- Military police
- Provost (military police)
- Field training officer
- Internal affairs
- Chief of police
- Police tactical unit
- Gypsy cop
- List of slang terms for police officers
References
- ISBN 0-253-21040-2.
- ISBN 9780415212595.
- ISBN 9780140510461.
- ^ "Educational Requirements for Police Officers". education-portal.com. 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
- ^ "What to Know About Being a Military Police Officer".
- ^ "Requirements to Become a Police Officer".
- ^ "What Is Tertiary Education?".
- ^ "Police Pay". Police-information.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-02-06.
- ^ "Police and Detectives : Occupational Outlook Handbook". U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ "Salary: Police Officer in London, UK".
- ^ "Dit verdient een politieagent". 2021-03-30.
- ^ "Police Dominate Top 10 in 2010". 15 February 2011.
- ^ "Police make up 19 of Trumbull's top 20 highest paid employees". March 2023.
- ^ "The $300K cops: Police in Hudson County capitalize on overtime, off-duty work and other payments". 21 January 2022.
- ^ "Dozens of Oakland police officers earn six-figure overtime payments, busting city budget".
- ^ Joe Atmonavage (August 6, 2019). "37 N.J. officers have killed themselves since 2016. AG hopes new plan will prevent suicides". NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
'We cannot fully comprehend the emotional and mental stress that our law enforcement officers suffer on a daily basis,' said Grewal during a press conference at the Newark Police Department to announce the New Jersey Resiliency Program for Law Enforcement. 'We owe it to them to not only combat the stigma associated with seeking help, but also give to them the tools they need to deal with the stress and trauma they endure.' The program is the first of its kind in the country, according to the Attorney General's office.
- ^ "The Use-of-Force Continuum". Library of Congress. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ "The Use-of-Force Continuum". National Institute of Justice. 4 August 2009. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ Fryer, Roland G. Jr. (July 2016). "An Empirical Analysis of Racial Differences in Police Use of Force". Journal of Political Economy. Harvard University. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ Wittie, Mark Curtis (2011). "Police Use of Force" (PDF). West Texas A&M University. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ "Use of Force". Bureau of Justice Statistics. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- hdl:1885/261975.