What are the Duties of a Police Officer?
People tend to simplify the duties of a police officer. Some might think all that they do is issue traffic tickets, while others might limit their duties to handling emergency 911 calls. The truth is that there are many duties that a police officer can have, some being very dangerous while others can seem rather benign and tedious. Not all police officers share the same list of duties, however, and they do not necessarily do them in the same capacity.
Factors that can affect what the duties of a police officer are include rank, location, jurisdiction, education, job history, occupational specialty and more. Whether a police officer is on or off duty, he or she is expected to protect the lives and property of people, and this might be considered to be the primary duty of all police officers. Another duty of a police officer is to patrol areas in order to catch those who are breaking the law and then to arrest them, warn them of their actions, or to give them a citation depending on the severity of their crime or misdemeanor. Important and time-consuming among the duties of a police officer are writing police reports and keeping records of their activities.
There are also many minor duties of a police officer, all of which are also important within the greater scheme of keeping law and order intact. A common example is the duty of directing traffic, whether it is at the scene of an accident or at a particularly busy intersection. At the scenes of accidents, the police officer must also sometimes administer first aid to victims until paramedics arrive. Yet another minor, yet important, duty of a police officer is that of patrolling areas for the purpose of keeping them secure. Examples of areas that need special attention can include school campuses, stores, shopping malls, public transportation facilities and more, all of which are often patrolled by off duty police officers who work for extra income.
Even more duties of a police officer include those of specialties within a particular field. For example, some police officers train other police officers as well as civilians about guns and gun safety. Other duties can include specialties such as forensic analysis, water patrol, police dogs, and emergency response. There are also duties of police officers that ensure that they are actively involved in the community by building relationships and offering their services to local community organizations, and these are important in developing strong bonds of trust between members of a community and their local police force.
Written by Phil Shepley
