A Day as a Police Officer

August 15, 2012

A police officer’s day begins usually in the morning or evening, as most police officers work a 12-hour shift. A police officer will start their shift by putting on their uniform. A police officer’s uniform not only includes their clothing, but it also includes their bullet proof vest, their belt that houses their handcuffs, baton, gun, extra magazines and pepper spray, badge and some may include their cap or hat. After the police officer is fully uniformed, they will go to their patrol car and do a maintenance check before they leave for their dispatched zone. The police officer will patrol the area that they are assigned for that day and respond to incidents that they are dispatched to.

There are various incidents that a police officer could encounter throughout their shift, some are simple and some could result in their death. Some of the simple incidents that a police officer could be dispatched to are vehicle accidents, dog barking complaints, domestic violence and shoplifting. The more dangerous ones could include being dispatched to a crime that is in progress, suspicious persons loitering and high-speed car chases. While the police officer is patrolling, they could also be responsible for pulling people over for traffic violations, helping disabled people to cross streets, finding missing children, providing directions, controlling traffic, offering a ride to a stranded driver and controlling crowds.

During the police officer’s day, notes will need to be taken on the incidents that are encountered, as it is their responsibility to fill out reports when they arrive back at the station. In the reports, the police officer will need to document every detail of what happened at each incident. This can be hard on a police officer’s emotions, as they have to relive what they had already experienced out in the field. These reports could consist of dead bodies that have been found or other incidents that include violence, inhumane actions or pain. For this reason, police officers take every day as it could be their last because they never know when they are going to arrive at an incident that could be deadly.