Could You Hack It As A Police Officer?

Do you think that it’s time you changed your career? Even though many people think that you are stuck in your career for life, it is actually becoming a lot easier to switch jobs, no matter how old you might be. There are a lot of careers that are great to switch over to once you have a bit more life experience behind you, such as teaching. One career that more and more women are moving over to, though, is policing.

The main reason why a lot of women are choosing to become a police officer is so they get the chance to give something back to society. They can also do their bit in making their local region a lot safer by clamping down on crime.

If you do decide to move into the police force, you need to know that it will be a steep learning curve. After all, it is a lot more than a basic office job, and you might have to come face-to-face with some dangerous individuals. Do you think that you could hack life as a police officer? Here are a few pointers that can help you figure that out.

You’ll Need To Take Plenty Of Training

One of the first things to understand about becoming a police officer, is that you will need to take part in a lot of training. Some of this will be academic while some will be physical and on-the-job. If you want a head start in all of this training, it’s worth taking part in an online degree criminal justice course before you do sign up. This should cover all of the important basics that you need to know. This knowledge will then be expanded on by all the on-the-job training you will receive from the police force. It will certainly be a steep learning curve once you start training, but it will be worth it once you become a fully qualified police officer.

It’s Important To Be Fit And Healthy

There’s a good chance that you will need to take a medical before you start your training. This is to make sure that you are fit and healthy enough to be a police officer. Working in the police can be mentally and physically tough, so the force needs to make sure that you are in a fit state to keep up with the demanding work. If you don’t pass the medical, then you might not be able to continue with the rest of the process to become a police officer.

You Need A Driver’s License

If you don’t already have a driver’s license, then you might want to think about getting one as soon as possible. That’s because all police officers will need to be able to drive. After all, they need to drive the police cars! If you can’t drive already, there’s no need to worry. You can sign up to an intense learner’s course. Most of these claim to teach new drivers everything that they need to know in order to pass their test in a very short period of time. In some cases, these courses only last for two weeks! Once you’ve got your driver’s license, you can then start to think about joining the police again.

You Have To Be Comfortable Around Animals

Don’t forget that many police officers work closely with animals on a regular basis. I’m sure you’ve seen police out on patrol on horseback before. This occurs usually at large events and protests. But horses aren’t the only animal that the police work with – dogs also serve with the police force as well. These often work as sniffer dogs, search dogs, and are also sometimes used for protection. More often than not, if you are going to work with any animals on a daily basis, you will be given animal handling training. But even if you don’t work with the horses and dogs regularly, you still need to be comfortable around them as you never know when you might be with them on an exercise or out on patrol.

You Need To Be Confident Handling Firearms

As a police officer, there will be times when you will need to handle firearms. Even though you might not ever need to use these in any situation, you will still be expected to take them out with you on patrol and be comfortable if you were to ever need them. Of course, this is something that not everyone will be happy about. So, you need to figure out what your views on firearms are, and whether you would be happy learning to use them. Thankfully, if you do ever need to use a gun in this professional situation, it will be to ensure the safety of society and the people around you.

Good Communication Skills Are Essential

Police officers need to have good communication skills in place. This is so that you can work effectively as a team with your colleagues, but it will also help you when dealing with any criminals who you come across. It will also give you an advantage when dealing with people in vulnerable situations. For instance, if you are ever called out because someone is standing on the wrong side of railings on a bridge, you will be able to calmly talk to them and persuade them to come down to safety.

You Don’t Have Any Previous Convictions

All police officers are expected to be good citizens who uphold all of the laws that they try to maintain. So, if you have any previous convictions, you might want to reconsider this as a career, as it could be a lot harder for you to break into. Even though it isn’t completely impossible for a previous criminal history to prevent you from joining the police, you may be subject to more background checks, which could delay your application.

So, do you think you still want to join your local police force? Hopefully, these points help you to decide!