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WHAT THE JOBS ARE
Local Positions
By far, the greatest number of law enforcement officers is employed by local, municipal departments.
Law enforcement personnel at the local level can count on working close to home throughout their careers.
Local law enforcement officers are seldom called upon to travel and, when reassigned within the
department, do not have to uproot and relocate their families. A local law enforcement officer who proves
effective in early assignments can look forward to promotion to positions of greater responsibility or to
specialized assignments.
The cornerstone of the local law enforcement unit is the Police Officer. Although it is possible to enter
the local law enforcement department through civilian auxiliary staff positions, the most common entry
point into the local law enforcement system is as a Police Officer.
POLICE OFFICER
Duties of the Job
The fundamental purpose of the police throughout America is crime prevention through law enforcement;
to most citizens, the most visible representative of this effort is the uniformed Police Officer. There is no
more important police function than day-to-day patrol activities, for the effectiveness of police agencies
depends on it. After their basic training, most Police Officers are assigned to patrol duty, and their specific
duties and responsibilities are numerous and varied. Unlike the specialist, Patrol Officers must perform
well in a variety of tasks. Regardless of police department size, these officers have two basic
responsibilities: to prevent criminal activities and to furnish day-to-day police service to the community.
Patrol Officers protect the public, interpret and enforce the law, control traffic, and perform preliminary
investigations. They frequently face situations that require swift yet sound decisions. For example, they
must decide whether to take no action in an incident or to offer advice, whether to warn or to arrest persons,
perhaps using firearms or substantial force. In some situations, they must determine the difference
between crime and bizarre behavior or between disturbing the peace and legitimate dissent by citizens.
Regardless of the circumstances, their first duty is protection of constitutional guarantees, and their
second duty is enforcement of the law.
Police Officers patrol assigned sectors in motor vehicles or on foot, working alone or with a partner,
paying close attention to area conditions and inhabitants. During patrol, Police Officers observe
suspicious behavior, conditions, or illegal activities in their sector and report incidents by radio to a
superior officer prior to taking action. They investigate incidents and question the individuals involved
to determine violations of the law. They respond to radio calls sent by police dispatchers or superior
officers ordering them to the scene of incidents such as burglaries, bank robberies, homicides, rapes,
suicides, assaults, and crimes in progress. They make preliminary investigations, question victims and
witnesses, recover stolen property, and take evidence into possession. Where indicated, they arrest
suspects at crime scenes or after pursuit and use physical force and firearms to subdue them. When making
arrests, they advise suspects of their constitutional rights, as required by law, and transport them in police
vehicles to police booking and detention facilities prior to court arraignment. At the time of trial, Police
Officers testify in court to provide evidence for prosecuting attorneys.
