Pro's/Cons of being a Police Officer????

I'm not in law enforcement, but a good friend of mine is.  From what I hear there's a lot more boredom than excitement.  

From a pay perspective, most police officers work a lot of overtime which will help offset the pay cut.  It also will require more time on your part at work which could effect your social/training life.  I also think that once you join law enforcement you tend to work all the time.  My buddy will start watching people in a store who looks suspicious and follow him around to make sure he doesn't steal anything.  I give him crap about it.

I always like the old saying that if you love your job you'll never work another day in your life.  So, if it's something you've wanted to do and your not happy with what your doing then I'd say go for it.

Pro..............????????

Con.......you're NOT a firefighter!!!!

People become cops because they're not smart enough or tough enough to become firefighters......I'm just sayin'

And yes......I'm being a bit of a smart@$$.  BUT, then again, I am biased

Wow. Ummmm ok.

To the OP - I think it is awesome you want to be an officer. Do you have an SO and if so have you discussed this desire? As a married woman with 5 kids I would be very reluctant to have my husband serve.

I wish you all the best and hope you find something you love doing.

Wow, thanks for all the great info and advice guys, I really appreciate it! To answer Keri's question, No, I am not married nor do I have kids which takes that out of the equation.

Been a cop for 16 years now. It has its days just like every job. When you start out you go in thinking you can help everyone and make a difference. After 3 years you realize you'll never change anything and so you just go through work day by day. 

It does have some rewards like helping children and protecting those who can't protect themselves. There is alot of different areas to go into also. Iv'e work 5 years in narcotics which was pretty fun and been on the SWAT team for 9 years now which is also fun.

CONS. Not well liked by general public until something bad is happening to them, then you can't get there fast enough. Arguing with people every day for a speeding ticket gets old day after day but when you catch a robber or burglar or any felon its a good day. So to be honest there are alot of pros and cons to all jobs but in law enforcement you have to realize you are judged a little different wether your on duty or not.  You will be held to a little higher standard.  Now that I've written this I can't wait to get some backlash from the first anticop turd.  Hope that helped a little and if its what you want to do follow your dreams. 

Where I work the pay is pretty good and there is always job security as long as you don't srew up big time because there will always be people who need to go to jail.

My father was a cop for 32 years and retired as a Captain for the San Diego Police Department.  Only 8 people on the PD were higher ranking.

Cons:

Given the budget issues in most cities, I would look into the current contract relative to pensions, healthcare etc beofre committing. Also, check how the wind is blowing in the community.  Right now San Diego has a seriously underfunded pension plan for the PD/FD and the city is gunning for all of the pensions and the media has turned all cops/firefighters into people sucking the lifeblood out of the city. 

I would also look at how promotions are handled.  It can be a frustrating experience depending on the method.

It is often a thankless job.  Dangerous and thankless.

Very high divorce rate.  My dad told me to never marry a cop. 

Pro's:

Could have great pension benefits, healthcare etc

You can be a very positive part of a community.  It is up to you to be the "right" kind of cop.  If you are going into it for the power trip, do the rest of us a favor and don't become a cop.  My father and Godfather becames policemen in 60's and it was very much about community policing and "helping" people.  Many of the younger cops are not entering for the right reasons and it has a negative impact on the community in the end.  My brother law falls into this last category and I would hate to be pulled over by him.

Hours/shifts may not be to your liking in the early years.

Consider the FBI or becoming a Treasury Agent, seeing that you are a Sooner, I am assuming a college degree.  Federal pensions, not quite as high profile (dangerous), and more money.  FBI accepts most degrees or at least they used to when I was considering a change.

Can't comment on the LEO aspect but I can chime in on putting in time behind a desk vs. doing something that you believe is worthwhile and has a positive effect on other people.

Making the switch from leaving the well paid secure corporate gig to doing BT full time was stressful but it was one of the best things I've ever done for myself and my family. I HATED the feeling of just punching a clock, spending my days doing something I didn't have any real interest in just because it paid well. My income did drop significantly and I am married and have kids so it was a big deal. Still, it was totally worth it. I get to do something for a living that I believe really helps people and makes a difference in their lives. I can't overstate the difference that's made in my life. If you have a chance to make that switch, I can't encourage you strongly enough.

And Iowaman, about this statement:

You should note that anti-cop  rants are few and far between here.  This is because they are not allowed. We established this policy years ago. BT is meant to be a positive place where people like LEOs and Armed Forces personnel can get away from that kind of stress and focus on triathlon and it's benefits.

You have gotten good advice so far, but something you can also do is to go to your nearest department and speak with some individuals there to see if you can possibly shadow for a few hours after letting them know what you're thinking of doing.  Just see what their daily life is like with doing paperwork after writing tickets or going on calls.  Moreover, if you have a friend who is a cop, you may get to ride with them, depending on the policy of the department.  Therefore, you can get an even better idea of what to expect of the departments that are around you because all of them are different because of regional crime differences.

I was a cop for about 7 years and here are some cons:

Terrible hours, late nights, early mornings. Working holidays and birthdays (any events you would want to be at) sucks and as the new guy you can almost bet on it being you working those.  Anytime there is an emergency, storms, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc, you're on duty and your family takes the backburner as you are responsible for everyone.  The pay isn't great but I'm a teacher now so there's not much change there.

Pros:

The job is awesome, loved it, second best job ever (I really love this teaching thing).  Core group of friends that you'll remember for a lifetime.  Friends that'll do anything for you...anything.  Cops are awesome, not always appreciated the way they should be but if you're a good cop people will know it.

If it's something you really want to do and the pay cut doesn't bother you, do it.  You won't regret it and if you do you can always go back to your old line of work.

I got a speeding ticket earlier this month. I totally deserved it

God created Police Officers so Firefighters had heros to look up to.

I've been a LEO for 6 years and I do love the job most of the time.  Boredom comes and goes depending on your shift time and time of year it's not constantly go go go all the time and sometimes you are wishing for anything to do... 

Pros: 

• Good work schedule, IMHO I work 4 10s and have a 3 day weekend every week. 
•  Not the same routine, in this job nothing is routine except the paperwork. 
• Comraderie and the guys you work with.
• Alot of opportunities for overtime, yeah the pay isn't fantastic but I supplement with off duty work doing everything from parade routes to college football games and site security.

Cons:

• You will work on Holidays Birthdays and anniversaries, alot.
• Your life is on the line through your entire watch and that is stressful even if you aren't on a particularly dangerous call or just driving
• You are hated by alot of the population, only one hated more are lawyers
• work until 3 am and back in court at 0800

If you have any specific questions in reference to the job feel free to PM me and I'll do my best to answer any questions you have.

And the job is definitely worth the cons.

Tripopo has a good list, here is mine...

Pros:

• Fun job that is different every day
• You get to work outdoors (this can be a con too with heat/rain/cold)
• You get to meet and interact with a lot of people (I've found that 90% of people are genuinely good people and it is a joy to be able to truly help out those people)
• 3 day weekends (usually)
• decent to good pay with good benefits
• Lots of opportunity to promote or move around to different jobs w/in the dept
• It's a job you can tell people about and be proud of
• You get paid to shoot and train
• You'll make lifelong hardcore friends, the type that will do anything for you and you for them

Cons:

• Policing now a days has a lot of politics
• The pay does take a while to ramp up and you have to put your time in at the bottom
• Rotating shifts, working holidays, being forced to come in for emergencies, court on your day off, etc
• You will see the world differently and become a lot more cynical and less trusting of everyone
• Stress level can be extremely high (policing is 90% boredom/routine and 10% balls to the wall)

For me, the benefits far outweigh the negatives.  I've been in LE now for 11yrs and a detective for 3 and love my career path.  I could not imagine doing anything else.  Sure there are times it gets boring, frustrating, sad, upsetting, etc but it has been worth it.  Saving the kid from abusive parents, arresting the bastard who beats his wife/gf, talking to citizens who were taught to hate the police but after they see that you are just a normal person looking out for them then they change their minds...all these kinds of little things really make it worth it. 

It's a big decision to make and I applaud you for not taking it lightly and looking into it.  Not everyone is cut out for it.  But if it is something you feel passionate about then go for it.  If you would like any more advice or thoughts then let me know.  Best of luck and let us know what you decide to do.

EDIT: As far as tri training goes, you just make it work for you.  When I worked nights, I would get up at 3-4pm and do my workouts before work.  Some people will do them in the morning after they get off.  When I went to an evening shift I did my workouts again before work in the 10a-2pm range.  It is tough if you regularly train with others as most group sessions will be in the mornings.  Races can also be tough...I once worked from 5pm to 3am then went home and took a 1hr nap then went and raced.  Not ideal but it can be done.

This is a topic that I have so many feelings about.  I was in Law Enforcement for the past 11 years until this past February when I took early retirement and now I work in the insurance industry.  Like someone previously stated after about three years, for me even sooner, I realized that I could make small differences in a few people's lives however for the most part the feeling of futility inevitably sets in.  There are so many pros and cons to be weighed when thinking about getting into law enforcement.  I spent the majority and end of my career as an undercover narcotics detective.  I can tell you a hundred horror stories about how unrewarding it can be to see the person that you spent months putting a case together on get probation because it was the first time they got caught.  I was stabbed in the arm by a fifteen year old kid requiring several stitches who was sentenced to a two month boot camp because though he already compiled an extensive criminal record had never actually stabbed a police officer before and it was merely his intention to avoid arrest not physically harm me.  I say all that to tell you I loved my job.  I would go back and do it all over again and still do it to this day if my personal life were different.

It all comes down to priorities and your life responsibilities.  My wife died in March of 2010 leaving me with three little girls.  I tried to justify my desire to continue to the job that was fun and I loved despite the major sacrifices that had to be made by both me and my family.  I could not bear the thought of leaving them parentless after losing their mother and decided that they were my priority and that they needed and deserved more of me than a job in law enforcement would allow.  I can say the last six months my wife was alive were all but wasted time with her because I had big cases that required so many hours that I was home long enough to catch a few hours of sleep and then back to work.  Granted when you first start or work patrol your schedule will not be quite that hectic but it WILL be a sacrifice that not just you will be making.  If you are married or have children they will also be giving up a big part of you. 

I would recommend seriously weighing all pros and cons and being honest with yourself about when is the most important and not let you boredom lead you to a career that will be fun and exciting at first and then turn into a lot of the same feelings you have not.  It will become a JOB and it will lose its thrill at some point.

I love all the friendly rivalry between the firemen and the real heroes.  Might even start a thread to continue some of the fun. 

Been in Law Enforcement for 16 years.  Like another poster said, when you first start the job, you want to save the world.  You soon realize that you can't save the world and it becomes a job, there are periods of burn out.  It is true, as the new guy, you will work the worst hours, holidays, and weekends but you will eventually build enough senority to be the one who gets the "good days off".  I worked night shift for 13 years (by choice)  9 of the 13 on K-9, 1 year on day shift and the last 2 years in investigations (Robbery /Homicide).    I am satisfied with my career path and could not picture myself, at least not yet, in another career field.   Over the years, I have seen alot of people enter Law Enforcement from other career fields, i.e. engineering, accounting, business management.  Many of those who made the career switch are no longer with the department presumably because the job was not what they expected.  There are periods of boredom followed by a short burst of all out excitement and followed by boredom again.  I am not going to pursuade someone to become a police officer nor am I going to dissuade someone from making the decision of becoming a police officer.  I believe it's a decision someone must make on their own and also look deep down at the true reason why they want to become a police officer (and be honest with yourself).  As for those that have stated that the cop is always working, I agree and disagree with the comment.  I try to make most of my time off and not think about work, and when I'm with my family, I'm definitely not in "cop" mode.    

Being assigned to investigations, I am subject to being called out 24 hrs a day 7 days a week.  The same thing was true when I was in K-9.  As a patrol officer, you have the luxury of not having to worry about off-duty call outs, at least in my department. 

So here are my lists of Pros and Cons based on my experience:

Pros:

Flexibility - You pretty much are free to spend your time doing what you like best wihtout a supervisor breathing down you neck.

Opportunity - Depending on the size of the department, there are fields you can move too which most interest the officer, i.e. crime scene unit, K-9, Narcotics, investigations, helicopters, motor, mounted patol, Bike Patrol.

Job Satisfaction - Arresting somone for murder and seeing them get life in prison is a feeling that can't be described. 

Work Relationships- You build some of the closest relationships with those you rely on and work with from day to day. 

Cons:

Schedule - I think the biggest Con is the schedule but it becomes a non issue over time.   As stated previously, new guys get the shaft with shift assignments and days off.  I have missed quite a few holidays with the family.  After Hurricane Ike, I was unable to come home for 4 days (leaving my wife and kids at home).  It's part of the job that is accepted. (Schedule is a non issue for me now, Mon-Fri 7-3)

Revolving Door - Seeing how all your hardwork sometimes does not pay off.  You end up dealing with the same suspect, for the same thing, time and time again.

I have found that I have more time to devote to my tri training than my wife, who works in Corporate America.  There are instances when I have been called out or have had to stay late and missed a workout or 2, but for the most part, I get my workouts in.  My department does not work 4 - 10's but I could see how it would be benicial to training (having an extra day off).

Good luck with your decision. 

x2 80 isn't really that fast is it?

forgot to add about my training, I'm a bike cop so if I ever have to drop a workout I figure I get a decent amount of miles in a week on the police bike but most of the time I do my shorter length workouts during the week and save the long stuff for my days off if possible although I can usually get all my swimming done during my work week without being detrimental to my ability to handle situations on the street.

A buddy of mine who works nights does his workouts during the day and takes a nap before coming in just a matter of time management and using all 24 hrs in a day