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You'll learn very quickly that your most
important asset will be the people who are
working with you. No matter how well
trained, and knowledgeable, you think you
are, those first months are going to be very
difficult. You're going to experience
situations where you'll need guidance from
others. From the very beginning, you should
identify fellow police officers who are
competent and experienced. Believe me, it's
not a hard thing to do; they'll be the quiet
ones.
It's just as easy to identify those police
officers whose advice you should view with
skepticism. They'll be the ones who respond
to your questions with, "Don't worry about
it." If you consider your question worth
asking, that response should confirm to you
that it's worth your worry. Some police
officers are notorious for taking short cuts,
and the short cutter's slogan is, "Don't Worry
About It."
There was a time when your inexperience
would offer you some protection when acting
on bad advice from a senior police officer.
Senior police officers were rightly held
accountable for the actions of junior police
officers under their immediate supervision
and control. It's not like that anymore;
you'll be held fully accountable for your
actions when you follow bad direction, and
things turn out badly.
Right from the beginning, you're going to
have to use your head. You don't have to
have a ton of experience to recognize good
direction from bad direction. Aside from
procedural nuances, police work rests solely
on reasonable responses from a reasonable
person. You're going to make mistakes.
Reasonable people make mistakes all the
time, but reasonable people rarely make
catastrophic mistakes.
important asset will be the people who are
working with you. No matter how well
trained, and knowledgeable, you think you
are, those first months are going to be very
difficult. You're going to experience
situations where you'll need guidance from
others. From the very beginning, you should
identify fellow police officers who are
competent and experienced. Believe me, it's
not a hard thing to do; they'll be the quiet
ones.
It's just as easy to identify those police
officers whose advice you should view with
skepticism. They'll be the ones who respond
to your questions with, "Don't worry about
it." If you consider your question worth
asking, that response should confirm to you
that it's worth your worry. Some police
officers are notorious for taking short cuts,
and the short cutter's slogan is, "Don't Worry
About It."
There was a time when your inexperience
would offer you some protection when acting
on bad advice from a senior police officer.
Senior police officers were rightly held
accountable for the actions of junior police
officers under their immediate supervision
and control. It's not like that anymore;
you'll be held fully accountable for your
actions when you follow bad direction, and
things turn out badly.
Right from the beginning, you're going to
have to use your head. You don't have to
have a ton of experience to recognize good
direction from bad direction. Aside from
procedural nuances, police work rests solely
on reasonable responses from a reasonable
person. You're going to make mistakes.
Reasonable people make mistakes all the
time, but reasonable people rarely make
catastrophic mistakes.
"Reasonable people make mistakes
all the time, but reasonable people
rarely make catastrophic mistakes."
all the time, but reasonable people
rarely make catastrophic mistakes."
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| Police and Police |
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| Copyright © 2006 - 2009 - Barry M. Baker - CareerPoliceOfficer.com |
| Disclaimer |
| CareerPoliceOfficer.com is not responsible for the contents of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site, or any changes or updates to such sites. Links are provided only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by this site. |
~ Barry M. Baker
When one spends over 32 years in a police career, it's easy to forget many
of the questions and misconceptions about police work one had at the very
beginning. When I go on the Internet, and I read posts by young people
asking questions about a police career, it takes me back to a time when I
had some of the same questions and misconceptions.
As one becomes older and – hopefully – wiser, one conveniently forgets
the inexperience and stupidity of one's youth. That's not to say that
youthful inexperience equals stupidity. The stupidity part only applies to
youth's natural lack of appreciation for experience. How many times have
you said, or heard a young person ask, "How can I get job experience if I
can't get hired for the job?" It's a dilemma and question everyone has
faced, but it's just an inconsequential facet of youth that always works
itself out.
Police work is unique since police employment at the entry level requires
no prior experience in police work. It's also unique in the enormous
responsibilities you'll undertake immediately after your training. While
training like education for any other field is essential, the amount of
experience you'll acquire during training is minuscule.
I can't think of too many careers where I could have had as much fun and
adventure, or a career in which my decision making ability would be tested
so many times under stressful and dangerous circumstances. While in the
beginning I thought I had a fair idea about what I was getting into, I soon
began shedding all the misconceptions as I looked toward experienced
police officers for guidance through what was, for a beginner, some really
complicated situations and circumstances. It didn't take me long to
understand that experience is qualitative as well as quantitative. Here's
where your judgement in choosing mentors is just as important as it will
be in responding to the life threatening situations which you will encounter
during your career.
A police career can be rewarding in every positive way you can imagine as
long as you never... never – not for one moment – lose sight of the serious
nature of policing.
of the questions and misconceptions about police work one had at the very
beginning. When I go on the Internet, and I read posts by young people
asking questions about a police career, it takes me back to a time when I
had some of the same questions and misconceptions.
As one becomes older and – hopefully – wiser, one conveniently forgets
the inexperience and stupidity of one's youth. That's not to say that
youthful inexperience equals stupidity. The stupidity part only applies to
youth's natural lack of appreciation for experience. How many times have
you said, or heard a young person ask, "How can I get job experience if I
can't get hired for the job?" It's a dilemma and question everyone has
faced, but it's just an inconsequential facet of youth that always works
itself out.
Police work is unique since police employment at the entry level requires
no prior experience in police work. It's also unique in the enormous
responsibilities you'll undertake immediately after your training. While
training like education for any other field is essential, the amount of
experience you'll acquire during training is minuscule.
I can't think of too many careers where I could have had as much fun and
adventure, or a career in which my decision making ability would be tested
so many times under stressful and dangerous circumstances. While in the
beginning I thought I had a fair idea about what I was getting into, I soon
began shedding all the misconceptions as I looked toward experienced
police officers for guidance through what was, for a beginner, some really
complicated situations and circumstances. It didn't take me long to
understand that experience is qualitative as well as quantitative. Here's
where your judgement in choosing mentors is just as important as it will
be in responding to the life threatening situations which you will encounter
during your career.
A police career can be rewarding in every positive way you can imagine as
long as you never... never – not for one moment – lose sight of the serious
nature of policing.
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