what if I wanna.......?

Question

what If I wanna become a police officer but I'm scared to death to shoot a gun? is there a way i can be a officer and not carry a gun?

Answer 1

I never fired a gun until I was hired by my police service. It was a little scary at first, but like any new experience, you have to push yourself passed that fear. The trainers deal with lots of recruits that have little to no experience with guns and will help you do what you have to do.
I still remember holding that handgun for the first time and thinking "Holy sh**t I can't do this!" But then I told myself "You either do this or you go home right now, because you HAVE to do this." I wasn't going home. I shot the gun... and realized that it wasn't at all like I expected and that I liked shooting.

Don't let fear keep you from doing what you want to do.

Answer 2

Absolutely not. I am a criminal justice major and I KNOW you could NOT do that. However, if you find this field as fascinating as I do, then you should persue it for certain.. My sister in law is a Probation officer and does NOT wear a gun by choice. There are MANY different ways to get into civil service without handling a gun, but NOT law enforcement. Think about it. If you had a mad man breaking into your house and was holding you up at gun point, would you want an unarmed officer coming to your rescue?
Then again, I can say I probably said the SAME thing about guns before getting into this field, but keep in mind - the more you learn about crime, criminal psychology and enforcing the law - the more you will feel compelled to own and use a gun............ I garantee......

Good Luck - I hope I helped a little.

Meg in Tucson, AZ

Answer 3

No. To become a police officer, you must graduate from the police academy and one of the curiculum is learn to use a gun and on top of that your are put in a simulated urban environment where you must decide at the last second if you should shoot or not. It could be a bad guy or a child. To qualify as a police officer candidate you must pass three criteria: intelligence, physical ability, and psychological profile. Having a fear of guns will disquality you. I suggest a peripheral police job, i.e. certain type of undercover work, crime lab, CSI, prosecution liason, etc.

Answer 4

I think you should consider another line of work. It's nice to want to be in a certain career field, but the fact is, your desire is not big enough. If you would have said "Im scare to death to shoot a gun, but I cant wait for the Acadamy to help me remove that fear." Instead you are looking for ways to change your job description even before you get the job.

It's ok to admit that you are scared, but it takes a very brave person to admit that you are not cut out for a particular job. Here is an example. I want to be a pilot, but I am afraid of heights. Is there a pilot job that I can get without going in the air? The answer is no. In the police force there are all kinds of jobs you can get in the office itself. You could be a dispatcher or desk clerk, but you still have to go through the Acadamy. And that means you must not only conquer your fear of guns, you will also have to be proficient at shooting them.

Keep looking. The right job is out there for you. Look for a job that will change you, dont look for a job you can change.

Answer 5

You have the discretion to carry a gun as a Police Officer but there is a need for a gun in some instances.

Answer 6

If someone broke into your house and you were home and able to call the police would you want a police officer without a gun to respond to the call?

Answer 7

suggest that you find the reason as to why your are afraid of short gun. see a dr. and this process will be easy. taking this route will also help you deal with your fear once and for all. sure it is going to be difficult to be a police officer and work in the presence of colleagues carrying guns is all shapes and forms. if your source of fear is identified then you can leave it behind and learn to deal with it.....wish you good luck.

Answer 8

Uhhh...no.

If you're serious about becoming an officer you best get over your fear (which has no reason..there is nothing to be scared of), and if you carry a gun, you best be prepared to use it.

Its simple as that - can't handle it..? Go work at McDonalds or something.

Answer 9

No. Even if you never have to shoot the gun while on duty, they have test I think 2 times a year to see how good their aim is. If it's below 80% on target, they lose their job.

Answer 10

Well it depends on where you live. In Canada, we have special constables that carry every thing else, but the taser and the gun. However in the states I am not sure what type of law enforcement that doesnt carry guns.