What do you think police really do out there?

Question

I am interested to know what people honestly think police do on duty? I am a police officer and feel that open communication w/ the public if the best policy, but what do they need to know? Post your comments and please, no donut jokes.

Answer 1

Law enforcement at every level is an extremely complex and at times impossibly dangerous endeavor.

I am dismayed at some of the answers above, because although they may be tounge in cheek responses, they belie the serious nature of the question.

The public's perception of law emforcement professionals may be distorted by events like the Rodney King video, but there are countless acts of bravery and service to the community performed by law enforcement from the F.B.I. to local town sheriffs every single day of the year.

Meanwhile, the public decries law enforcement, as they reach immediately for the phone when they or any of their loved ones are in dire straits from any number of potentially fatal circumstances.

If we demand better quality law enforcement we must be prepared to offer salaries that are commensurate with what can be realized in occupations with far less stress and no risk of shooting, and public ridicule.

Sincerely,

Michael P. Whelan

P.S. I am proudly named after my uncle Michael Whelan, who was a Lieutenant in the Jersey City, New Jersey Police Department. He was a man amoungst men, very kind, decent, handsome. concerned for his fellow man, a good father and brave beyond belief. A finer man you will never know.

Answer 2

I am from a very small town, and you would think that a whole lot doesn't happen here.....I have been proven wrong....I visit with a police officer twice a week and listen to all he does when he's on duty. To answer your question.......no matter where they are, small town or large city.....police answer domestic violence calls (therefore, protecting someone in danger), they are called to gruesome deadly crash sites (most times being someone they know, here in this small town). Those are only a FEW things they do, as they have much on their plates. They answer every call that is made, and to quote my friend....even if it "seems to be small to us, it isn't to the person who called, so I go each and every time". I admire the police force of my small home town and am very proud of what they do for us as a community. The police here are open to communication to the public, it's just that sometimes, a lot of the public doesn't want to hear it. Take care friend....

Answer 3

A Police officers job entails to many things to name them all. Like any other job there are going to be days when you feel so busy that you feel there just isn't enough time. Then there are days that just seem to drag on. I also realize there are times when an officer is doing his/her job and are risking their life at the same time.
Police Officers have my respect until they prove they are not worthy. I know there are good Police Officers and they do their job and do it well. Unfortunately there Police Officers that shouldn't be Police Officers, which only makes it harder on the good ones. It only takes one bad Officer in your Unit to give your entire Unit a bad name.
I really do know that one bad apple don't make the whole basket bad, however I feel it works the same way for us civilians.

Answer 4

seriously you guys (depending on your jurisdiction) don't really do much except write traffic tickets and harass the public. I hate how corrupt the police force has become. Now I'm not saying that ALL police are fat lazy slobs who take their privileges for granted, however in my experiences as well as a large percentage of Americans can honestly say that they have been undutiflly harassed by the boys in blue. The badge you wear is supposed to stand for protecting and serving the community, not harassing and neglecting them. My brother was carjacked and mugged at gunpoint and it took the police 2 hours to report to the scene. I was stabbed in a bar fight and the paramedics came in like 10 minutes, the police DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP TO THE BAR. That's not right. We need more rigorous procedures when it comes to law enforcement. That's my opinion!

Answer 5

I think they spend most of their time writing reports and testifying in court. And I think in big cities they over-react and send ten or eleven cops where 2 or 3 would be enough. I think that most officers do very poor investigations, that is, they assume someone is guilty and then look for proof of that guilt. I think that they do not take in to account that some people lie to make a case against someone else. And just why is it that people are seldom charged with lying to an officer?

But to answer your question directly, they spend a lot of time talking about their work and as I said writing reports and a little bit of time policing.

Answer 6

What a negative perspective from so many.
What police do (in our area).
We have a small community, for the most part, we have deputies or officers on call 24 hours a day, but do not have the manpower or the need to have officers out patrolling 24 hours a day. So what happens here is that a deputy gets home at 145 am or 2ish, and then gets a call at 3am that there is a truck "parked in the middle of the 'granny' lane" it has no lights on and no reflectors. So he goes out (at 3am) 9 miles outside of town, to find a truck parked on the service road with flashers and reflectors. Officially goes off duty (call) at 6am Then gets up at 8 am, goes to the office (on his own time), works on reports, may or may not stop for lunch, assist troopers in working an accident on the highway, gets back to the office and prepares to go to court 900 miles away, because of one of the people he arrested here got arrested there a week later -- had drugs on them both times. The ambulance crew gets called out, so he goes to assist them. Offically goes back on call at 6pm, and goes out to the interstate to pull people over, some of them going 30+ miles over the speed limit. Give courtesy rides to hitchhikers to the next county, or into town. Pays out of his own pocket for a hotel room because a mom and her 18 month old have to wait until tomorrow morning to get a new alternator and continue their trip. Works until anywhere between 1 and 3 a.m when he comes home and goes back to bed,so that at 8:30 when the parts place opens, he can go pick up an alternator and repair the stranded motorist's car so she can head safely on her way. Being in a small county, he is on call from 6pm-6am, but works 13-14 hours a day, on average. He doesn't submit overtime, unless he is working S.T.E.P. (click it or ticket). If we have a person who ends up in an accident or is broke down, he will take them 90+ miles to the nearest airport/rental car/bus.

This same deputy seized enough drug money off of the interstate during his 1st year in the county, that the county was able to take the money they were awarded from the court (40% or so) and purchase 3 new patrol cars without spending a penny of taxpayer money.

The men in OUR law enforcement community volunteer and give of themselves soo much, and because of the small size of our PD, the police officers do not receive overtime pay at all, even when they are short one officer, and 2 people cover the city 24 hours a day 7 days a week. If you are crooked in any way and going off of a jaded perception of what you think officers are like, take time and get to know a few. These men and women are so self sacrificing, it is incredible. If you truly have had a bad run in with an officer, (not just annoyed because one pulled you over and asked you a few questions) I am sorry. The bad ones that are jerks are a minority not a majority.

It was long, but after all of the negativity. I felt the need to sound off :)

Answer 7

I feel that policemen and women have their jobs because they want to protect and help people. At least around here, I rarely see jerk police officers who are just on power trips.

The people who have a problem them either have had a bad experience with one (and probably deserved it), or don't realize how important they are to our society.

Answer 8

Police are too quick to bust the little infractions.
> Speeding should be ok if it's not reckless.
> If I tell you that I'm carrying a firearm, don't treat me as criminal. I'm obviously not trying to hide anything.

I think you all are out to get me. I can have people speeding past me like I'm standing still. But once I get the idea to push it a little...You all show up like rednecks to a rodeo.

Answer 9

I think they drive around aimlessly (They call it patrolling), waiting for a call. They receive some non-criminal service call or answer a false alarm or two. Write a few tickets.
Make an arrest or two at a bar, the mall, or else were, likely for trespassing, public intoxication or shop-lifting.

Answer 10

in our community,they cruise around and sometimes park for hours waiting for their shift to end. no biggie i guess,we don't have much crime. there are things they do that they shouldn't,such as talking about shooting kids playing army. while ignoring drunk adults harrassing and threatening the same kids.
i won't go into where i grew up,i don't live there because of the corrupt abusive police force.