what is a typical day like for a cop? ex. the hours, paperwork, types of call received in a day. if someone has experience in the santa clara city area, even better
2007-04-24 13:14:35 · 12 answers · asked by norcal408 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
normal day for me is arrive at work , morning roll call , patrol , make a arrest spend next 2 hours on paper work and arraignment , lunch , another arrest another hour and a half paper work , 45 minutes before end of shift , domestic , arrest 3 hours of paper work , trip to hospital , and arraignment , get home wife ticked off because I'm late , get up tomorrow and spend 6 hours in court
2007-04-24 14:31:17 · answer #1 · answered by Dr.Bucksnort 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It is kind of like being a doctor, lawyer, babysitter, priest and referee all at once.
A doctor because you go on a lot of medical calls
A lawyer because you always have to have a way to mediate every dispute.
A baby sitter because you have to keep all of the morons in line
A priest because everyone comes to you with their problems
And a referee because you have to settle and solve everything, everywhere you go.
As a cop you mostly only see people at their worst and lowest point. You are almost always responding to where there is something bad happening to someone. You have to remember that something you might feel is minor or not a problem is actually a traumatic experience to the person calling for the police.
Most common calls I go to are domestic disputes, medical calls, shootings, stabbings, assaults, accidents and assisting other agencies. Last night I went to a shooting call where an innocent girl that was sitting in her front yard got shot. I went to another shots fired call (gang related), and 2 fights. And I wrote 2 tickets. Some days you might get a few ambulance calls, all depends on the mode of the public I guess. I have gone on calls ranging from a person with a stomach ache to calls where people were found with execution type gunshot wounds to the head, to children run over by cars to people that hung themselves from a tree.
The hours can be tough. We must work weekends and holidays, and remember when you get to stay home because of bad weather and snowstorms and flooding, we are obligated to go to work. The paperwork can be nonstop. Some days it is not uncommon to do 10-15 reports in 8 hours.
2007-04-25 04:41:58 · answer #2 · answered by weapon_30 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like any other job, it's what you make of it. If you base your thinking on COPS or Most Insane Police Chases Ever XI, you would be in for a rude awakening. There is A LOT of paperwork involved, but you definitely get a chance to help people and give back to the community. It also depends on where you work, what division, etc. A patrol officer's day to day is going to be a lot different than a captain's. It can be crazy dangerous at times, or deadly boring at other times. Regardless, I think you have to love being a cop, otherwise it's not the job for you.
2007-04-24 20:31:02 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, here in the suburbs of Detroit, I get to eat my lunch while typing on the computer. Since 1600 hrs I have already arrested a guy for Larceny by trick (quick change artist), taken 2 minor runs, and shot a sick racoon and it's now 2000 hrs. Overall you have your good days and your bad days. Some days you are constantly moving and never get a break and on other days you sit around twiddling your thumbs.
2007-04-24 20:24:31 · answer #4 · answered by dulongjm1 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Never the same day twice, guaranteed. 20% waiting for calls, 50% doing paperwork, 25% actually on calls, 3% lunch break, 2% going into the middle of what everybody else is running away from.
2007-04-24 20:31:13 · answer #5 · answered by bbasingal 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You will experience stuff the average person would never see and it will stay with you forever. You gotta learn to laugh alot or you'll spend you time crying. Ditto to cgiv76. Glad I did it but dont think I'd do it again if I had the choice.
2007-04-27 00:56:11 · answer #6 · answered by Ret. Sgt. 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like being the biggest dumbest bully on the playground with an armed gang to protect you and being paid by you victims taxes, and their families taxes. Sometime you write a fictional story and file it as a report
2007-04-24 22:40:23 · answer #7 · answered by tmilestc 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's a B.S. job. Ask anybody. The two professions most in need of public relations. Cops and doctors. You wouldn't want to be caught dead in either one on account of a shared deficiency. Corruption and utter incompetence.
2007-04-24 20:22:10 · answer #8 · answered by vanamont7 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
It's like something you could never possibly imagine, and you will see things that you will never forget.
2007-04-24 22:18:30 · answer #9 · answered by CGIV76 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Everyone hates you and is quick to point out your mistakes. but man when they need you its never fast enough.
2007-04-24 23:54:13 · answer #10 · answered by RTWING 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋