Police officer roles and responsibilities

Police Officers

Describe the skills required of a law enforcement officer

Law officer officers play a vital role in society. They provide services that ultimately provided for the security of the community and the confidence to conduct routine activities without fear. As such, police officers, as they interact constantly with the community they are required to protect, must possess certain skills. These skills are essential to performing their tasks in a meaningful and profound manner.

According to recent reports, police officers have one of the most stressful jobs in the United States (Spielberge, 2000). The threat of retaliation from criminals, the lack of confidence in their skills, and a general public distaste for law enforcement all contribute to this stress. Therefore, police officers must be calm and calculated in their actions. These skills are essential as situations may require quick decisions based on strategy rather than emotion. If for example, a police officer is having a particularly bad day, it is within his power to transfer that anger to the community he is required to protect. This can come in the form of aggressive behaviors towards citizens, aggressive ticket writing for minor offenses, or even outright disregards for individual rights. This has occurred in numerous occasions within the African-American communities as officers have either wrongfully shot or harmed unarmed citizens (Robert, 1999). This has results in massive public perception issues as police officers, with their aggressive behavior, are conducting acts that are unwarranted. Shooting African-American teenagers with their hands in the arm and presenting no immediate threat to the officer is one of many more popular issues plaguing law enforcement. To mitigate these occurrences police officers must stay calm irrespective of their environment. They also must strategic and calculated in their over resolutions of conflict.

Police officers must also possess the skill of empathy as it relates to the communities in which they serve. Police officers are humans and have many of the same tendencies as the citizens they are charged to protect. Empathy helps the law enforcement profession establish rapport with local constituents. This is particularly important for the police officer as it relates to crime and negotiations. In many instances, the community at large provides significant help in apprehending criminals. This can come in the form of anonymous tips, conversations, recorded statements, letters, photographs, and other mechanisms. By showing empathy and building rapport, citizens are more likely to cooperate and work collaboratively with law enforcement. This ultimately will help not only the police officer in regards to handling the overall investigation, but the community at large will be better protected.

Police officers must well verse in popular communication techniques. Communication is an essential function of a police officer's role. The ability to effectively communicate strategy, knowledge, or insights is critical to protecting the public at large. Many individuals make the mistake of believing speech is the only form of communication. However, body language and tone are also very important as it relates to communication. Offices must be aware of their tone and body language when conducting themselves with various individuals. As mentioned above, officers are in constant interaction with the community. It is therefore required that officers have varied forms of communications to better interact with different individuals. Communication with the Attorney General for example, will be different than individuals within a gang. By having different communication styles and techniques officers can be more effective at gaining information, transferring that information, and ultimately arriving at well informed decisions (Raphael, 2000).

Finally, police officers must be outstanding leaders. This is particularly important during periods of crisis. Police officers are often needed for guidance and answers to help mitigate the public's concern regarding various issues. Recent examples have included September 11th, public shootings in schools, hurricane Katrina, the Boston Marathon Terrorist attacks, and even Ebola outbreaks. Police are needed to help lead individuals to facilitate an orderly exchange of information and subsequent behaviors. During many of the recent shooting in public schools for example, law enforcement closed of particular areas of the city, helping deliver children to their parents, informed the public of the situation, and ultimately apprehended the offender. Without leadership, the overall law enforcement process becomes more convoluted and unmanageable. It is therefore necessary for police officers to lead the society they are charged to protect in periods of uncertainty and crisis.