Personal Statement: A Career In Police Work

A career in police work is something I knew I wanted early on. While in 7th grade, my teacher assigned a research essay on a topic of our choosing. Every topic I considered researching involved real life situations resulting in real consequences; alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and teen pregnancy were some of the topics. Research showed communities throughout the country seem plagued with low income families who lack resources or education to change their situations. Unfortunately, often times this combination is a breeding ground for crime and substance abuse. Intrigued by these issues, during the research I realized police officers play an integral part in the lives of citizens facing these challenges, whether through intervention or arrest. Although I would not be eligible for a career in law
This would be a great opportunity to learn the operations, codes and signals, as well as a stepping stone in the process of becoming a police officer. After an extremely tedious background process, the county extended a conditional offer of employment. Overcome with excitement and the feeling of pride, I successfully completed the first step in what has proven to be a rewarding career. Entering the building on January 28, 1990, a mere eighteen year old kid, it was terrifying to think about the responsibilities associated with this job. Knowing part of the job would be talking to citizens during crisis situations was a little overwhelming to say the least, notwithstanding the fact of officers would be relying on my ability to relay accurate information. Quickly I realized the importance of my role of being a liaison between the caller requesting assistance and the officer(s) responding the situation. Virtually I was the difference for citizen and officers in potentially life threatening situations. Sometimes that was incomprehensible for my young mind to