Why would anyone want to be a cop?
The last few years have been a difficult time to be a cop. As one of the old guys now it sometimes makes me sad for the new cops when I think that these are their “good old days”. Every thing we do is on video to be second-guessed, and people might be more likely to film us than offer to help. It’s like they’re waiting for some violent or scandalous thing to happen so they can be the first to share it on social media. Cops get cast as the bad guys in the public narrative sometimes, and officers are vilified for things that happen hundreds or thousands of miles away. Ambush killings of officers are up, changes in criminal law take away the tools we use to solve community problems, and protests against law enforcement are a common occurrence. Why would someone want to be a cop? Why would I want to? Would I want my child to do it? Well, my son does want to follow me into this career, so I’ll try to answer why someone might still want to do the job.
Working as a cop means that you are going to spend a significant portion of your life working crummy hours. You’ll be out working nights and weekends and will sometimes feel like a vampire, completely out of sync with the rest of the normal world as they go to bed while you are just starting your shift. When the weather gets bad, you’ll be out in it: wet, cold, or hot. Searching an attic on a 100 degree day while wearing body armor isn’t a lot of fun. You’ll work on holidays and will miss many family events because you’ll be out in a patrol car or investigating a crime that is someone else’s tragedy.
You will have great freedom while working patrol, but your decisions will be scrutinized intensely by your supervisors, your peers, the courts, the media, along with everyone else who has seen a cop show on TV and knows how you could have handled the situation better. You will be frustrated when you are unable to help people and you will be frustrated when people who need your help don’t want it. Sometimes the people you try to help will treat you with outright hostility. You will feel let down when your arrestees get off with little or no penalty due to circumstances beyond your control.
You will see humanity at its worst and be forced to watch people argue, fight, steal, lie, cry, and sometimes die. You will be expected to quickly take control in volatile and dangerous situations, but do it in a way that is polite, professional, and doesn’t draw complaints. You will suffer violence and sometimes be forced to act violently. You may face mortal threats and you may have to take another person’s life. You will get sued.
Sure, there are other jobs that are statistically more dangerous. Here’s one important difference though. Many jobs are dangerous, but few come with the expectation that people will intentionally try to hurt or kill you. You can count on that in a police career. In fact, in the decade between 2004–2013, American law enforcement officers were assaulted an average of approximately 59,000 times each year.
These things could make you question why anyone would ever want to be a police officer, but lets stop feeling sorry for ourselves and be honest. Lots of people have to work crummy shifts and lots of people work in conditions where their actions and mistakes are highly scrutinized. No one likes being blamed for things they didn’t do, but police officers have great power, and with that power comes great responsibility.
Yes, sometimes things beyond our control can totally mess up what we think we should be able to do at work, but to paraphrase Viktor Frankl: about the only thing we really have control over is how we respond to any given situation. Sometimes cops get a bad rap in the press, but our good deeds are also frequently on display and the majority of people in our communities support us and respect what we do. How many times does the news show video of people in other professions playing basketball with neighborhood kids or giving boots to a homeless man?
Sure, there are downsides to working as a police officer, but every job has things about it that kind of suck. I never wanted to be a cop when I was a kid. I was going to be a fighter pilot. When that dream didn’t work out I was looking for a job that would be meaningful and offer me the chance to do exciting things while serving others. I had no idea how much I would enjoy police work, how it would change me, or how much I would love and respect the people I get to work with.
This profession has allowed me to do so many different things, and I have literally changed assignments every 3–5 years. I have made great friends both in and out of my department. I have been allowed to make mistakes, learn from them, and grow. I have gotten to continue my training and education. I have taken on leadership roles in my agency and my community. This career has allowed me to make a difference, at least on a small scale.
Being a cop has given me the opportunity to learn that I love responding to emergencies, arresting criminals, and investigating crime. I loved being a SWAT officer, a patrol officer, and a detective. I hated watching people die, or telling someone that a loved one is gone, but trying to save someone’s life has been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done at work.
I loved being a Sergeant and getting the chance to create a better environment for the people I work with. The difficult conversations and discipline aren’t fun and have caused some sleepless nights over the years, but they’re worth it because taking on a leadership role means you get more opportunity to promote a positive culture at work.
It’s no fun when people yell at you, accusing you of being corrupt or a murderer when you’re just walking down the street or handling a call, but it is a great feeling when someone says thanks or shakes your hand because of what you represent. It is the best feeling when a young kid’s face lights up at the sight of you and you get to make a connection with a badge sticker or tour of the police car along with a few kind words.
This is a job of highs and lows, but I’m proud of my career and I wouldn’t change a thing. Maybe the rookies don’t have it so bad after all.
