CAREER ADVICE

Careers in Law Enforcement
By Officer Dennis Murphy

In looking for a career, I was interested in something that would allow me to help individuals.  I have heard this same sentiment from numerous police officers and fire officials.  The jobs available in the realm of Public Safety, either as police officer or fire fighter, certainly give one an opportunity to be of help to others.  However, one should not be misled by the glamour and hype of Hollywood or television as to what the job entails.  The job of public safety is done over time and is usually accompanied by a paper trail which is never depicted on television or in the movies.  Even with the detractors and the boredom, there is a real opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives.  I chose the field of police work knowing that I would not become rich through my employment in a material sense.  I have, however, found a real satisfaction in the work that I accomplish, and given the opportunity to choose again, I would make the same choice.   

Individuals seeking to gain employment in the area of police work will find that there are some definite physical requirements. The fact of life is that occasionally you will find someone who does not want to come peaceably and physical force will be necessary at times to complete your task.  The training and certification of police officers endeavors to improve whatever condition the individual is in to a level where physical proficiencies are easily handled.  The certification program works to educate the individual into a well-rounded officer in the academic studies that are necessary.  The firearms marksmanship and various methods of academic study through junior colleges, technical schools or four-year colleges can assist in the overall background of an individual prior to the certification programs. 

Individuals with a high school degree can be candidates for the police academy.  All candidates must pass several entrance exams.  The Cedar Rapids Police Department uses a written exam, one that is used nationally as well, that covers reading and comprehension in English.  The exam also includes math questions.  This exam is timed and scored on a pass/fail basis with 70 percent accuracy needed to pass.  A physical exam, also pass/fail, is administered on a scale that is rated by age and gender, and the exam includes a 1.5 mile run.  For more information about the Cedar Rapids Police Department’s employment requirements, check out this site: www.cedar-rapids.org/police/employment.asp.     

High school students would find that a wide range of study would be beneficial if they are considering a career in law enforcement.  Sociology and psychology are helpful when dealing with the public, to understand why people break the law, and to gain a background in cultural diversity.  Personal and business law are helpful in order to develop a better understanding of how laws are structured.  Computer literacy is mandatory.  Computers are a major means of managing data in the police department as in any successful office environment today.  The degree of computer literacy needed depends on the assignment.  Computers are used for word processing in writing reports.  Database management is also used to retrieve, track and tally information such as warrants, vehicle registrations and traffic accident reports.  Computers have been installed in squad cards for mobile data retrieval during routine traffic stops.  Composition and English language skills are also mandatory.  These skills are useful when writing reports, comprehending instructions and legal codes, and successfully communicating with others in the department.  Government should also be studied, as it is the foundation of the law enforcement profession.  This knowledge will be useful in understanding the need for laws in society and how they are written. 

Both men and women can be successful in law enforcement.  Currently there are 190 police officers in the Cedar Rapids Police Department.  Of the total, 19 are women. 

Is there stress in the law enforcement field?  Yes, but there are ways to deal with it.  Stress emanates from several different areas.  Domestic disturbance calls, dealing with intoxicated individuals and criminals and working nights and rotating shifts are some causes of stress.  Stress is recognized more quickly in today’s law enforcement departments as compared to a generation ago.  Officers and administrators can effectively deal with stress by getting into a routine of sufficient sleep and exercise.  Stress can also be reduces by cultivating and maintaining friendships outside the department, and if the person is religious, by maintaining his/her faith since cynicism tends to influence a person’s outlook on life the longer one deals with the criminal side of society.  Last but not least, people in law enforcement must not be afraid to ask for help to cope with stressful periods in life.  Awareness and knowledge are useful in preventing or neutralizing the effects of stress. 

Law enforcement has its rewards too.  People in law enforcement are often involved with situations where they have the ability to directly affect and improve a citizen’s situation through medical or investigative efforts.  It is also rewarding to law enforcement workers to be associated with a team of officers that have been able to get felony convictions of criminals, finding a lost child or giving first-aid. 

The entry-level salary for a police officer in Cedar Rapids is $14.53 per hour as of January 1, 2002.  For more complete information on compensation and benefits, check this website:  www.cedar-rapids.org/police/employment.asp. 

Once an individual has decided upon a career in law enforcement, there is a multitude of avenues open to that person.  From the smallest one to two-person departments to large federal agencies, there are different areas of specialties within those realms.  I chose to seek employment in a municipal police department.  The general flow of employment in a municipal police department is for an individual to enter and begin work as a uniformed police officer.  This can be a testing field for the movement into other areas of specialty or promotions within the department.  Some of the types of specialties would be traffic enforcement, criminal investigation, administrative duties or forensic investigation.  

I have become involved in the area of forensic investigation, which has proved to be a multi-faceted field.  I have been able to, in my career, work with investigations of entomology evidence, dental bite-mark evidence, physical match evidence, DNA collection and a large number of fingerprint analyses.  In order to improve my proficiencies and be abreast of ongoing developments in the field, it requires continuing education.  The hours spent in these continuing education classes or proficiency classes have assisted me in numerous investigations.  

The science of forensics has grown by leaps and bounds, brought along by advances in the medical field.  For example, the development of DNA analysis has opened up forensic evidence that was not available even 10 years ago.  The way law enforcement officials now use, track and retrieve fingerprint information to aid investigations has changed due to court decisions, technical advances and recent terrorist activities.  However, the methods shown on popular TV shows such as “Crime Scene Investigations” are not true depictions of techniques used by most law enforcement departments.  Helpful web sites for in-depth information on forensics and fingerprint technology are these:  www.theiai.org and www.onin.com/fp. 

The demand for law enforcement workers in forensics has been steady since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, with the exception of the Federal Aviation Administration which has dramatically increased security.  The trend is expected to continue with more reliance on background checks in the areas of commerce and government employment.  I feel prosecutors, defense attorneys and juries tend to expect more physical evidence at trials.  I believe this will lead to an increase in demand for trained crime scene investigators. 

As we look upon the events of September 11, 2001, we see the extent of the commitment of workers in the field of public safety to doing their job in the face of imminent hazards.  Although the loss of life in the field of public safety is but a small percentage of the number of workers nationwide, it’s an indication of the commitment and dedication to a job that means more to the individual than a paycheck.  Police officers and fire fighters generally carry a badge or shield on their chest.  The shield is one thing that unites the two fields.  The shield is a carry-over from the days of the knights.  In Stephen Pressfield’s Gates of Fire we see an eloquent statement of what that shield represents,  “This is my shield.  I bear it before me into battle, but it is not mine alone.  It protects my brother on the left.  It protects my city.  I will never let my brother out of its shadow or my city out of its shelter. I will die with my shield before me facing the enemy.”  Police officers and fire fighters throughout the country and around the world feel the loss of those in New York where they fight the same battle to help others and make a difference in the world if only in one person’s life. 

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