Owlnotes.com

I am a police officer for the city of Chicago.

Every day, we face problems and make difficult decisions; it goes with the job. We run towards trouble when most people run away from it. Our problems are the crimes that are committed and whether or not we catch the perpetrators. As for decisions, we have to choose whether to lock someone up or set them free, to ticket them or let them go with a warning, or to believe the witness is telling the truth, or to distrust them. Those are the kinds of things we deal with on a day-to-day basis.

Any situation can be difficult. One specific situation that comes to mind was last summer. There was a young kid, around 18, who was running with a gun. He shot at the officer, and when he turned and ran, the officer shot him and struck him in the back, killing him. The community rallied against the officer, claiming the boy had no gun and he was shot as a race crime. If the boy had no gun, how did the officer get shot? If the boy was such a nice, good, choirboy - the ideal, upstanding member of the community - then why was he out in the middle of the night?

No one ever thinks about questions like these when tragedy strikes a community. They are quick to blame the police force rather than come to terms with the fact that someone they cared about was a criminal or a bad person. They are blinded by the grief, and those are the problems that are most frustrating to me.

The atmosphere depends on the area where you work. Some of the districts, like the one I live in, are low crime areas. The atmosphere there is more laid back, because it is very rare that you get a call more serious than a noise violation from underage kids throwing a party. Other districts are busier because they are high crime areas. The atmosphere there is tense because they have to deal with gunshots, knife wounds, and armed robbery. It depends on what you prefer, how much time on the job and how many spaces are available in various districts. All those factors determine the atmosphere you work in.

Also, the relationship between you and your partner has a role in the atmosphere, as well as if you get along with the commanding officers and various other people. If you make enemies with the wrong people, you will be working the most horrendous and tedious jobs. That does not make the job enjoyable. Trust me - I know.

My uniform consists of a bulletproof vest, a duty belt with handcuffs, gun/holster, pepper spray, baton, magazine pouches, blue short sleeve/long sleeve shirt, blue pants, black shoes and a hat. There are a lot of little parts to our uniforms, and there is extra padding for the vests if you choose to wear it. It really just depends on what you are comfortable with, and as you are on the job longer, you learn what you need and what is just extra weight.

My father was a police officer, and coming out of college, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I majored in math, but I didn't have my teaching certificate. I wasn't sure, so when my father suggested I take the police exam, I figured why not. Here I am, a few years later, so I guess it was the right choice for me.

I come from a long line of police offers. My father influenced me, and his father influenced him. Actually, we all started in the same district, and when my father retires, I will take his star number like he did from his father before him. It's tradition.

I am relatively low on the organizational chart. I am higher than people in the academy training, but lower than a commander. Our seniority and ability moves up with more and more time on the job. So, I am a beat officer, but a low level one, because I only have a few years on the job.

I hope to take the exams in the future and work my way up the ladder. Who knows what the future may bring, though.

Previous jobs taught me patience. I worked long days in a very stressful atmosphere before. It was very easy to snap at people because you were frustrated, but that just makes the atmosphere uncomfortable. Patience is key in the police field because you deal with difficult people daily.

You only need 60 hours of college, which is an associate's degree. Otherwise, you have to be at least 21 years old and under 40 to be hired as a new officer. You have to live in the city of Chicago and be able to prove it. You cannot just use a forwarding address—you have to be in Chicago. You also need a driver's license, which I don't think is an issue for most, and proof of citizenship. Then you take the tests and join the force, and you could be where I am today.

I work afternoons, so that means that I work from 5:30 pm to 1:30 am.

My day begins at role call. Then, we get our keys, go to the car and make sure everything is set for the day. That means we check the car for damages, make sure everything is working right, and make sure the car has gas. Then, we sign on the computer, so it means that we are then available for jobs.

Above all, as a police officer, I am to serve and protect the city of Chicago.

On a daily basis, we answer calls over the radio that citizens phone in. Those jobs are tailored to the needs of the citizen. If they need a police report, we write it up. We inform them of the different rights they have, like putting a warrant out for the offenders arrest or how to get an order of protection from said offender. It is my, my partners, and the entire police force's duty to arrest anyone who breaks the laws of Illinois and/or the laws of the city of Chicago. People who are in violation of the law can be fined, ticketed, and/or jailed depending on the severity of the offense.

I spend the majority of my day either in the car, waiting to be assigned a job or on the street answering calls. We try to keep busy so the time goes by faster, but sometimes we get on a job that requires us to do a lot of paperwork or to sit at the hospital. I'd say I definitely spend more time actually doing something than sitting in a courtroom. My job is an active one.

We get three breaks—two 15-minute personal breaks and a half-hour lunch break.

It really depends on the season. What that means is that the summer is busier than other seasons. This is because everyone is out in the street, trying to stay cool, or they are outside hanging out with their friends and family. In the wintertime, it is slower because it is so cold out. Everyone wants to stay inside and stay warm, which keeps them out of trouble.

Well, there is a starting salary rate of about $43,000 a year. That will increase in a year, and then next in 18 months, and so on. It is nice, and offers a sense of stability that you need to buy a house or start family, things like that.

Yes, I just started working as a part-time security officer at the University of Chicago. Also, during the summer, I work security for the Chicago White Sox. It is nice and adds a little extra spending money on top of the salary I get with the Chicago Police Department. I just bought a house, and now that money goes towards things that need to be fixed.

I think my job is one that is not really appreciated until something goes wrong. There are two reasons why I think that. One is because people are very quick to point out our faults, but not when we do a good job. That is overlooked if something one time goes wrong. I know it sounds small, but we are out there risking our lives every day to protect people, and I think that people don't really appreciate us. Another way, is that after any tragedy, like 9/11, America then supports us more than if it was just a normal day. Heroes come and go, but we are heroes everyday of our lives. That means something.

I work 40 hours a week, plus any extra hours that I might work at my side jobs. It is a lot, but it's what I need to start a life.

I have been in the same district since I started four years ago.

Since I am only 26, I don't have a wife and kids yet. I still live at home, but that is only until I finish fixing up my house. Working so much and such strange hours, I did not get to spend a lot of time with my mother or father or my sisters. I have to miss certain anniversaries with my girlfriend because I have to work, but it is something that I have to do until I have enough seniority to work normal hours.

Unless you are working overtime, you vary rarely have to work outside your scheduled hours.

Depending on your seniority, you get to pick your work schedule. Mornings, afternoons, and nights are the options. You just have to wait it out, like everyone else did when they first joined the force. It is kind of like paying your dues.

My job has a lot of stability in it, which is something that I greatly appreciate. If I didn't have such a stable job, I never would have been able to afford my house, nor would the bank have given me as big of a loan as they did. There are a lot perks of being a police officer, you just have to know what they are.

Well, my mother always asks if places give police discounts, and a lot of places do. Also, it is a courtesy to not ticket other police officers or their families, but sometimes that is not always the case. There are others, but those are the main ones.

Honestly, I have not even begun to think about retiring. It is too soon, and I am way too young. As of benefits that I have now, I have health care, vision, and dental plans. We have a prescription drug plan, and we get paid vacation and sick leave. There are many benefits of being a police officer, but as far as retirement I cannot speak much on that so early in my career.

I am not sure. Right now, I am happy where I am. I have everything that I could need or want, and that is enough for me. I might be frustrated at times, but I don't want to quit anytime soon. If a better opportunity came up, who knows, but right now I am staying where I am.

There is this bond that develops between the people you work with, especially with your partner. That is my favorite part, that and the people you meet. You meet so many people everyday and you get to help them. I feel as if I am really making a difference in people's lives. I might imprison someone and save one person's life. Or I could catch a drug addict and he might change his life around. Who knows what kind of impact you can have on someone, but you can change the world in my line of work. I find it satisfying that I am trying to make this world a little safer, one day at a time.

I get frustrated when we let a perpetrator go free, especially when he is guilty. The justice system isn't perfect, and there are loopholes that people know how to operate. It is unfortunate, but all you can do is hope that you have enough evidence to incriminate them.

I haven't sacrificed that much yet. I am young, but already I have sacrificed times with my friends, family, and my girlfriend. By buying this house, I have sacrificed the next few years to paying off my impending debt. It is nothing that I wouldn't do again though. Nothing that I regret too much now.

We have computers in each car, which helps us run plates, look up suspects, things like that. We have guns, but a lot of the stuff that we use is the same my grandfather used in the 1950's. One major advance since that time is the cars. If you look at old time police cars, they are nothing like the ones we use now. There are a lot of aspects that technology is improving our jobs, but those same advances make the criminals more advanced too. It is a trade off.

We have a union that helps us with various things; I am not very active in it, however.

I think that everything that I have learned, I needed to learn on my own. I am a very stubborn person, and whenever my father tries to tell me something I don't listen. Sometimes I think I know better; other times, it is just the principle of it. For the most part, I just need to learn things on my own and make my own mistakes. It makes things harder, but it's something that I have to do for myself. There is nothing that I would have liked to know sooner; if anything, I wish I knew less going in, because I would have had so much more to learn.

This is not the job for someone who just wants to sit around at a desk and do nothing all day. This is a job for people who like action, people who want to make a difference in the world, and most of all people who want to stop the growth of crime in America. This is not the job for everyone. You have to deal with a lot of grizzly images that haunt you, but you live and you learn. You can't let it bother you, because it will wear you down.

My family has contributed most to my success. My mother and father have supported me through everything. Otherwise, my friends and my education have influenced me. Education is key in no matter what you do.

I mentioned it above, but this is not the job for people who let fear run their lives. You will see a variety of things that are horrible. You will see murder scenes, you will see people killed right before your eyes, and you will see victims of rape and other horrendous crimes. Those things will haunt you and make you cynical; they can change your entire outlook on life for the worse if you let it. If you are unable to handle things like that, this is not the job for you. Find something that is suited to what you can handle, and if you can look for the good over the bad then it will all be worth it in the end.

It is important to be in good physical shape. At times, you might have to chase someone on foot. You have a car, but you can't rely on it. Also, you have to be a patient person, because you have to deal with difficult people. You have to have basic people skills to help and comfort people through their tragedy. You have to see the equality in people and not be prejudiced, because it would be impossible to do your job if you discriminated based on race, gender, or sexuality. Basically, if you are a good person, you can do this job. It is important to note that it is not for everyone, though.