If you’ve ever thought about becoming a police officer, this article will clearly help you understand more about it. Anyone who wants to pursue this career should read it, as it will guide you through all the aspects of becoming an officer. This motivates me because it’s been my dream to take on this role, and I want everyone to learn more about this career.
Being a police officer means you have to embrace change because your work is never the same. For instance, your hours are constantly shifting. It's a mentally and physically demanding work that requires preparation, but it's also fulfilling since you can make a difference and help people in their hour of need. The fact that you have to control your tension in real time and that the job might be demanding makes it difficult as well.
Police officers do a lot of things. They can arrest people for all crimes, such as municipal regulations and Quebec and Canada laws. They can also handle conflicts, take statements for incidents like thefts or noise complaints, and file reports. They can check the roads and issue fines for traffic safety violations. This is what a basic patroller does.
A typical day depends on where you work, as some places have more activity than others. But if we take Blainville Police as an example, this is what it might look like. You start with a morning meeting to get informed about ongoing issues. After that, you patrol the designated area, which may include using radar and checking for stops. You might break for lunch, and afterward, you could receive a call about a theft. You would respond, file a report, then continue patrolling before heading back to the station to end your shift and secure your equipment.
Police officers work in the city where they are assigned. From there, they patrol the area, but in larger cities, you might be divided into precincts, like in Montreal. You can patrol in your car throughout the city, visiting places like someone's home to take a complaint or a park, just to name a few examples. You may also be at the station at the beginning and end of your shift.
To become a police officer, you have to respect certain things. First, you have to be a Canadian citizen, be of good moral character, and you cannot have been found guilty of an offense under the Criminal Code of Canada. Also, you need to have a diploma from the ENPQ, which means you have to have completed a Police Technology program. After that, you can be illegible to be hired wherever you want.
Where you work determines how much money you make! However, the starting wage is $58,336 if we use the SPVM, Montreal police, as an example. It rises to $66,563 after a year of service, and it reaches its maximum of $112,082 after six years.
Police officers have additional training such as shooting training learning how to use your gun. You also have self-defense formation to be able to defend yourself, communication formation to communicate with different people, and car formation to learn how to deal with the police car and emergencies. You also need to have some basis in first aid because we are the first on the scene.
When you are a police officer, you are exposed to a lot of danger because you interact with some of the most dangerous people. You receive training for encounters with dangerous individuals, but sometimes it’s not enough. A mentally unstable person could harm you because you didn’t see it coming. It's a risky job, as you constantly face new situations and must always adapt, putting your life in danger at times.
I don't think there are chances that police officers are going to be replaced by robots, and I don't even think there is a close chance of it. Maybe reports could be written by robots, but for the rest, it's a human job. You need to feel emotions and be empathetic toward people. When you interact with individuals or need to take quick actions, robots might not make the right decisions because they wouldn't be prepared, it's an unpredictable job. This is why I don't think robots can do it.
Police officers can retire after about 20 years on the force. They can retire sooner, but they won’t receive a pension. Some police officers take on a second job after retiring, often in roles that are less physical and safer.
To conclude, right now I am in my second year of the three in Police Technology, so in a year and a half, I can graduate from ENPQ. After that, I wish to work in Montreal. My life goal is to become an investigator in sexual crimes. I hope this article helped you understand more about this beautiful career and inspired you as much as it inspires me!
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