BlueSheepdog
10 Years Experience
Around the Way, FL
Male, 40
Cheating death and fighting communism: that is how a fellow officer once described our job. It was meant to be funny, but as time went on it seemed all too true.
I spent more than ten years in law enforcement, all of it on the street in uniform patrol. I've been a patrol officer, instructor, sergeant and lieutenant.
Do not report crimes here. Nothing here should be considered legal advice. All opinions are my own.
Yes
Share Answer: 
Not necessarily. Psychological screenings and polygraph examinations are standard portions of the hiring process, so be honest about things and things should work out.
Share Answer: 
Yes, call the department he/she works for to confirm his/her identity. It could be a scam.
Share Answer: 
Essentially, officers take turns. It is a team sport and everyone has to share the radio. Many agencies have more than one channel, so when something comes up, officers can move to different channels if needed. But fundamentally, everyone has to take turns and officers give right of way to anyone that has emergency or urgent traffic.
Share Answer: 
Pharmaceutical Researcher
Will we see a cure for cancer in this lifetime?
Hollywood Executive Assistant
Are Hollywood execs as nightmarish as depicted on TV?
Birthday Party Clown
What's the meanest thing a kid ever said to you during a party?
Most definitely. Since there is a pattern of fraudulent activity, this could be treated as a much more serious criminal enterprise akin to organized crime. The specific laws vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Share Answer: 
First question - Absolutely. There are no prohibitions or requirements for any specific religion or absense thereof to be a police officer. Of course, any religious biases that prevent you from impartially and effectively enforcing the laws of your state should prevent you from pursuing a career in law enforcement. For example, if you believe sharia law trumps the laws of your state, you have no place in police work.
Second question - I sure hope rules are not changed to allow police officers to wear a hijab. Police officers are required to wear uniforms, and that means a standard way of dressing. Clothing visibly worn for religious purposes should not be part of a police officer's uniform. A law enforcement officer is expected to impartially enforce the law for all citizens, and when there is an obvious bias it undermines the public's trust in the officer and agency.
If you believe you should be able to wear a hijab at work, then law enforcement is not the job for you.
Keep in mind that the nature of law enforcement does not allow you to regularly take off holy days. This is the same for Christians have to work Easter, and Jews who work on Yom Kippur.
Faith is very important, and if your faith will cause you conflict in a law enforcement career, you might want to consider an alternative job path.
Share Answer: 
Many 911 centers have call takers who answer the phones. They enter information into a computer (often called a call screen because it shows information about all of the active calls for service).
A dispatcher pulls the information from the call screen and relays it to the patrol officers. This can be done via computer (many agencies use computer aided dispatching), by voice transmission on the radio, or through a combination of both.
As the call taker gets more information, the call screen is updated in real time.
Depending on the size of the agency, call takers and dispatchers may be separate positions or all of the communication staff may be cross-trained and do all of the jobs. At a small department, only one or two people may be on duty and have to do all of the call taking and dispatching. Other departments may employ dozens or even hundreds of communications employees.
Off duty officers are rarely contacted. In those cases it is typically because of manpower shortages and/or emergencies. For example, a hostage situation requires the presence of a large number of officers, so off-duty officers could be called in to assist with normal patrol calls. This tends to be uncommon at most departments.
Share Answer: 
-OR-
Login with Facebook (max 20 characters - letters, numbers, and underscores only. Note that your username is private, and you have the option to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
(A valid e-mail address is required. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone.)
(min 5 characters)
By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Jobstr.com’s Terms and Privacy Policy.
-OR-
Register with Facebook(Don't worry: you'll be able to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
Browse Jobs
Host a Q&A
Search
Submit Your Question
Host a Q&A
Last 7
