Reasons To Become A Police Officer Or Not

[roadman]

for what reason would someone join the police force? What does this say about their character

[jackthehat]

There are many and varied reasons why people want to join the Police. You would need to ask a selection of them to find out their own reasons.
No doubt there are those who will liberally sprinkle their answers with 'superiority-complex' and the like but I thibnk they can safely be ignored.

[barry1010]

Every police officer will have their own reasons for joining the police force - there is no one reason.

[bookbinder]

They have a desire to help their fellow man. They do not wish to penalise or punish anyone. They are (presumably) people who follow rules and regulations, and they wish to encourage their fellows to do the same.

[nailit]

For what reason would anyone become a prison officer, teacher, lawyer, social worker, Vicar or anything else in society?
The reasons are as varied as the people that join....

My own experience with the police is that you get the idiots who will knock you senseless in the cells (Had my head split open before now by the police...I banged my head while been arrested apparently, even though they took me to hospital to get it stiched... from the cells...) and the ones who who will go out of their way to try to address the reason why you are in the cells in the first place.
(Had one custody sergeant that used to share his sandwiches and cigs with me when I was a regular)

//What does this say about their character //
A profession says nothing about anyones character.

[Atheist]

Nailit; I'm glad that you are not instinctively anti-police. I've met some and I think that they are like most people - some nice some nasty. The job they do brings them into contact with some of the bad side of human nature, and it's not surprising that some coppers have a jaundiced view of human nature. They are trained to get over this. Some are better than others. I bet a few would be scared of you - six foot, seventeen stone, not one to be spoken to lightly!! But we're all soft inside.

[nailit]

Atheist,
I honestly think that its an age thing.
Ive had the crap beaten out of me in the cells but its always been by younger coppers (although it DOES get covered over by the rest)

The older ones seemed to have matured a bit and had a bit more life experience of their own...

[Atheist]

Nailit; you are one of the more attractive people here (don't get me wrong! :-) Keep it up. Best wishes.

[nailit]

//I bet a few would be scared of you - six foot, seventeen stone, not one to be spoken to lightly!!//

Oh I dont know....;-)
Once had a custody seargent who was about 5 foot and a fag end lift me of my feet and threatened to fill me in.
His Napoleon Complex, trumped my height/weight
LOL.
Didnt give him any more trouble that night lol...

[roadman]

Im not anti police but i think it does take a certain mind set to want to do the job i know people say well they are all different but they share one trait and thats that they want to be a police office its not one of these jobs you find yourself doing by accident

[nailit]

//its not one of these jobs you find yourself doing by accident//

And neither is being a Priest, Scout Master or BBC personality, and yet all have been demonised...unfairly...as been pedophiles.

Being a police officer (or prison officer) are no different from any other career choice.

You get the idiots in ANY career....

[nailit]

Catholic priests & BBC presenters are (for the most part) NOT pedophiles.
Police & prison officers, are (for the most part) NOT violent thugs.