What are the up's & down's of becoming a police officer?

The Good:

You get to help people during all sorts of situations. You're the person who responds to other peoples calls for help.

It is a very secure job (don't worry about layoffs so much unlike the private sector) and is usually a fairly paid one as well.

There is a strong sense of camaraderie among your co-workers/partners. More so then most other jobs.

It's always a different job every day, mostly!

In bigger Departments, there's a lot of room for advancement and a lot of different units, such as being a Patrol Sergeant, to being an Arson Investigator, and more as well.

The Bad:

You are dealing with some of the worst elements of society every day.

The bosses, depending on where you work it can be an extremely political environment (not like the politics on TV, but inter-department politics.)

It is dangerous. Police Officers get shot, hurt and killed every day.

Good things; you get to do something different every day, occasionally you make a difference to someone and they say thank you. You get to carry a gun and make decisions that matter.

Bad things: you work in bad weather, at night and on weekends when your friends are out partying. People expect you to fix their screwed up lives in five minutes. Everybody thinks they can do your job when they have no idea what you do or why. You constantly see people at their worst. You'll never get rich being a cop. Generally you'll be overpaid, but you'll make up the difference in short fear filled moments.

I've been a cop for 23 years and I wouldn't trade a single day of it for any other job.

You get all the free dope you can steal & can use it and\or plant it on whoever you like.

You can break virtually any law & get away w\ it.

You can beat, torture, humiliate, abuse, shakedown, torment, & kill whomever you want.

BUT

you might screw the wrong person someday.

FREE DONUTS!

you get to beat down ***..gers