Police officers should be able to manage various complicated situations that is why not every person can perform their duties. The most important characteristics of these professionals are:
- Enjoy interacting with people. Every day, officers get in touch with different individuals that include their colleagues and the representatives of the general public. For example, they are often asked to provide security services at important events. They cannot be occupied only in paperwork or get irritated every time they leave their workplace.
- Be a good team player. Police officers often have partners, work in groups, and contact other professionals from the law enforcement community. In this way, they should be able to both lead and follow others to create a positive and safe environment needed to reach their mutual goal.
- Be a problem solver. Officers deal with various ambiguous situations while working. They make complicated decisions that influence the lives of other people. They should be able to do it immediately to reduce the effects provided on the representatives of the community.
There are a lot of other characteristics that should be present in every police officer, but these seem to be the most critical because without them officers would not be able to perform their duties appropriately. However, it cannot be said about a shooting skill, for instance. Of course, police officers should be able to protect people and catch criminals. Nevertheless, they usually manage to reach this goal due to their communication and decision-making skills regardless of those scenes that are often depicted in the movies.
It is not critical for an officer to be physically attractive. Of course, appearance has an enormous influence on people’s perceptions, but it does not mean that citizens will not be thankful to an officer who has scars on his face. Still, it does not mean that he/she should stop washing hair and changing dirty clothes.
Love for monotonous work is not important for officers as well. Even though they need to prepare numerous reports and wait in ambush, their job remains multifarious.
There are three operational styles of policing, and each of them is rather effective. Nevertheless, service style seems to be the best option for the population, as it is oriented at people instead of being focused on order or the legal system. Those departments that utilize it pay a lot of attention to community opinion. They focus on the necessity to prevent any violation of people’s privacy and make arrests only when it is needed. They protect citizens from burglaries and robberies, being less interested in minor infractions. Service police departments also ensure the safety of citizens from outsiders who can potentially harm their well-being. Emphasis is also made on public relations, which means that the community is aware of the actions conducted by officers and decisions made by them. Moreover, being aligned with the financial status of the citizens, these departments do their best to ensure that nothing affects them negatively.
On the other hand, the least effective operational style is a legalistic one. It makes officers follow the letter of the law and does not allow them to make any changes or base decisions on their considerations. People must follow officers’ directions and have no right to share another opinion. As a result, the police’s behavior is considered to be unethical and suppressive, which means that they have poor relationships with the community.