Police officers handle a wide range of different situations. Some situations are extremely dangerous, and other situations are quite menial. There are definitely misconceptions about police officers, and these myths and misconceptions make police officers’ jobs much more difficult. If you want to become a police officer, here is a glimpse into the situations they face on a daily basis.
- Drunk Driving
Drunk driving, despite plentiful campaigns against it, continues to be a problem in the United States. Drunk driving is a careless crime that often results in injury or death to the driver and/or victims of a crash. Most police officers agree that this crime is completely avoidable and a frustrating part of the job.
- Attempting to Flirt or Cry Their Way Out of a Ticket
Too many TV shows depict characters, usually women, attempting to flirt or cry their way out of getting a ticket from a police officer. Most of the time, this results in the person looking like an idiot to a cop who has seen the act a few too many times.
- Calling 911 for a Non-Emergency
Police officers are required to respond to emergency calls no matter what. However, sometimes people make emergency calls for non-emergencies, which is a waste of time to the cop, and ultimately takes away resources from actual emergencies.
- Making Jokes About Donuts and Bacon
There are probably many cops who enjoy donuts and bacon, because to be honest, who doesn’t? But consistently making jokes about donuts and bacon toward cops belittles the occupation and probably just gets really old.
- Leaving Valuables in Plain Sight
If your car gets broken into because you have your purse or expensive radio system sitting in the backseat, the police officer handling the case is probably not going to be too optimistic or sympathetic about your case. Here’s a tip: most car radios have fronts that pop off so that you can hide it in your glove compartment when you’ve parked overnight.
- Telling Your Kids “The Cops Will Come after You if You Don’t/Do This…”
Police officers want kids to come to them if an emergency happens; they don’t want kids running away from them. While this tactic might help you out with getting your kids to do something, it can have harmful effects for kids’ trust in cops.
- Pretending to Know Everything About Crime Investigations Because they Watch CSI or NCIS
Just because TV shows make crime investigations look exciting and easy, doesn’t mean it actually is. Typically, getting DNA results takes weeks or months and may not end up adding anything to the case. TV is much different than the real world.
- Using the “I Pay Taxes so You Get Paid Because of Me” Back-Sass
If you get pulled over or arrested, getting sassy with the police officer is not likely to help your situation. Newsflash: police officers pay taxes too.
