Police Work As a Profession Essay

Police work is often misrepresented to those who are interested in the career.   Many believe the profession is all about making lots of money driving around giving tickets, but there is much more to the job than that.   Many in the field are faced with situations where a decision must be made in a split second, and not everyone is cut out for it.   The hiring process for a policeman is quite extensive, but its effectiveness is questionable.   Even after all the steps one goes through during the hiring process, there are still corrupt police working in the field.
People are driven to be police officers for many different reasons.   Lyman (2010) spent three years as an academy instructor and during his time there he frequently asked the recruits what made them want to do the job, and he received three answers the most often.   They were to help people, to fight crime, and for the excitement (p.90).   Many other people choose this career for the money or the retirement.   Others want the prestige of being a uniformed officer with a gun.   Some have other family members in the career and that creates a lifetime interest, or they want to follow in a relatives footsteps.   Then there are the people who want to do the job for other reasons entirely, like the constant change or being able to be outside a lot.   Many people choose the career for many different reasons, but money seems to be one of the most common reasons and that is not necessarily a good thing.
The media, movies, television, etc. usually depict police work as something very different than it really is.   Some officers even refuse to watch crime movies or TV shows because of how incorrect they are.   Some TV shows have murders solved in what seems to be three days, but in reality it can take weeks or months for evidence to even be processed, let alone conclusive enough to positively match a suspect and convict him or her.   Sean (2010) says five of the larger misconceptions of police work is it has non-stop action...