Dangers Of Police Work

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Police work is dangerous, but it's important to put it into perspective. According to FBI/Department of Justice statistics, you are far more likely to be killed working as a logger or a fisherman than working as a police officer. A Forbes.com article reports that in the year 2000, "50 cops were murdered. But so were 205 salespeople." In 2009, according to the Officer Down Memorial website, 127 officers were killed in the line of duty. This doesn't mean that police work isn't dangerous. The nature of law enforcement means seeing people at their worst: in the middle of a domestic dispute, in street fights, or high on drugs. Police approach situations from which others would run away. Today’s law enforcement officers face a multitude of dangers in their everyday duties that rival the threat of getting shot. For example: ▪ Foot pursuits ▪ Vehicle pursuits ▪ Responding code 3 (lights and siren) ▪ Making an arrest ▪ Traffic control ▪ Heat stroke ▪ Stress ▪ Duty equipment ▪ Biohazard exposure/sun exposure Officers are exposed to these dangers on a daily basis. That said, police officers have training and physical tools to deal with these settings. They go in knowing it is dangerous or could become dangerous. Police officers are trained to contain or diffuse a situation in ways the average person isn't. They are also trained to physically defend themselves, and have had hours of rigorous self-defense training. Finally, police officers are equipped with any number of weapons, including Tasers and guns. They don't go into situations unprepared. When an officer runs into trouble, it is most often because he has let down his guard. The most common dangers involve routine traffic stops and domestic disputes. A police officer must approach even the most mundane situations as if the person or people involved are armed and dangerous. It is the constant

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