Why did you become a law enforcement officer?

[Retmilleo909]

Is there any specific reason why you became a peace officer or chose the kind of work you're now doing?
I grew up in a small town where there were two special Cops with the department who all the kids and most of the adults liked and admired. One was Pat a motorcycle Cop and the other Tony(their actual names)who drove a patrol car. Both were involved in community activities, scouting, charitable activities, etc.
During the noon lunch break, when school was in session, Pat would occasionally roar up on his Harley, hop off and chat with the kids, let them sit on the seat of his motor and sometimes took us for short rides around the schoolyard, blow the siren, etc.
One day a gang of us were messing around on a private estate in the owner's, who was away at the time, gold fish pool. Some neighbor must have called the police 'cause Tony crept up and caught us in the act. I recall he had a smile on his face and said, "don't you guys have better things to do then to scare these poor fish?" These two guys weren't sissies and could get tough they wanted to and all the dirtbags for miles around were very much aware of it.
Anyway, these two Cops were my role models and I always wanted to be like them from the time I was a kid until I eventually became a LEO.
Both these fine Cops and citizens are now deceased, but they left they're little niche in life and the section of the world they lived in, a much better place.

[jmur5074]

For some reason it's just what I've always wanted to do.


No clue why.

[Jks9199]

Permanent mental defect.

Actually, apart from the usual "to help people", I just couldn't think of anything else that would really use my talents and interests. I've had plenty of other jobs -- but nothing that was really a career to me; they were always "while I'm applying."

And... we get paid to do all sorts of cool stuff occasionally!

[keith720]

For some reason it's just what I've always wanted to do.


No clue why.

Me too.

[Xiphos]

It's the only job I could find that satisfied my ADD.

[Car 4]

Well....first,I realized that while I wasn't looking, I had gotten married and had to make a living for my wife.

So I sat down and made a list of the things I WOULDN'T do. Like work in an office. Say yes sir and no sir to dweebs. Be bored to tears in the middle of the day. Not feel the sun and the rain except to run to my car. Not move around and stay sharp. etc. etc.

So, since I had taken an aptitude test in High School that said social worker of cop, I decided to be a cop. After four years in the service babysitting kids, I wasn't in the mood to be a social worker either.

I was on the job for three days and was hooked. I didn't even care if they paid me for the first few years. It was a 30 year rush. Miss it every day.

Car 4

[cajunguy]

.

'Cause I got to drive a kewl car.



Oh, and 'cause we can drive fast.


Actually, I got into it as a hobby (started as a reserve, then went full time).

Taught D.A.R.E. for sixteen years until my boss decided to kill the program three years ago. Loved working with kids. (Well, most of 'em anyway.)

What started as a hobby is now my career (second one), and starting to think about retirement in a couple or three more years.

It's been a great ride. No regrets.

(Oh, and I don't have the above ride anymore [320 horses of "super-go-fast-catch-'em-quick-mobile"]. Stuck in an Intrepid now. Oh well, it was fun while I had it.)

.

[lewisipso]

For some reason it's just what I've always wanted to do.


No clue why.

That is the most honest and straight forward answer I've ever heard. Thank you.

[AlDeputy]

I started my LEO career in the US Army, I took the test in 1979 and had no idea what I wanted to do (17 Year old kid) and when they told me I had a high enough score or any job I wanted, I said corrections and the recruiter said why not be an MP and I said Ok. So it began, after 16 years I was offered an early retirement and I decided to get out of Law Enfocement and tried a number of other jobs, ome of which paid very well, but I was not happy so in 2001, I joined the Sheriff's Reserve. But I was never happy. So in Aug 2006 I went to the sheriff and asked if he would hire me full time. I was hired a week later and at 45 went through our 15 week academy and came out the honor grad. Needless to say, I love my job and would have been much happier if I had went in to civilian LE when I retired rom the Military.

[oldtrooper]

My second job out of high school was a fireman on a diesel locomotive for the Illinois Central Railroad. The job title fireman was a holdover from the steam engine days and was actually no. 2 engineer and trainee and I really like the job. The railroad decided to do away with the fireman position and the union struck. The engineers agreed to work without a fireman (no.2 engineer) for more money. We ditched our picket signs in the fire and went looking for a job.

The highway patrol was hiring and I thought that looks interesting so I applied. I was accepted and survived the training. Five years later the railroad had decided it took more than a few months to teach someone how to run a 100 car heavy freight train being pulled by five locomotives. They contacted all of us and offered our old jobs back at more money. The law enforcement bug was buried too deep beyond the hook and the rest is history. I would have made more money in the long run but forty three years later I have never regretted that decision. I retired from the patrol after 30 years and took another law enforcement position and am 13 years into that. If the wife will ever retire I will retire for good also. She teaches fourth grade and loves that job.

[HudsonHawk]

I heard cops get free coffee. j/k

[Pudge]

Same as jmur really.

I grew up around the job. My dad has been a cop for 30+ years, and my mom was a Deputy until a couple years after I was born. I came to know the familiy atmosphere of the job and looked forward to going to the Sheriff's Office and then the PD as a kid.

It's kind of cool, I work with and around alot of the same guys I grew up around, and my Chief's son who I grew up with through the family connections is a cop too, so while I've only been officially on the job for 8 years I feel like I've been here forever.

I will say though, now days the "family feel" to the job is fading and isn't near what I remember it was when I was a kid. There used to be cookouts, canoe trips, and gatherings of all kinds at other cop's houses and with the families. Now it's pretty rare, except for the few of us who are pretty tight.

[mavriktu]

Simple,as a juvenile I spent so much time in the police station,as an adult I wanted to get paid for it

Actually ,my maternal grandfather(died before I was born) was a NOPD detective on the New Orleans waterfront in the 20s.My mom told me stories when I was growing up and that basically was all I ever really wanted to do.

I have done jobs from short order cook to Vice President of a collection agency and to many others to list,LEO is all I am happy with.

WHY???? cause it is nice to be sick with others that have the same ailment
I dont believe anyone can really 100% say why they do it,they just do.

[LitchRes]

It's a front row seat to the best show on earth....people !

[Shoestring]

I'm a talker, nothing better than a job to go and talk with people.

[deputysykes]

As a child, you want to be a hero. As you get a little older, you want to help people. Once you are a cop, it's because it's what you do.

[jmur5074]

That is the most honest and straight forward answer I've ever heard. Thank you.

Every time we hire a new officer the newspaper is all over it. They love writing stories, good and bad about us. It's basically all our paper consists of.

When they were talking to me on my first day, they asked me why I wanted to work in law enforcement.

I gave them that answer.

The next day I read my "quote" in the paper:

"Because I want a job where I can help people"