Serve the public, fight the crime

Police job is not for the faint hearted. Often you have to make quick decisions. You will be responsible for the safety of people who depend on you. Many join the force because they like to take on such challenges. The job is not easy. Every day is different in a policeman’s life. It requires a special personality type who can meet the demands of the job.

As a policeman you will be asked take on range of assignments from directing traffic to manning football crazy crowd, from preventing organized crime to detective work.

The Chief Constable heads the force and is responsible for the daily management of policing in his area. He is the one that has overall influence on the operations the police carry in fighting the crime.

Police Constables
The key rank in the police service is of Police Constable (PC).In England and Wales, about three-quarters of all the police officers are constables.

You will have to join the police force as a police constable and would have to do jobs that require hard work and mental agility. Jobs such as patrolling the streets, maintaining law and order, dealing with arrested people, crimes ranging from burglary to shoplifting to car crime… will be part of your daily work.

Since you will be the one who meets the public and usually has to make decisions at the very moment it is necessary that you have good understanding of the subject matter and communication skills. Constables are required to have understanding of the community in which they serve.

Job profile
On the beat – starting at this level you will be ‘Walking the beat.’ It involves patrolling a predefined route and becoming acquainted with the public in your area. As the need arises you will have to handle any trouble you might see.

Criminal Investigations Department (CID) –CID investigates cases related to murder, theft, crime… and they simultaneously work on various cases.

Dog-handlers – Dog-handler trains, looks after, and houses, the police dog. Police dogs help to sniff out drugs and search for missing people.

Mounted Police – Often tasks such as crowd control, sporting events, in search parties require specially equipped mounted police.

Traffic Police – Responsibility of Traffic police is known to almost everyone. Their job involves patrolling the roads, monitoring speed restrictions, dealing with road accidents and other general inquiries.

River Police – Anything to do with waterways safety, river police handles it. They keep a check on speeding motor boats, control water pollution and rescue people in difficulty.

Crime Prevention Officer – Crime Prevention officer educates people about ways to prevent crime and stay guard against property and oneself.