# Why Would Anyone Want to be a COP?



## JPL (Jan 21, 2005)

From National to Provincial to Municipal to Community, police are generally disliked and feared, notwithstanding the glowing praises sung by the media. Most people I speak with in conversation, privately, make disparaging remarks and think they are corrupt and self serving among other things. 

So I ask you why? I don't buy the "I want to serve and make a difference argument". The money isn't bad and the benefits are pretty good, job security is OK, but you have to deal with the worst of society for the most part. They put their life on the line with every traffic stop and domestic call. 

I am glad we have them but would you want to be one? Not me thanks.


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## Pelao (Oct 2, 2003)

> police are generally disliked and feared, notwithstanding the glowing praises sung by the media. Most people I speak with in conversation, privately, make disparaging remarks and think they are corrupt and self serving among other things.


Maybe it's a reflection on the people you are speaking with?

My experience of cops has been shockingly similar to my experience of the rest of humanity: they come in all shapes, sizes and personalities. I have run into grumpy ones and witty ones. On the few occasions that I have needed them they have been fantastic.

From those I have known personally it seems once again they are like the rest of humanity when it comes to choosing their job: it ranges from something they wanted to do right the way through to 'it seemed like a good job so I applied.'.


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## Cameo (Aug 3, 2004)

My father was a policeman in Toronto when I was a child. I don't know if he would want to be one now though.

I have friends in the police force and find they are, as Pelao says, just like anyone else in another workplace. You have good ones, okay ones and those with an attitude. I admire and respect the job they do - it is a very difficult one with little praise and they are often judged incorrectly. I have always been treated well by them - then again I am not doing anything illegal so I don't worry.


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## JPL (Jan 21, 2005)

Thanks for the replies, BUT neither of you answered the question, but were quick to criticize and provide a defense.

The question remains why would anyone want to be a cop?


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## Beej (Sep 10, 2005)

You mentioned some reasons in your post and Pelao provided some further reasoning. It's a combination, and different for each officer. Decent pay, benefits, job security, wanted to do it for the job itself (this could include authority, comraderie, contributing to people's safety, and more). It's a pretty good job, but not for everybody, like many jobs. Also, although there's much criticism, there's also much praise out there. I'm not sure why it seems so hard for someone to want to be one. It seems like a pretty decent job.

Does anyone have stats on the safety? Although it's more dangerous than an office job, how does it compare to more physically demanding jobs?


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

My father was a police officer for 30 years. He told me he liked people and he liked to help people and the job was a perfect place to do that and have contact with all walks of life. When he retired at age 55, he signed on with the department of welfare and served another 10 years helping people until his second retirement. He always claimed the first career aided him greatly in the second career.


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## Pelao (Oct 2, 2003)

> Thanks for the replies, BUT neither of you answered the question, but were quick to criticize and provide a defense.


I think I did answer - I did not realize it was a test.. I simply think people want to be cops for the same general reasons they want to go into most careers. For specific reasons - well, you would have to ask each cop, wouldn't you? I suspect though that SINC's Dad covers a lot of them.

Also, no criticism intended - merely observation.


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## trump (Dec 7, 2004)

well being 18 I got my entire life ahead of me and over the past couple of years I have thought about where I want to take it. The three paths that eventually floated to the surface was Lawyer (or at least law degree then something weird, like lobbyist), Police Officer, and oddly enough Soldier. 

Lawyer and Soldier are really irrelevant for this discussion, but quickly, Soldier largely due to pride and natural ability and Lawyer for money and natural ability  Now my reasoning for being a cop, which is what you asked to begin with. It all really started when I would work the afternoon shift at a nearby Country Style. Being supervisor I would find myself running the cash and generally taking it as easy as possible, meaning I had the time and desire to talk. At our location all emergency servicemen, on duty/in uniform, were entitled to free coffee of any size, so needless to say we had a lot of them. After a while I got to know a lot of them, cops especially, and would have some good conversations with them. The more I talked to the cops the more respect I gave them because, at least with this bunch, they were damn good cops. 

I started thinking about it and the job really filled in what I wanted to do in life, which is to help society in some way (and yes a lawyer can do that) and enjoy what I do. One of the guys that came in all the time summed it up for me when I remarked how rough the 12 hour shifts must be, "yeah it can suck sometimes, but I don't mind, being a cop is who I am"


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## SkyHook (Jan 23, 2001)

.


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## 9mmCensor (Jan 27, 2006)

Lots of reasons people want to be a cop. Because they like the power, respect the law and want it enforced, want to do good, like the uniform, want to abuse the power, want to fight the coruption, ect.


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## shoe (Apr 6, 2005)

thrill adventure no work day will be the same, you get a gun, a stick and some cuffs, they saw the movie police accademy and were inspired?

shoe


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Another perhaps even better question today would be why would anyone want to become a soldier, given the recent events in Afghanistan. Now that takes real courage.


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## LaurieR (Feb 9, 2006)

My brother-in-law is a cop and, although he has quite a few stories of heartache and terror, he has lots of touching ones, too. He's had many great experiences as an OPP officer. He is also the kind of person that should be a cop - he knows how to be firm in situations that require him to be, but he is a very fair and honest person.

He also has been known to use his sense of humour on the job. When he and his co-workers got new, glow-in-the-dark vests to wear for ride programs, he enjoyed catching people off guard - after asking if they'd been drinking, he'd hold his arms up in the air (as though posing) and asked "how do you like my new vest?". Completely threw people for a loop!


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

SINC said:


> Another perhaps even better question today would be why would anyone want to become a soldier, given the recent events in Afghanistan. Now that takes real courage.


agreed
the canadian military seems to take care of its misfits much better than do the police and their "blue wall of silence"


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Note to self: quit sayin' stuff that Michael keeps agreeing with.


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

Why be a cop?

Because it's better than flipping burgers at McDonalds.


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

SINC said:


> Note to self: quit sayin' stuff that Michael keeps agreeing with.


sinc, you should have heard my telephone conversation with my "ex-Klein staffer" friend

he was shocked on how much we agreed


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MACSPECTRUM said:


> sinc, you should have heard my telephone conversation with my "ex-Klein staffer" friend
> 
> he was shocked on how much we agreed


Maybe you should move to Alberta and join us ********?


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