Christopher O.

Suyat
II-BS Crim-B

Policing as a profession criteria of a profession

More and more often we hear the words "the Police Profession." Police writers,
speakers, ad- ministrators with increasing frequency use this term. How much more must be
done before we attain professional status? How far in the future is the goal?
Before getting an answer to these two questions we must know two things. Then perhaps we
can hazard a guess as to how long it will be before the general public acknowledges that police
work is a profession.
1. What traits identify a profession?
2. How near are we to meeting those require-
ments?
There can be but very little disagreement on question 1. If we analyze the professions
we know we find that a first requirement is training. Knowl- edge of the job is basic. In the
medical or legal field, for example, there is an organized body of knowledge. Before a man or
woman is recognized as a member of either of those professions he must have been schooled
in the knowledge and skills of that profession so that he is capable of practic- ing medicine or
law. He must be trained. The degree of his training is determined by examina- tion. He must
demonstrate that he has the knowl- edge necessary to serve his patients or clients in a
professional capacity. Take the others, and ex- amine them. Engineering, architecture, and ac-
counting, to name just a few more, have this same trait in common. Before a man is acknowl-
edged as a member of anyone of them, he must have received the degree of training thought
neces- sary to serve properly the people. Certainly all readily admit that training is a primary
requisite for law enforcement officers if we expect to attain our goal, professionalization.
A license or certificate based on standards of competence. This is a requirement in law,
medicine, and the other professions. This is where we run into a major difficulty in the police
profession. In all of our states, as a requirement for entrance into and the practice of most of
the professions it is necessary that the applicant pass an examina- tion and the scrutiny of a
state board. In these professions the schools, the colleges, and univer- sities have in most cases
provided the training thought to be necessary to practice the profession. When the required
training has been completed the applicant for a license is examined by the state board. When
he is given his license he may go anywhere in the state and seek employment, he may form a
partnership with others of his profes- sion, or he may open an office and begin the prac- tice of
his profession by himself. He frames his license, hangs it on the wall, and hangs out his shingle
https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
 Policemen as Professionals, features of police role common to other profession

A police officer is responsible for maintaining public safety and security by enforcing the
law. Officers patrol the streets in cars, respond to 911 calls, track down criminals, arrest
offenders, and direct traffic, among other duties. Training is acquired through a police
academy.
Police officers provide protection to the general public. They work for local or state police
departments and perform a variety of duties, including patrolling neighborhoods, directing
traffic and investigating crimes. A high school diploma or the equivalent is required, and many
officers hold college degrees. After being hired, recruits train at a police or law enforcement
academy to learn about ethics, local regulations and civil rights as well as to get hands-on
training in various aspects of police work.
https://study.com/policeman_career.html

Unique features of a police role

Every officer should have the highest integrity and character. However, when we asked
police officers what they saw as the most important qualities to performing work as law
enforcement officials, they thoughtfully offered these additional traits.

Police officers must:

Working with People

Police work among the general public every day. Whether they are providing security services
at large events or patrolling highways and city streets to ensure citizens’ safety, they are
talking to people for at least half of their work day. Being a “people person” is cited by many
police officers as an essential requirement of the job. Many days, a police officer must help
those who are suffering, which can be overwhelming and exhausting. To be a good police
officer, you must truly care for people—those you know, those you don’t, and those you’ll meet
some day in the future.

Enjoy English, Science, Math and Computers

While working with people involves a part of an officer’s day, office work takes up at least
another few hours. Officers use computers to write and file reports and must have fundamental
knowledge (and often much more) of science and math. Many police officers earn an
undergraduate bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, which is grounded in communication and
critical thinking, to ensure that they can successfully multitask.

A Team Player
An important aspect of police work is coordinating with other law enforcement departments,
court officials, and various first responders — all integral parts of the law enforcement
community. This means that officers will often be in a leadership position and will have to
delegate items to others on their team. You must know how to communicate with others to
create a safe environment.

Fast Problem Solver

An officer is called upon to make hundreds of decisions throughout the course of a day, often
using a combination of instinct, research, proper procedure, and analysis. While some
problem-solving abilities come with years of experience, it’s still important to be able to make
snap decisions at the beginning of your career.

Easily Adapt to Change

The rise and fall of political parties and those who appoint police commissioners guarantee
that a police officer’s environment will be ever changing. A good officer has the ability to
modify his or her methods without sacrificing results.
https://www.lindenwood.edu/academics/online-programs/blog/2014/six-important-qualities-
every-police-officer-should-have/

Qualities Of Successful Police Officer

1. GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS MAKE GOOD POLICE OFFICERS

Communication is an integral part of police work. Whether you’re taking statements,
interviewing a suspect, or reassuring a concerned citizen – if you work as a police officer, you’ll be using
your communication skills all the time.

While writing reports is an important part of the daily routine, the most significant
communication skills you’ll use on the job will be verbal. Police officers must be able to connect with
others and pick up on body language cues. They use these abilities in a number of different scenarios –
to prevent violence, calm agitated citizens, or convince large groups of people they must evacuate an
area during an emergency. Calm, compelling communication can help save lives and restore order.

2. POLICE OFFICERS HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF ETHICS

Police officers are entrusted with maintaining law and order, and as the saying goes, with great
power comes great responsibility. As community role models, trustworthiness and honesty are some of
the most important qualities a police officer can have.

Good police foundations courses teach ethics and help to strengthen students’ decision-making
and problem-solving skills. Police officers combine sound judgment with their knowledge of the law to
protect human rights and preserve life to the very best of their ability.

3. POLICE OFFICERS NEED TO BE PHYSICALLY FIT

There are few other careers that can be as physically demanding as police work. For police
officers, staying in shape is an important part of being able to effectively serve their community.
If you complete your police foundations training in Ontario, you’ll likely begin preparing for the
provincial exam. That exam includes a fitness component, which ensures that all police officers in
Ontario are ready to meet the physical challenges of the profession.

4. GOOD POLICE OFFICERS CAN THINK ON THEIR FEET

Police officers don’t often have the luxury of taking a day or two to step back, examine a
scenario for a long time, and slowly come to a final decision. In fact, some of the most important
decisions they make take place in only a few seconds.

Being able to analyse a situation and make a decision quickly is an important part of being a
successful police officer. That’s why the preparation they receive while completing their police
foundations diploma is so important. It gives them the chance to face emergency situations so that
when the time comes, they will know exactly what to do and how to respond.

5. POLICE OFFICERS CONTINUE TO LEARN AND IMPROVE

Working as a police officer is about practise, and striving to improve throughout your career.
Because emergency situations don’t happen often, you need to continue your training to make sure
that your skills stay sharp over the years.
https://www.herzing.ca/blog/police-and-public-safety/5-qualities-of-a-successful-police-officer/

Factors that Affect Human Behavior

The way an individual addresses a situation single-handedly or say in a group is

influenced by many factors. The key factors influencing an individual’s attitude in
personal as well as social life are −

Abilities
Gender
Race and culture
Attribution
Perception
Attitude
Let’s take a quick look over these major elements that imprints a person’s
behavior inside and outside of the organization.

Abilities

Abilities are the traits a person learns from the environment around as well as
the traits a person is gifted with by birth. These traits are broadly classified as −

Intellectual abilities
 Physical abilities
Self-awareness abilities
In order to understand how these affect a person’s behavior, we need to know
what these abilities are.

Intellectual abilities − It personifies a person’s intelligence, verbal and analytical

reasoning abilities, memory as well as verbal comprehension.

Physical abilities − It personifies a person’s physical strength, stamina, body

coordination as well as motor skills.

Self-awareness abilities − It symbolizes how a person feels about the task, while
a manager’s perception of his abilities decides the kind of work that needs to be
allotted to an individual.

Thus the psychological, physical, self-assurance traits owned by a person defines

the behavior of a person in social and personal life. For ex: Ram has a high IQ level,
whereas Rahul can lift a bike and is a strong guy.

Gender

Research proves that men and women both stand equal in terms of job
performance and mental abilities; however, society still emphasizes differences
between the two genders. Absenteeism is one area in an organization where
differences are found as women are considered to be the primary caregiver for children.
A factor that might influence work allocation and evaluation in an organization is the
manager’s perception and personal values.

For example − An organization encourages both genders to work efficiently

towards the company’s goal and no special promotion or demotion is given or tolerated
for any specific gender.

Race & Culture

Race is a group of people sharing similar physical features. It is used to define

types of persons according to perceived traits. For example − Indian, African. On the
other hand, culture can be defined as the traits, ideas, customs and traditions one
follows either as a person or in a group. For example − Celebrating a festival.

Race & culture have always exerted an important influence both at the
workplace as well as in the society. The common mistakes such as attributing behavior
and stereotyping according to individual’s race & culture basically influences an
individual’s behavior.

In today’s diverse work culture, the management as well as staff should learn and
accept different cultures, values, and common protocols to create more comfortable
corporate culture.

For example − A company invites candidates for a job post and hires one on the
basis of eligibility criteria and not on the basis of the country a person belongs to or the
customs one follows.

Perception

Perception is an intellectual process of transforming sensory stimuli into

meaningful information. It is the process of interpreting something that we see or hear
in our mind and use it later to judge and give a verdict on a situation, person, group, etc.

It can be divided into six types namely −

Of sound − The ability to receive sound by identifying vibrations.

Of speech − The competence of interpreting and understanding the sounds of

language heard.

Touch − Identifying objects through patterns of its surface by touching it.

Taste − The ability to detect flavor of substances by tasting it through sensory

organs known as taste buds.

Other senses − Other senses include balance, acceleration, pain, time, sensation
felt in throat and lungs etc.

Of the social world − It permits people to understand other individuals and

groups of their social world.

For example − Priya goes to a restaurant and likes their customer service, so she
will perceive that it is a good place to hang out and will recommend it to her friends,
who may or may not like it. However, Priya’s perception about the restaurant remains
good.

Attribution
 Attribution is the course of observing behavior followed by determining its cause
based on individual’s personality or situation.

Attribution framework uses the following three criteria −

Consensus − The extent to which people in the same situation might react
similarly.

Distinctiveness − The extent to which a person’s behavior can be associated to

situations or personality.

Consistency − The frequency measurement of the observed behavior, that is,

how often does this behavior occur.

The framework mentioned says it is all about how an individual behaves in

different situations.

For example − Rohit invites Anisha and two more friends for a movie and they
agree to bunk and watch the movie, this is consensus. Bunking of class says that they
are not interested in their lectures, this is distinctiveness. A little change in the
situation, like if Rohit frequently starts bunking the class then his friends may or may
not support him. The frequency of their support and their rejection decides consistency.

Attitude

Attitude is the abstract learnt reaction or say response of a person’s entire

cognitive process over a time span.

For example − A person who has worked with different companies might develop
an attitude of indifference towards organizational citizenship.

Now we have a clear idea about what are the factors responsible for the way we
behave. We never think about these elements and how they affect our daily life but we
can’t ignore the fact that they are responsible for the way we walk, talk, eat, socialize,
etc.
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/individual_and_group_behavior/
factors_influencing_individual_behavior.htm