You wake up early. It’s only 9 PM, you know. You put on your uniform, check that everything is in place, and head out the door to start your day (everyone else’s night). You work hard day in and day out. You put in your 20 years, then retire to an island (or a lake). This is police work in a nutshell right? Not quite; but it does have some excellent perks!
We all know there are a dozen or so cons to being a police officer. Let’s focus on some of the positive aspects. This is anything but an exhaustive list, but they are some huge factors to consider when joining the police force.
You Have the Opportunity to Truly Make a Difference
You can make sure people get to go home and be with their families each night, you take drunk drivers off of the street, you protect children, you can buy a homeless person some food or put them in touch with job contacts, and you can make a difference in the lives of your community’s youth. You have an opportunity at every turn of your day to brighten or better someone’s day. Police often have a poor reputation of ruining people’s lives, but what people fail to see beyond the sensationalized stories, is the good that they really do. The good when they bring an old lady her groceries, or when they give the troubled teenager a bit of their time playing a quick game of basketball. These moments can really change the way that the community views the role of a police officer. A lot of people form their opinions from what they see in media, so by getting out there and interacting in a positive way can make a huge difference in the quality of life in your community.
You Get to Have Fun
Sure, you have accident reports and tedious paperwork (burglaries and thefts, anyone?), but beyond that you get to have fun! You get paid to drive really fast. It’s exciting when you hit a bump so hard and fast that your hubcap flies off while you are responding to an emergency. It’s exciting to have your sirens wailing and your adrenaline pumping as you race to the scene of an active crime. It’s fun to get to drive around and “do what you want” every day that you work. You get to chase people. You get to inspire people.
You Get Some Really Great Incentives
Healthcare is typically pretty decent, as well as recruit incentives where the department contributes to your retirement. You get to retire moderately early compared to the rest of the jobs out there! 20 or 25 years isn’t so bad, right? Yes, you need to retire “early” because police work is intense, exhausting, and demanding. As long as you take care of your body and your mind during that 20 to 25 years, then you shouldn’t have any problems once retirement arrives. Then you can just go buy a house on the lake, kick back, and take it easy. You earned it!
Disclaimer: The content in this article is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of US Patriot Tactical.
