What Do Police Patrol Officers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Police Patrol Officers patrol assigned area to enforce laws and ordinances, regulate traffic, control crowds, prevent crime, and arrest violators. They also identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.

Other tasks include:

• Provide for public safety by maintaining order, responding to emergencies, protecting people and property, enforcing motor vehicle and criminal laws, and promoting good community relations.
• Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.
• Render aid to accident victims and other persons requiring first aid for physical injuries.
• Review facts of incidents to determine if criminal act or statute violations were involved.
• Monitor, note, report, and investigate suspicious persons and situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area.
• Testify in court to present evidence or act as witness in traffic and criminal cases.

We asked Police Patrol Officers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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65% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 81% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Police Patrol Officers record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities. They monitor, note, report, and investigate suspicious persons and situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area.

A typical day for a Police Patrol Officer will also include:

• Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.
• Monitor traffic to ensure motorists observe traffic regulations and exhibit safe driving procedures.
• Issue citations or warnings to violators of motor vehicle ordinances.
• Relay complaint and emergency-request information to appropriate agency dispatchers.
• Patrol specific area on foot, horseback, or motorized conveyance, responding promptly to calls for assistance.

We asked some Police Patrol Officers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	67% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	69% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	89% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	90% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	80% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	89% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Police Patrol Officers also testify in court to present evidence or act as witness in traffic and criminal cases. They may also investigate traffic accidents and other accidents to determine causes and to determine if a crime has been committed.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Police Patrol Officers Process prisoners, and prepare and maintain records of prisoner bookings and prisoner status during booking and pre-trial process. They might also Render aid to accident victims and other persons requiring first aid for physical injuries.

In addition, they Photograph or draw diagrams of crime or accident scenes and interview principals and eyewitnesses.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Provide road information to assist motorists.

To some Police Patrol Officers, it is also their responsibility to Direct traffic flow and reroute traffic in case of emergencies.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Police Patrol Officer, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/protective-service/police-and-detectives.htm

https://www.bja.gov/

http://www.theiacp.org/

http://www.dhs.gov/