"Becoming a cop is not something that happens overnight. It takes one solid weekend of training to get that badge." - Chief Wiggum

Why did you become a police officer?

I don't like the idea of people harming or taking from innocent people. I also resent it when people act in a lawless fashion on the road.

All people have civic duty to help maintain order in society. The police are just paid to do it full time. We have specialized training and a few extra privileges. Still, our powers are not all that different than those of an ordinary citizen. Professional police as they are a fairly recent phenomenon. With advent of cell phones, anyone can raise the hue and cry and help maintain peace and order.

What's it like to be a cop¹?

It can be a lot of fun. People do some crazy stuff, and when you're on the job, you witness a lot of funny things. There's a lot of opportunity for heart pounding excitement although it's often mixed with confusion and fear.

On the other hand, you're witness to a lot of human tragedy. Most of the people you run into are at low points in their lives. They're getting a ticket, being arrested, or reporting that they've just been victimized. Many times, they blame you for their situation.

There's always a challenge. Lawyers spend hours trying to define what the law says, but we have to make split second decisions when we apply it. You have to get the bad guy, stay safe, and have a case that can be prosecuted in court.

You develop professional paranoia. The police are targets and everyone is a threat. You never know what's going to happen when you go into QuickTrip to get a drink, when you pull someone over, or respond to a domestic.

There are rewards. Most people do appreciate what the police do. Sometimes they're quite generous. They'll offer you a drink when you go to their homes. One guy brought me some bottle water when I was directing traffic for extra money. I've had people thank me when they seen me making arrests. We caught some burglars recently and a woman stood in a nearby parking lot clapping.

It can be a pretty good deal. There's a sense of brotherhood among cops that's hard to beat. It is exciting at times. It really feels good when people show their appreciation.

Use of Force

I don't like to use force. I prefer to talk to people, and for the most part, I've been able to get people to do what I ask them or tell them to do. I'm pretty good at keeping things calm or at least keeping the bad guy off balance. In most cases, I think if the officer dealt with the situation differently, the use of force could have been avoided. On the other hand, it's often hard to know what that other course of action would have been without the benefit of 20/20 hindsight.

That being said, I have no problem with the actual use of force. It's part of the job. The bad guy caused the problem,

Most have never had to draw their guns. How about you, Two Bit?*

In my experience, I would say that most officers don't shoot anyone in a career. That's as far as I would take it. We draw our weapons quite often. I can't imagine a cop going a whole career without drawing a weapon.

I've had several situations where I've drawn my weapon where it's use was a real possibility. I've dealt with suicidal people with guns. One was a woman who begged me to shoot her. A couple of years ago, I responded to a back up call where a guy was trying to wrestle a gun away from a cop. I thought about shooting him, and I pressed my gun into his chest, but eventually we subdued him without having to shoot him.