Personality of police officers L.E.O's only please

[fordified]

I have been thinking over the last couple of months of becoming a police officer. I am currently in college, and am pursuing a business management degree. I'm starting to fade from this idea and thinking about pursuing the criminal justice area. The only thing about this is, my personality. I give people 2nd chances a lot in life. Also I talked to one of my friends who is a cop, and he said that you have to be borderline cocky. I'm confident in certain ways, but un-confident in others. My question is, do you have to be cocky to be a police officer? Thanks for the help.

 

[mkb116]

Plain and simple brother, you have to be in control 110% of the time. When people look at or speak with you, they need to think "this guy would whoop my ass if I tried to fight him". Many officers accomplish this in different ways.

 

[Lloyd Xmas]

No you do not have to be 100 % cocky, you will get many complaints which will only results in some sort of discipline. I play off people's personalities, meaning if they are being respectful, courteous they get the same. If they are being belligerant, speaking loudly to make themselves seem bigger and to intimidate me, my attitude changes slightly, voice is elevated and I let them know their "tactics" will not get them anywhere. On my traffic stops, about 90% of the time I get a "thanks or thank you". I dont kiss any ass but Im not a prick either. You got to be ready to handle any person with any personality and try not to lose face and get yourself in trouble with you acting the same way or worse. No police officer is perfect though, we are all human and make many mistakes. Over your career you'll be able to adjust your tone, attitude to handle any respectable person or any ass that comes your way. If they try to whip you, you have "tools of the trade" and other training techniques to effect the arrest. I think Ive said too much....Oh well GL.

 

[BoostFiend]

No you do not have to be 100 % cocky, you will get many complaints which will only results in some sort of discipline. I play off people's personalities, meaning if they are being respectful, courteous they get the same. If they are being belligerant, speaking loudly to make themselves seem bigger and to intimidate me, my attitude changes slightly, voice is elevated and I let them know their "tactics" will not get them anywhere. On my traffic stops, about 90% of the time I get a "thanks or thank you". I dont kiss any ass but Im not a prick either. You got to be ready to handle any person with any personality and try not to lose face and get yourself in trouble with you acting the same way or worse. No police officer is perfect though, we are all human and make many mistakes. Over your career you'll be able to adjust your tone, attitude to handle any respectable person or any ass that comes your way. If they try to whip you, you have "tools of the trade" and other training techniques to effect the arrest. I think Ive said too much....Oh well GL.

Well said.

Treat every situation with common sense and maturity. You don't have to be cocky to get the job done. Be competent, professional, and ready to handle anything. Everyone has their own style.

 

[rubber duck]

Not cocky, just confident. Cockiness will just end up biting you in the ass, rookies learn this quickly. You just have to have the ability to establish your dominance in a situation, because the second some people see weakness, it can go downhill quickly, especially if you police a generally hostile area. Be cool, be calm and be ready.

 

[Spade]

I agree with all the above with the exception of the second sentence in the second post. IMO you do not want the public to fear you. Cockness and feeling you can do what you want to whom you want because you're a police officer will get you very little. The only thing that will become of it timie and time again is the bad feedback from the people you are dealing with. Remember one thing we all put our pants on the same way. You want respect give respect.

 

[fordified]

Thanks guys your info has helped me alot. I'm leaning towards doing this.

 

[ZChaos0026]

Keep in mind that you will have a lot of power. You have the authority to take away the most important thing to most Americans...their freedom. With that in mind, if you think that this will go to your head, then rethink your career choice. If you think you can handle this power with responsibility, then I suggest you do a couple ride-alongs with your local law enforcement agency.

As far as 2nd chances, I give 2nd chances all of the time. Not everyone who can go to jail, needs to go to jail.

 

[Spade]

^^^Fact!

 

[Iceman II]

As a State Trooper we are more of a para-military organization. In general, the best advice is to treat folks like you would want to be treated. There is no need to be cocky at all. Be confident in your job and make good sound common since decisions and you will be fine. A lot of folks will consider this to be arrogant, but that is not the case.

 

[fordified]

Thanks for the input, I believe i'm going to schedule a ride-a-long to get the feel of the job. I wouldn't take the power to my head, that I know.

 

[My Cobra]

*removed by moderator L.E.O.s means those that are verified to be actual Law Enforcement Officers.

 

[fordified]

Thanks. Stun gun should take care of the fights lol. Seriously though, I am thinking by the stare of someones eyes you can be able to tell if they are sizing you up. Am I correct? I know some surprises will happen, but you can usually tell by looking in someones eyes if they are going to cooperate or not. Or maybe by their body actions, for instance, if someone has something illegal in the car they will most likely talk nervously correct?

 

[ZChaos0026]

Thanks. Stun gun should take care of the fights lol. Seriously though, I am thinking by the stare of someones eyes you can be able to tell if they are sizing you up. Am I correct? I know some surprises will happen, but you can usually tell by looking in someones eyes if they are going to cooperate or not. Or maybe by their body actions, for instance, if someone has something illegal in the car they will most likely talk nervously correct?

Dont get me wrong, a taser is a phenominal tool, but dont count on it saving you 100% of the time. We've had instances of people defeating the taser and the taser malfunctioning.

People definately size you up, but body language in general is good indicator of a persons attitude. Eyes, facial expression, hands, arms, breathing...all things to look at...but hands are the most important to watch...because none of those other things can kill you...make sure you ALWAYS watch hands...

 

[Spade]

As corny as this may sound it is very true in our job, actions speak louder than words.

Example, the other day I had a disorderly male at a local sports bar giving the bartender a hard time. When I approached the male he was very cool with me and apologized several times. As we were walking thru the parking lot to his ride he was still apologizing and telling me he understands why he needed to leave in a very calm tone.

He sounds ok right, both hands were in a fist as we were walking.

Good luck and if you decide to continue with this career be very careful. People will not like you for the simple reason you're a police officer.

-Spade

 

[ByeOfficer]

If I wasn't married and had kids I woulda quit a long time ago. It's not the thugs on the street that stress me out, it's the co-workers and staff. Trust nobody, even your co-workers.

 

[rrpederson]

the cocky approach may work for your friend, but in most cases cocky can get u into more fights than anything else. u dont have to be cocky to keep people under control. arrogance can set some people off. a stern voice and the willingness to escalate force when needed will usually do the trick, of conducting your business without having to hurt people. keep in mind though, that there are people out there that want to fight with police for no reason other than to fight. about 90% of your dealings with the will typically be somewhat pleasant but there is always the chance that u will have to put your hands on people in order to maintain control and safety of all people involved. the first thing to remember, your personality can be a catalyst in how well a contact with the public will go.