Believe it or not, you may have a calling in the world of law enforcement. Even though you may have never imagined yourself as a police officer, or even in a position of authority, the reality is that officers aren’t always people who are necessarily authoritative.
Authority is not the only quality of a great police officer, but rather one small element of many that make a great cop. If you have great respect for police officers and wonder if you’d be a good one yourself, here are some signs you would be.
You Believe in Justice
If you’re one of those people who get physically ill watching injustice, then this is a sign that justice is incredibly important to you. A deep-seated sense of what’s right and what’s wrong means you’d be great at upholding the law. Your job would be to advocate for fairness and equality amongst all citizens regardless of their background, and a genuine desire to ensure justice is met for everyone not only some.
You’re Great at Communication
Effective communication is a must when it comes to upholding the law. Enforcing the law alone isn’t enough, but rather explaining why the laws are there in the first place. A great police officer knows how to communicate what it is that they’re trying to say in a calm yet effective way that establishes their authority without increasing the tension of the situation. Building trust with community members is essential, and the first way to do that is by being a strong communicator.
Empathy
Unlike sympathy, empathy is all about deeply understanding others when you interact with them. This is especially important when you’re upholding the law. That means that even though your job is to stand on the side of the law, you still see others as humans, and understand their individual experience, ultimately relating to them. Rather than allowing yourself to get power hungry, you know it’s your job to understand and relate to others more so than just enforce alone.
Resilience
No one said that being a police officer was going to be easy. If you’re someone you consider to be resilient, then a job as a police officer may be perfect for you. You never know what can come your way as a police officer. One day you may be required to think extremely quickly on your feet, which requires significant adaptability and resilience. The more adaptable you are to challenges and finding a unique solution, the more likely you are to thrive in a law enforcement environment.
Calm Under Pressure
Are you one of those people who seems to stay totally calm even in chaos? There are some people that seem to be great at keeping their cool even when things are chaotic. These are the kind of people that are critical in law enforcement. After all, if you are trying to calm down a crowd of hysterical people, the last thing you need is to be hysterical yourself. Staying calm under pressure is essential to be a good cop.
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