Mr. Williams’s Video Profiles, Police Officer

Police Officer

Brief Career Interview

Questions
Answers

1. What is your job title?

Police Officer- F.T.O.(Field Training Officer)

2. What are some of your basic responsibilities?

My basic responsibilities as an officer are numerous and diverse. I enforce both traffic laws and criminal law as well as deal with civil matters. I also am required to attend court and testify. I write tickets and make arrests for crimes that have just occurred or pick up people who have warrants issued by a judge for their arrest. I drive a fully marked patrol car and have several tactical items at my disposal to help me perform my duties. I need to be proficient with my weapons and receive tactical training on how to use deadly force as well as defensive tactics, baton, OC spray(pepper),handcuffing techniques, holds, pressure points, and tactical/evasive/pursuit driving. My responsibilities as a training officer include both teaching and evaluating officers in training (O.I.T.'s) who have recently graduated from the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy.

3. What type of education and/or training is required for your position?

A high school degree and complete the approximate 4 month Arizona Law Enforcement Academy and 3 week Post Academy.

4. What is the approximate starting salary and top salary for someone in your position?

Approximate salaries- start:$35,000 to:$50,000 just as an officer. The Chief makes over $100,000 and I believe the highest paid officer on the department works on the detail at Sky Harbor Airport and made approximately $128,000. An officer also can make overtime, as well as work off-duty jobs to supplement his/her income. Some patrol officers may make an extra $3,000 to $25,000 in overtime/off-duty work.

5. What are the days of the week you work and how many hours a week do you work?

I work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 3:00 pm to 1:00 am(1500hrs to 0100hrs) for a total of 40 hours a week. Sometimes I will work more hours if I get "held over" at the end of a shift or if I have to attend court before my actual workday starts.

6. What is your working conditions (i.e. Lots of driving, in the office, outside work)?

My working conditions always vary. My office is my patrol car where I can spend up to 10 hours each workday. I work in the summer heat, winter cold, and all kinds of stormy conditions. One minute I could be giving a police sticker to a little boy and the next minute I may be in a foot pursuit of an armed bank robbery suspect. I deal with extremely traumatic events. I help investigate homicides, sexual assaults, fatal car accidents, crimes against children, domestic violence, armed robberies, possession of drugs/for sale, burglaries, shoplifting, arson, and forgeries.(just to name a few). I also spend time at the police station to do paperwork such as police reports and booking slips. I go to businesses and homes in my squad area to respond to calls for service. I transport and book prisoners into Madison Jail. I do follow-up investigations at hospitals around the valley contacting victims. I work with other specialty details such as K-9 Officers and their dogs, the Air Unit(helicopter), Gang Squad, Motor Officers, Detectives(all kinds), and Special Assignment Unit members(SAU= Phx PD's SWAT). I must listen to and talk on a radio and use computers that are in my patrol car as well as ones in the police station. I have to use my training and knowledge of Arizona Laws to determine if a crime has been committed and if so, develop probable cause to arrest the person that has broken the law. I work in one of the busiest areas of the city of Phoenix(Maryvale) as well as one of the most dangerous areas to work. Although I have powers of arrest anywhere in Arizona, I mostly stay in the city of Phoenix, and more specifically the Maryvale Precinct area.

7. Is there a large demand for employment in your type of occupation?

There is a huge demand for qualified people in law enforcement right now. The Phoenix Police Department alone is short some 200-300 officers.

8. What would you say to a student that might be interested in a career like yours?

I would tell them that it is a very interesting and rewarding career. You have an opportunity to help someone at the most basic level. You can make a decent living financially and the benefits are very good. At the same time, I would also say that the job is not for everyone. As a police officer you may have to take someone's life. The possibility also exists that you may be seriously injured or even killed while performing your duties. A police officer has a job where he/she wears a bulletproof vest to work everyday and has a gun on his/her belt. You will see things, horrible things, that will effect you. Depending on where you work, people will either really appreciate you or flat out hate you just because of the uniform you wear. You are the most basic extension and symbol of the government and have the incredible power to take someone's freedom away from them. You must have the highest level of integrity and always use good judgment and common sense in the performance of your duties. After that, I would tell them that if they are seriously considering a career in law enforcement try and talk to other officers and go on a ride-a-long so they could see first hand what the job is really like. If they like it and think they want to be a "cop", I would ultimately tell them to go for it---we need all the help we can get!

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Questions	Answers

1. What is your job title?	Police Officer- F.T.O.(Field Training Officer)
2. What are some of your basic responsibilities?	My basic responsibilities as an officer are numerous and diverse. I enforce both traffic laws and criminal law as well as deal with civil matters. I also am required to attend court and testify. I write tickets and make arrests for crimes that have just occurred or pick up people who have warrants issued by a judge for their arrest. I drive a fully marked patrol car and have several tactical items at my disposal to help me perform my duties. I need to be proficient with my weapons and receive tactical training on how to use deadly force as well as defensive tactics, baton, OC spray(pepper),handcuffing techniques, holds, pressure points, and tactical/evasive/pursuit driving. My responsibilities as a training officer include both teaching and evaluating officers in training (O.I.T.'s) who have recently graduated from the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy.
3. What type of education and/or training is required for your position?	A high school degree and complete the approximate 4 month Arizona Law Enforcement Academy and 3 week Post Academy.
4. What is the approximate starting salary and top salary for someone in your position?	Approximate salaries- start:$35,000 to:$50,000 just as an officer. The Chief makes over $100,000 and I believe the highest paid officer on the department works on the detail at Sky Harbor Airport and made approximately $128,000. An officer also can make overtime, as well as work off-duty jobs to supplement his/her income. Some patrol officers may make an extra $3,000 to $25,000 in overtime/off-duty work.
5. What are the days of the week you work and how many hours a week do you work?	I work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 3:00 pm to 1:00 am(1500hrs to 0100hrs) for a total of 40 hours a week. Sometimes I will work more hours if I get "held over" at the end of a shift or if I have to attend court before my actual workday starts.
6. What is your working conditions (i.e. Lots of driving, in the office, outside work)?	My working conditions always vary. My office is my patrol car where I can spend up to 10 hours each workday. I work in the summer heat, winter cold, and all kinds of stormy conditions. One minute I could be giving a police sticker to a little boy and the next minute I may be in a foot pursuit of an armed bank robbery suspect. I deal with extremely traumatic events. I help investigate homicides, sexual assaults, fatal car accidents, crimes against children, domestic violence, armed robberies, possession of drugs/for sale, burglaries, shoplifting, arson, and forgeries.(just to name a few). I also spend time at the police station to do paperwork such as police reports and booking slips. I go to businesses and homes in my squad area to respond to calls for service. I transport and book prisoners into Madison Jail. I do follow-up investigations at hospitals around the valley contacting victims. I work with other specialty details such as K-9 Officers and their dogs, the Air Unit(helicopter), Gang Squad, Motor Officers, Detectives(all kinds), and Special Assignment Unit members(SAU= Phx PD's SWAT). I must listen to and talk on a radio and use computers that are in my patrol car as well as ones in the police station. I have to use my training and knowledge of Arizona Laws to determine if a crime has been committed and if so, develop probable cause to arrest the person that has broken the law. I work in one of the busiest areas of the city of Phoenix(Maryvale) as well as one of the most dangerous areas to work. Although I have powers of arrest anywhere in Arizona, I mostly stay in the city of Phoenix, and more specifically the Maryvale Precinct area.
7. Is there a large demand for employment in your type of occupation?	There is a huge demand for qualified people in law enforcement right now. The Phoenix Police Department alone is short some 200-300 officers.
8. What would you say to a student that might be interested in a career like yours?	I would tell them that it is a very interesting and rewarding career. You have an opportunity to help someone at the most basic level. You can make a decent living financially and the benefits are very good. At the same time, I would also say that the job is not for everyone. As a police officer you may have to take someone's life. The possibility also exists that you may be seriously injured or even killed while performing your duties. A police officer has a job where he/she wears a bulletproof vest to work everyday and has a gun on his/her belt. You will see things, horrible things, that will effect you. Depending on where you work, people will either really appreciate you or flat out hate you just because of the uniform you wear. You are the most basic extension and symbol of the government and have the incredible power to take someone's freedom away from them. You must have the highest level of integrity and always use good judgment and common sense in the performance of your duties. After that, I would tell them that if they are seriously considering a career in law enforcement try and talk to other officers and go on a ride-a-long so they could see first hand what the job is really like. If they like it and think they want to be a "cop", I would ultimately tell them to go for it---we need all the help we can get!