Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers

What Does a Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Do?

Maintain order and protect life and property by enforcing local, tribal, state, or federal laws and ordinances. Perform a combination of the following duties: patrol a specific area; direct traffic; issue traffic summonses; investigate accidents; apprehend and arrest suspects, or serve legal processes of courts. Includes police officers working at educational institutions.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• 1Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.
• 2Provide for public safety by maintaining order, responding to emergencies, protecting people and property, enforcing motor vehicle and criminal laws, and promoting good community relations.
• 3Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.
• 4Render aid to accident survivors and other persons requiring first aid for physical injuries.
• 5Review facts of incidents to determine if criminal act or statute violations were involved.
• 6Investigate illegal or suspicious activities.
• 7Monitor, note, report, and investigate suspicious persons and situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area.
• 8Testify in court to present evidence or act as witness in traffic and criminal cases.

Required Skills

• Active Listening
• Speaking
• Critical Thinking
• Active Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Monitoring
• Computer aided composite drawing software
• Computer aided dispatch software
• Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
• Crime mapping software
• Database software
• DesignWare 3D EyeWitness
• Email software
• ESRI ArcView
• IBM Lotus 1-2-3
• Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System IAFIS

Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Salary