Careers in Law Enforcement free essay sample

Choosing a Career In Law Enforcement Law Enforcement Careers This paper is an exploration into a career in law enforcement. It briefly summarizes the history of policemen in the United States. It will also convey different types of careers in law enforcement and provide salary information. There is information concerning requirements to become local, state and federal officers. Everyone has dreams and aspirations. For me, as a child, I always thought that I would have a law enforcement. Growing up, my great uncle was always some sort of law enforcement officer and was my idol. In later years, there was a fascination with federal law enforcement. Most recently, my fascination has been in police forensics, no doubt inspired by the litany of television shows. There is a vast array of specialties in law enforcement and the criminal sciences. To start in this career field, it is important to understand its origins. We will write a custom essay sample on Careers in Law Enforcement or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Policing is an old and noble profession, predating the Norman conquest around 1066. As the colonies were settled, it was yet another British idea that was adopted by the colonists. Initially, policing was the job of a Justice Of the Peace. With the organization of the colonies and growing cities and towns, there was an apparant need for an organized and paid police force. Boston founded a Night Watch in 1636. In 1651, New York City established the Shout and Rattle Watch. As the larger cities continued to grow, Philadelphia divided the city into ten patrol areas in 1705. Philadelphia also led the way by establishing a 24-hour police force in 1833. New York ran two separate police forces, a day and a night watch, in 1844. Police Chiefs typically had ties to politicians and corruption was commonplace. Police departments today are highly specialized with Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Teams, internal crime labs, multiple departments such as vice and homicide, and even numerous sub stations or precincts. Many police departments rely heavily on community outreach as well. There are law enforcement explorer organizations and neighborhood crime watches in most major metropolitan areas. Some localities even have citizen police academies. This offers many opportunities to be something other than a â€Å"beat cop† and peaks public interest in law enforcement careers. Many opportunities in the nation’s leading departments and most in federal law enforcement agencies require college degrees. Universities and colleges offer degrees in criminal and forensic science, computer crimes, and criminal justice, to name a few. This shows how law enforcement has evolved from simply deterring crime and chasing criminals. Competition in these jobs is hard and a degree could be just what puts you in the running for an open position. A law enforcement career is not for becoming rich. The national average salary is fifty thousand dollars. That is actually a big part of the attraction. To know that you are putting yourself in harm’s way daily, protecting and serving your community for such little monetary benefit is very honorable. Wanting to be a cop starts with knowing what kind of cop you want to be. You could be a city policeman, a sheriff, a highway patrolman or a federal agent. Non-federal jobs, though hard, are easier to obtain. Typically to become a municipal officer, sheriff or highway patrol officer, you must be 21 years of age, possess a high school diploma, be physically fit, be a U. S. citizen and have clean driving and credit records (Smith, 2011). After passing an examination, you would be enrolled in a law enforcement academy. Federal agencies normally require at least a bachelor’s degree. To join the FBI, you must have a four year-degree (FBI Careers, 2011) in addition to the requirements above. Also, you need three years of professional work experience and to have never defaulted on a student loan. A CSI (Crime Scene Investigator) is the profession that most of us are in love with at the moment. Do you suppose kids play CSI and robbers instead of cops and robbers? Television shows like the CSI franchise have introduced us to this line of work which is often behind the scenes. It involves gathering, testing and analyzing evidence to help solve a crime and or build a case against a suspect. Some people in this line of work are not even sworn officers. Most are sworn officers but not all (International Crime Scene Investigators Association, 2006) The difference is arrest powers and most often salary. Salary ranges from twenty to fifty thousand dollars. In a small rural police department you may or may not need a degree. Though steeped in history, being a public servant and protector of the people is quite noble, but not necessarily financially rewarding at the entry level, though a seasoned officer can make a decent living. One must know and understand the different types of law enforcement officer to make an informed choice so that they feel rewarded and satisfied with their decision. You also need to live a somewhat moral and virtuous life without any â€Å"skeletons† in your closet.

Childs mind Essays

Childs mind Essays Childs mind Paper Childs mind Paper It is a proven fact that her proportions could never be humanly possible to achieve. If she were the actually life size, she would stand an incredible seven feet tall, with body measurements of a 37inch bust, 20inch waist, and 25inch hips. If she could stand, despite her huge, heavy bust, Barbie could not play sport or even walk. She is supposed to be a young teenage girl but does her exaggerated measurements and perfect features portray the right image to impressionable seven year old girls? Another major factor in todays society is violence. It seems that everywhere we look violence attacks us. We see it in the streets, back alleys, schools, and even at home. The last of these is a major source of violence. In many peoples living rooms there sits an outlet for violence that often goes unnoticed. It is the television, and the children who view it are often pulled into its realistic world of violence with devastating effects. Much research has gone into showing why children are so mesmerized by this glowing box and the action that takes place within it. Research carried out by both universities in North America and the U.K. show that it is definitely a major source of violent behaviour in children. The research proves time and time again that aggression and television viewing go hand in hand. The truth about television violence and children has been shown. Some are trying to fight this problem. Others are ignoring it and hoping it will go away. Still others dont even seem to care. However, the facts are undeniable. The studies have been carried out and all results point to one conclusion: Television violence causes children to be violent and the effects can be life-long. The information cant be ignored. Violent television does affect children. In California, a seven year old boy sprinkled ground up glass in the meal his family was to eat for dinner. When asked why he did it he replied that he wanted to see if the results would be the same in real life as they were on television. This is certainly a startling example of how television can affect a childs mind.  In yet another piece of research, children who watch a lot of violent television were compared to children who dont. The results were that the children who watched more violent television were more likely to agree that its acceptable to hit someone if youre mad at them for a good reason. The other group learned that problems can be solved passively, through discussion. Fixing these problems is not easy. There are many factors that have to be considered and people convinced. These problem will, no doubt, never go away and continue to get worse as the years go by. However, there are measures that can be taken to prevent the children from ever being exposed to such things. After all, what will the world be like when todays youth is running the world?

The Religious, Political, and Social Philosophies during the Essay

The Religious, Political, and Social Philosophies during the Enlightenment and Puritan Period - Essay Example It is evident from the study that history gives us stories about different times and the reaction of people accordingly in that period. History is full of political, religious and social diversifications and the reaction of people to it. Puritan and enlightenment periods also refer to the history. In the puritan period people used to keep away from secular life and lived a life according to religion. They believed that no one is more powerful than god and god is regardless of everything. In the enlightenment period however, people became more tilted towards their worldly lives as intellectuals like Isaac Newton changed the view of how things worked. People started to change their views about the making and survival of universe. The political, social and religious philosophies changed a lot in the puritan and enlightenment period. The people in the puritan period thought in a very different way than that of enlightenment period. Religion played an important role in Puritan life. They thought that they were preferred by God for a unique reason and that they must live their life in a righteous manner. Everyone was expected to be present at the meeting on the Sabbath. The ones not reading the bible were thought to be with the devil. All the preparations of this occasion were made before the occasion. The Sabbath began at sundown the night before, and the evening was spent in prayer and Bible study. The church used to be a small building in which everyone sat according to the seat assigned to them. They sat silent as the Sabbath went on and the church’s discipline in charge (the beacons) used to keep an eye on everyone and punish the mischief makers. People of the puritan age did not like music in their services. It was many years before any musical instruments were allowed in the church. So in the puritan age the religion had strong hold over the peoples mind and thus the people were more attached to it. (â€Å"Puritan Life and Religion†) It was obvio us that their religion was to affect their political and social beliefs and practices as well. During the puritan age, the political ideas of the kings and queens were bitterly resented. The people in the puritan age opposed the monarchy and tried to loosen the hold of gentry on the whole society. The people of the puritan age wanted democracy as the means of controlling and running an economy. In England, the puritan movement led to great emphasis to limit the power of monarchs and to form a constitution that gives the people their right in a legal way. Moreover the people of the puritan age believed that the power of Methodist church should rise as the people of the puritan age followed it and it would be easy to pass directives from the church according to their religion. The puritan people also favored the ideas of economic protectionism and local elections. (Wilson) The puritans had strict rules for their social life as well. They paid less interest in educating their children as they thought that on reading bible is necessary to lead a pious life. Men and women were supposed to refrain from evil activities as they have to answer god for all their deeds. These rules limited the social activities of the people from the puritan era and also created a class that began to oppose them and criticize them for being strict. (Kizer) In contrast, the enlightenment period, also known as the age of awakening, gave success to ideas that were proven by experiments and could be proved. As the people of the enlightenment period were already tired of strict religious measures which restricted them from doing anything they tried to put some leniency in the religion. Although this was opposed by many individuals as being with the devil but still people were relaxed to have some relief. (â€Å"The Age of the Enlightenment†) Strict Protestantism was opposed and people were given freedom in the church. The