What a Day in the Life as a Cop Is Like

What a Day in the Life as a Cop Is Like What a Day in the Life as a Cop Is Like Working as a police officer can be satisfying, rewarding, saddening, lonely and fulfilled- all during the same shift. This job pays well and the benefits are typically very good, but each day can present- and probably will present- a new challenge. Time to Make the Doughnuts... The alarm wakes you from your long sleep or a nap, depending on what shift youre working. You grab a quick shower and give yourself a thorough shave so your sergeant doesnt ding you on your inspection. Your whole demeanor changes as you get dressed. You become quiet, stern, and thoughtful as you prepare yourself mentally for the day ahead. You stop being you and become officer you as you strap on your ballistic vest and zip up your uniform shirt. The transformation is complete when you wrap your utility belt around your waist. 10-8- In Service and Ready for Duty You kiss your kids and your spouse goodbye and step outside into another day on the job. Shifts in most departments begin with roll call and can take up to 30 minutes or so. Youll be informed of any special assignments or events that might need your attention, as well as any Be-on-the-Lookout (BOLO) alerts that have come up since your last shift. But some departments let you take your patrol car home so youre in service as soon as you leave your driveway. Now its time to inspect your patrol car to make sure everything is as it was the last time you sat behind the wheel. You make sure everything is operating properly and all necessary equipment, such as flares, first aid kits, and fire extinguishers, is in place. You sit in your patrol car, turn the ignition, and reach for your police radio. You key the microphone and advise your dispatcher that youre 10-8, in service and ready for duty. Traffic Stop As you pull out onto the main road, you spot a car with a headlight missing. You pull the vehicle over, get out of your car, and cautiously approach. You wonder if this will be your last traffic stop ever as you get closer to the violators car. You introduce yourself and inform the driver that you pulled him over because his headlight is out. You let him know that its a potential safety hazard because it affects not only his ability to see,  but other drivers ability to see his car as well. You issue him a warning or a faulty equipment notice to remind him to get it fixed, then you wish him a safe day. Crash With Injuries Back in your patrol car, your dispatcher advises you that theres been a serious traffic crash with injuries and entrapment near your location. You inform her that youre 10-51 10-18, en route with lights and sirens. Youre met with chaos when you arrive on the scene. Two vehicles appear to be welded together. Spilled coolant and oil is burning and boiling off of the still-hot engines, transforming what was once two distinct vehicles into one massive, steaming pile of twisted metal. Youre trained to give first aid and basic life support, but youre silently thankful that an ambulance is already on scene. You see paramedics talking to a bloodied driver in one of the vehicles while firefighters work fervently to cut a way into the vehicle to get her out. Theres a driver in the other car as well, but hes not moving. No ones trying to help him, either. A crowd begins to gather as you talk to one of the paramedics and confirm what you already knew, that the crash involved a fatality. You call for a traffic homicide investigator  before you begin to cordon off the scene with crime scene tape. You grab a fire blanket out of your first aid bag and drape it over the dead persons car out of respect for the deceased. You gather witnesses, take statements, and work to identify the drivers. You brief the traffic homicide investigator when he arrives and hand over the information youve obtained so far. He takes over the investigation, and you offer to provide whatever assistance he needs. Notifying Next of Kin Now that youve been relieved of investigative responsibilities, the task falls to you to inform the deceaseds next of kin. In this case, its a wife who stays home to care for the couples two small children. You show up at her door and ring the doorbell. She answers the door and stares at you as you stand there with your hat in your hand. She knows why youre there, and you know she knows. Theres no easy way to tell her, so you rip the band-aid off. Maam, Im very sorry to tell you that your husband has been killed in a car crash. Naturally, she cries, while you do your best not to. You offer to make phone calls for her and to stay with her until a family member, minister, or a friend can arrive. Back on Patrol You get back into your patrol car and inform dispatch of the time you made notification. You advise that youre 10-98, task completed  and that youre back 10-8. Worn out and thirsty from the day so far, you stop at a gas station to get a cup of coffee. You avoid doughnut shops at all cost so you dont play into the stereotype. You drive through the parking lot and scope the place out one time to make sure youre not walking blindly into a robbery. The clerk greets you as soon as you walk in the door and asks you to deal with some teenagers who are causing a disturbance in the store. You never get your coffee. Real Police Work: Report Writing You find a vacant parking lot to catch up on reports after you leave the gas station. You park someplace where people can see you if they need help, and it doesnt take long before someone does. You get out of your car as the man approaches so he cant surprise you while youre sitting down. Youre always thinking tactically. As it turns out, he just needs directions, and youre more than happy to provide them. Another car pulls up just as you get back to your report writing. You leave your car again and meet an elderly woman whos frightened because her door was open when she got home. She remembers shutting it and locking it. She asks you to come to her house and make sure its safe for her to go inside. Burglary and House Clearing You ask the woman to stay outside by her car while you enter her house. You check the doors for any signs that someone broke in. You notice scrape marks on the rear door and it appears that someone tampered with the lock there. You draw your handgun and enter the house to clear it, wondering if it will be the last thing you do. But you find no one in the house so you ask the woman to come in and tell you if anything is missing. You caution her not to touch anything as you process the scene, and you call for a crime scene technician. She gives you a list of what shes missing. You tell her youll do everything you can to help her get her things back, and you make sure shes safe and secure before you leave the scene to enter evidence into the property room at the station...and write another report. She offers you $20 dollars for your trouble, which you decline. She insists on paying you for your services despite the fact that you tell her youre already getting paid. She continues to press the issue, so you ask her to donate the money to a charity of her choice instead. You drop off your evidence at the station and realize that its almost time for your shift to end. After you finish the required paperwork, you get back in your car and head home. You Never Get Home on Time You notice that a car in front of you is weaving within its lane as youre pulling into your neighborhood. Its slowing down, speeding up, and braking erratically. Youre concerned that the driver is either impaired, tired, or sick. In any case, it requires further investigation. Your shift ended 15 minutes ago, but you pull the car over. Youre greeted by the strong and unmistakable odor of alcohol when you approach the vehicle. The drivers eyes are bloodshot and watery, and his speech is slurred. Youre already late getting home, and it will take another three hours before youre finished with the paperwork, but you know your job and your duty. The driver performs poorly on the field sobriety exercises you offer so you make the arrest. One More Day Down You finally make your way home after youve left all your paperwork at the jail. Fortunately, you dont come across any other issues this time. You walk in your front door four hours later than you were supposed to. You take off your uniform and slowly transform back into yourself. Tired from a long day, you lay down to go to sleep. Your last thoughts are about how happy you are to have the opportunity to  be a police officer, and how thankful you are that you made it home safely one more day.