to get into the field of law enforcement, for those to whom it applies. This is the career path I wish to follow, and I just wanted to know why the guys who are doing it are.

Personally, I want to do something positive with my working years. I want to go home at night and know that I can hold my head up and be proud of what I do for a living.

Emulating my dad, who incidentally promised to kick my ass to pieces if I made it my career.

As far as pride goes, you don't need a badge for that.

It is not the badge in which I would have pride, there are plenty of morons with a badge.
There are plenty of jobs out there that a man can be proud to have, things he can be proud to be, but this is the one that I think will do it for me. I don't really know how to describe it why I feel this way, I just do.

Initially it was the benefits and pension. I didn't have that in my previous job...a jiu-jitsu instructor.

Edited to add: So I could drive like they do on [b]COPS[/b]! Bad Boy Bad Boy Whatcha gonna do?

According to a prisoner I arrested three weeks ago...I became a cop because I was a band nerd and got beat up all the time in high school so I became a cop to get revenge on all those that beat me up.  

    I'm pretty sure this will change when I get out of the academy and actually on the street, but...

    I decided to pursue this avenue of life because I wanted something different. Not only different from what I was doing, but different on a daily basis as well.

    I also like dealing with people, before this I worked/managed at 2 different local grocery stores. I tried working in a warehouse away from the public, but I hated it.

    Yet another reason is the fact that I have seen a lot of guys who are Police Officers who should not be. I have guys in the Academy with me who are sh*tbags, I had guys who worked with me as a Corrections Officer who would intentionally try to agitate inmates just so they could kick the sh*t out of them.  
   
    In todays society we need Officers who have a good head on their shoulders and CAN INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC. I see a lot of guys who hate dealing with people. They may be good cops, but they are the type of guys who go to a busy restaurant to eat and use tons of profanity in their conversations for everyone to hear.

    To make along story short, my reason sounds like every other cops. "I want to make a difference". However, I want to make a difference in the way Police Officers are viewed by the public.

Wow, only 4 motivated police officers on this board. I am disappointed, and can see why some might get down on LEO's. Doesn't change my mind any, but damn, this is a shitty realization.

USP40C,

I felt the same way, 9 out of 10 cops I talked to tried to talk me out of being a cop. They bitched about the administration, about the public, about the pay, about the long hours and holidays etc. etc.

It just motivated me more to be a cop.

Most of them though, would not be happy if they were not in Law Enforcement. I seriously think they just like to bitch, as a rule cops are a cynical bunch anyway.

Patience.  You'll get some good advice from these guys if you give them time.

It sounds hokey, but I feel that God called on me to be a peace officer.  Aside from a distant cousin I never met, none of my family were cops, and I didn't know any cops growing up, I just always knew that I wanted to go into law enforcement.  I majored in Business-Finance in college, and could be making alot more money in the private sector than I'm making now. I don't know how to describe it except as a "calling".  

Our recruiting detail says that we should start another academy class this fall.   If you're interested, email me.

I think the job picks the person...after retiring from the Army I couldn't fiqure out what to do...I worked as a forklift operator, carpenter, deck hand on a tow boat and at a boot camp for 'at risk youths'...my neighbor was a cop and suggested that I apply...that was Nov 99 and now I'm groovin'...but I sure miss not having mortars, arty or CAS on call...

To kick ass and drive fast.  
What other job is there that allows you to go out and give help to those who need help, and to take those that cause problems where they belong.  Without those good police officers.................chaos rules.

[>]:)]

I always wanted to be a cop.  After I retired from the Navy, I was interviewing for jobs down here in Tampa when I realized I didn't want to work in Dilbert cubicles anymore.  I wanted to be a cop.  I wanted to help people and get the adrenaline push again and go to work every day knowing that this day would be very different from the other ones. It's hard.  It's tedious.  There is an unbelievable amount of paperwork.  You're in court -- guaranteed -- every day you're off...it's Murphys Law. Except Sundays but until you've been here 18 years you don't get Sundays off so shut up.  You get to wear really groovy full body pantyhose cleverly disguised as dark blue shirts and pants and get to stand out on US19N in August in Florida directing traffic for three hours while the THI dudes scrape up and measure the data points on a tie-died punk on a crotch rocket that t-boned an 86 year old woman going to church that turned in front of him while he was going 146 mph.  I'm still having a blast.  Go for it.

P.S.  You get to drive really fast, turn across grass medians and generally annoy old people.

As a 19 year veteran in South Florida I can tell you that your reasons for joining the force will be a lot different than your reasons for staying on the force. These reasons could be personal, financial, or sacrificial.
What ever the reasons are make sure that they are YOUR REASONS, and not some one else's.
A lot of people join the Marines, but very few Marines ever see a 20 or 30 year pension.
It is an honor to serve, but it takes a commitment and fortitude to stay.
Good luck in your endeavor.

TroDog

It's really hard to explain,  you just know the job is right.  For me,  I started out as an EMS tech,  did that for 5 years.  Saw all sorts of misery and pain come about. I just needed to be a little more proactive.  For example,It's not enough to treat the little girl run over by the drunk, I need to go after the drunk himself.

Because I wanted to make a difference and save the world from its self. I've had my victories and I haven't given up yet after over 27 years...

7th

For me, It's the simple fact that when I go into work, I don't know what I'm going to be doing, I just know its going to be different then last night.  It's not sitting in an office somewhere, moving paperwork.  Sure, there are lots of frustrations, and parts of it I don't like, but what else has the variety and excitement of Police Work.
Basically, I've been involved in emergency services since I was 18, and can't figure out what else I would enjoy doing!

dp

Guys I wanted to say thanks to you for the responses, and appologize for my impatience. I realize that the decision is mine alone to be made, and the reasons must be mine, but I wanted to know what moved you all to enter into the world of law enforcement. Sounds like that gut feeling is it for some, some have more concrete reasons, whatever it is, I am glad you are doing the job you are, all of you.

Feel free to continue to post on this thread, sometimes we all need reminders of why we are doing the things we are, sometimes we have to remind ourselves. I will keep checking it as long as it keeps coming back up. Stay sharp out there, and take care.

I keep asking myself that question..  Origionally I was going to wear a white hat and fight evil..  Now I just count the days til I'm out of this stressful, thankless, tainting job..  All my non cop friends and wives are gone and I seldom even admit what I do...   I'd advise anyone who has lots of friends and is a bit social to pass on it..

No reason to sit and count the days til your out of this job.  Step aside and let someone else come in who wants to do the job.

[>]:)]

Hi guys.  Long time lurker, first time poster.  I am a reserve officer serving with Search and Rescue.  We do a little law enforcement, but our job is primarily mountain rescue, and since 9/11 we are training in urban rescue too.

We are on call 24/7...get paid $1 a year...and we love it.  We have a camaraderie I haven't felt since being in the military.  I operate with a great bunch of friends I can really trust with my life.

Sounds stupid, but watching 9/11, we all felt part of the brotherhood of Fire/Police/EMS.  We were horrified, angry, saddened, and at the same time proud of our brothers in NY.

I guess we are in it so we can do something to help, instead of just watching on the T.V.

Oh, yeah...rolling code and rapping out of helicopters is too much fun! [:D]

Thanks for the post Kagemusha. I think that was a great way to get started posting.

Sven--[:D]

I got into LE because I wanted to continue working in the same "class" of work with the same "class" of people that I had become used to after 20 years of service in the U.S.Army.

By this I mean 1) Good solid employment surrounded by, for the most part, 2) Good Co-workers who will care about me when it really counts, with a chance to 3) make a real difference even if I am the only one who thinks a difference is being made, all the while 4)doing something that my son looks up to,thinks is cool, and I know he is proud to call me his dad.  With all this said, I can not see myself doing anything else except maybe working in a gun store.

First post for me here....went into law enforcement to have a job that can be both laid back and an adrenaline rush....just never know what to expect!!  It's a great job....everytime I arrest a drunk driver I know that it's at least one more person that will go home that night and maybe I might have saved more than one life.  What more can a person ask for??  There are negatives but every job has negatives.  Just have a positive attitude for the others around you.  Really makes for a fun work environment!!  If you're not having fun then why do it??  

Some people pick jobs; some jobs pick people. This job eats people and their lives. Realize/learn what it is before you commit to it. 10 years and I am 4th bid on the shift of my choice. I would not trade it for anything. That said I did not understand what it was when I jumped in.
 The best thing is it 's your job. You are in charge.  

Got my ass kicked too much as a kid and I've been overcompensating ever since. [BD]

Seriously, though, it's hard to articulate... Maybe it best said that there are too many wolves among the sheep and not enough sheepdogs. Yeah, that's it.

Too many incidents in my life where some exigency occurred, and I kept muttering to myself "okay, where's a phucking cop when you need one?"

Ah don't gots dat prob nomo.

P3[pyro][^][heavy]

I am an Elected State Constable and a Volunteer firefighter, I also work full time with youth offenders in a treatment enviroment!

The same thing motivates all three for me, I was an Army Brat and as such i was raised to cotribute to others and to my community, since i could not join the service due to Dust allergies that trigger asthma attacks(not good in Combat so they wouldn't even consider me!).

I am also driven by a desire to help people!

What motivated me to become a cop isn't nearly as important as what motivated me to stick with the job. Nobody and I mean nobody can possibly understand what this job is all about until they actually do it. Our perceptions about what Police Officers are and what they do are molded from the time we are small children to the time we grow into adulthood mostly by people who know very little about police work. Those perceptions are influenced by movies, television, parents, teachers and cops that we only know off the job. They are only half truths. The real thing must be experienced to understand what it's all about. On a fundamental level I took the job because I needed a job. I kept the job because I needed a job. Over simplified? Yes. When I was in the USMC I used to hear people from other services and sometimes even Marines say that all the services are just a job and no one service is better than another because they all pay the same. I assure you that no one joins the Marines just because they are looking for a job. No one becomes a cop just because they need a job. We are all looking for a job when we take the job but we are looking for a special job and police work satisfies that requirement. It doesn't always seem like a great job and I have had regrets from time to time but I really wouldn't want to do anything else.