CAREER

Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers

Overview

Salary Median (2020)

$64,610

Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)

+3.1% (slower than the average)

Career

What 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.

Other Job Titles Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers May Have

Deputy, Deputy Sheriff, Patrol Officer, Police Officer

How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work

Retired Police Officer/Detective ,

City of Orange Police Department

In the police force, there was no typical day. There was always a new case or new problems to deal with.


Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

  • Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.
  • Provide for public safety by maintaining order, responding to emergencies, protecting people and property, enforcing motor vehicle and criminal laws, and promoting good community relations.
  • Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.
  • Render aid to accident victims and other persons requiring first aid for physical injuries.
  • Review facts of incidents to determine if criminal act or statute violations were involved.

This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.