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.
Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who are sometimes called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes.
Police and detective work can be physically demanding, stressful, and dangerous. Police officers have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. Working around the clock in shifts is common.
Source: MyPlan.com, LLC, 2019; includes information from the O*NET 20.3 database, 2016, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-2024 Edition. O*NET™ is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
Interesting Fact
At 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 3, 1967, the entire nation of Sweden switched from driving on the left to driving on the right.
Did you know...
With the Career Query Tool you can search our career profile database by setting specific criteria, such as salary, location and educational requirements!
