Law Enforcement in Society

Policing has been around for centuries. It is common denominator in all civilizations through society. Police are constituted by whomever higher government is above them to assist, protect and defend and citizens of that government. They are sworn in men and women, all ages and different nationalities. They come from all parts of the world and have many different backgrounds. Police officers put themselves in harm’s way knowing there is a possibility of being confronted with a difficult situation. Although some officers bask in the glory of giving tickets and pulling people over, other officers are mentally rewarded with the thought of knowing they help someone find their dog or even save someone’s life. Wearing the uniform signifies more than just the police force that you are in your name or rank. You are representing a long line of people who have laid their lives out on the line just as you have. Some make it home at night and some do not. From January 1st 2012 –October 15th 2012 there has been 99 Law Enforcement Fatalities through the United States. That number is far too high in the Law Enforcement world. Although 99 is a lot it is still down 34 from the same time span one year prior. A total of 1,799 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the past 10 years, an average of one death every 53 hours or 164 per year. There were 163 law enforcement officers killed in 2011. All those deaths were because of different events that took place. Some because of officer neglect, others because of officer safety. A majority because of the everyday citizens that decide it’s ok to take an officers life. Officer discretion is a very important aspect of policing. Making sound judgment is imperative in police investigations. Above anything in the realm of Law Enforcement is officer safety. Far too police officers have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Police officers are sworn to assist, protect and defend the citizens of the United States. They are face