In 2022, most people’s ideas about law enforcement are changing.
In years gone by, this was a role that was simply seen as patrolling the street and arresting those who were up to no good and then filling in some paperwork. In recent times, more people are becoming aware of the complexities that surround becoming a police officer, even in entry-level positions.
The job is associated with working in difficult situations, having top-notch de-escalation skills, and of course, staying in control at all times. This can be trying for some, especially if it comes to handling more upsetting cases related to domestic or child abuse. If you have ever had to talk to a police officer, you may have also noticed that they are (mostly) the height of professionalism and seem to talk calmly and concisely. This is no coincidence and is part of the training overall.
To become a community police officer, you need to be dedicated, smart, and of course, aware of your own potential biases and communication issues. This can cause a lot of people to feel uncomfortable, but if you want to be a police officer in 2022, to keep the public safe, this is something that you simply have to do.
But what are some of the other skills required to be a community police officer? How do you go about obtaining them if you realize that you need extra work on these skills?
What is a Community Police Officer?
Before focusing on the skills you will need, what a community police officer is should first be explored as well as what the role entails in general.
If you have ever walked down the street and seen two police officers walking together, they are likely community police officers. Most people associate police officers with driving in cars, but in the case of a CPO or a CSPO, they are usually on foot.
Community policing Canada, the US, and the UK will involve these officers being on the front line. That is, they are usually public-facing and aim to be approachable to members of the public. They are also usually seen walking around malls, and other shopping areas, as they are responsible for de-escalating fights, defusing threats of conflict, and helping the police service overall to foster good feelings within the overall community.
They are also responsible for supporting general police operations, and work hard to assess needs and support those who may be vulnerable or at risk. This includes looking out for the likes of children, the elderly, and the mentally and physically ill.
Now, back to the skills needed for this role!
Confidence
There is no such thing as a police officer in any context that is successful and also underconfident.
When it comes to patrolling the streets and engaging with members of the public, you need to be in control at all times, or as much as is humanely possible!
Confidence as a police officer does not look much different from confidence in other roles of authority. You need to be able to justify your actions, as well as be able to handle difficult people in difficult situations. As mentioned earlier, this can be especially challenging when it comes to handling cases surrounding child abuse, domestic abuse, or animal abuse.
If you are reading this skill set and feeling a bit unnerved, don’t worry! Part of the training to become a police officer will help you to build your confidence and will also help you to train yourself to have minimal emotive involvement. You don’t have to become a machine, but be aware that in most cases, you will need to learn to emotionally detach from the work. If you are someone who finds this hard or has struggled with this in the past, then talk to your supervisor about which counseling or therapy courses they would suggest undertaking, to help you ensure that you are in a better place to manage your emotions better.
Physically Fit
OK, so you don’t have to be an athlete to be a police officer, but you do need to be in good physical shape. Why? Because you will be spending a great deal of time as a CSPO on foot. As mentioned before, most people associate policing with sitting in cars, but if you are a community-based officer, you will be walking almost all the time, and this does not include incidents where you may need to chase down suspects to apprehend them.
Part of the assessment for becoming a police officer overall will require you to undertake a fitness course, which will determine if you need to improve your physical health or not. If you only just passed the fitness aspect of the training, it may be worth upping your physical activity when you are not on duty, to help you stay in form for this surprisingly physically demanding job. If you have specific concerns about your physical health, then it may be worth joining a gym if possible or purchasing some at-home gym equipment.
Accurate
Being a police officer is not a job where you will want to be misremembering information, as you will have to retell your side of events many times throughout your career. While it is fine to say that you don’t recall things, it is in your best interest if you can remember as much information as possible about your daily activities with the public.
This also spills over to record keeping. One of the banes of many police officers’ lives is paperwork but to be a top-level police officer, you need to be as accurate as possible when it comes to recording information about events, arrests, and apprehensions.
You will also need to be familiar with and well-versed in the laws surrounding your role. For instance, you will not be able to disclose certain bits of information to your family, or the public as police work is confidential in most instances. Usually, this law does not apply if there is a direct threat to the public’s wellbeing or safety.
Sympathetic and Approachable
In the past, the police service has come under its fair share of criticisms relating to not being sympathetic, especially in cases of sexual assault.
To excel in this line of work, you need to be approachable to members of the public, and your colleagues, while also being sympathetic to the needs of those who you are dealing with. Consider this line of work as being quite similar to counseling; you may be forced to interact with people who you would have initially found unsavory, but you must treat them with a high level of care and compassion, even if they have done something or are accused of something which shakes your core or ethical beliefs.
It can be very tough for new police officers to learn how to be both sympathetic, and objective. Once again, this is an area in which the initial training can help you to advance, but if you require further help, seek out the guidance of a counselor who is trained in this area.
Communication
Many people assume that they have good communication skills, and in most cases they do. But police work will require you to be able to communicate effectively in tough situations, which, unless you have worked in the armed services, as a nurse, or any kind of support worker, you may be unfamiliar with.
This links to the ability to be accurate, which was mentioned earlier. You will need to be precise with communication, especially when it comes to writing up reports. In most cases where someone is charged with a crime, your report will be an account of what transpired, and it may even be used in court as evidence. So, you need to be accurate and able to convey exactly what happened.
This can be a bit intimidating to consider but don’t worry. The training that you will undertake will help you to brush up on your communication skills, both verbally and written. However, if you are struggling, ask your supervisor for information on additional courses that you may be able to undertake.
Final Thought
So, to be a police officer or a community support officer, you need confidence, clarity, control, and the ability to remember things with precision. But this is just a very brief overview of some of the skills needed. You will also need emotional awareness, knowledge of the law, and the ability to work under extremely stressful situations.
You will also need to develop your observation skills. How else will you be able to differentiate between potentially illegal activity when on the beat, so to speak or kids simply hanging out on a wall? This is another skill which the training will be able to help you to develop, as well as good old-fashioned experience while in the role.
If this sounds like an area you want to work in, then look online for a police training course or qualifications which can lead to a career in the police service.