A patrolman's responsibility is to patrol neighborhoods and/or a designated area and keep it safe. Most times, a person who decides to become a patrolman is employed through a law enforcement agency such as a police department. If you are looking to become a policeman within a large enforcement agency, you may be required to become a patrolman first. You must meet certain educational and physical requirements, have a clean driving record, and possess certain skills.
Some enforcement agencies will only require you to have a high school education in order to become a patrolman, but most will prefer for you to have one, two, or four years of college education. The more college education you have in relation to criminal justice, the more noticed you will be by employers. You should note that the exact requirements to become a patrolman do vary based on geographical locations, so it is pertinent that you identify what requirements you need to meet.
Many of the activities that you will perform as a patrolman will require you to be in good physical health. This is why agencies require you to meet physical requirements in order to become a patrolman and will periodically check that you can still meet them throughout your career. You can prepare in advance for this by eating right and participating in a regular exercise regimen to get yourself into top physical condition.
Most patrolmen use cars to survey and monitor the areas or neighborhoods to which they are designated; however, this is not always the case. There are instances when a patrolman will use a motorcycle, a horse, pr walk on foot, in addition to riding a bike or even a snowmachine. If a patrolman is using a motor-powered vehicle to complete job duties, he or she will have to have a clean driving record. In fact, most agencies will not hire a person to fulfill patrolmen duties unless a clean driving record is present.
As a patrolman, you should have excellent public relations skills as you will interact with a large amount of people. You should strive to keep all of your relationships with people positive, especially on a public basis. In order to do so, you will find it extremely beneficial to possess certain traits such as being honest and having sound judgment. Since you will be involved in a large amount of highly stressful situations, you should also be emotionally stable.
A large amount of the work you do will require you to utilize a computer or camera. This makes it very important for you have superb multimedia skills. Excellent investigation skills are also a must, including having the ability to identify crime patterns and always being prepared to testify in the court of law. After you become a patrolman, you will discover that many of your duties are mastered through time and experience.
