Yes unless he or she exhibits mental traits that is wouldn’t be conducive to the job such as antisocial tendencies.
I’d like to think that I would raise my children with a better sense of right and wrong than what the kind of person who joins a police force has.
Disclaimer: no bio-kids or adopted ones; co-parent of two brothers and aunt of two kids (hopefully soon to be three).
I’d make sure they got information about what the job actually entails, requirements, etc. from the best possible sources and regarding all different types of police forces available to them.
That would mean pulling on the multiple relatives (in-laws of one of my brothers) and acquaintances we have who are cops of different types, and directly heading to the local headquarters for those police bodies where we don’t have a personal contact.
But then, I’d do the same for any other kind of job.
I always felt that prison guards had it easier than cops. We had a clear divide in our work. You dealt with criminals at work inside the prison and it was clear who was who - the prisoners wear one uniform and the employees wear a different one. When your shift was done, you left the prison and went out into a completely separate world.
Police have to deal with the gray areas. They know who the other police are but the criminals they’re looking for are hiding in a crowd of civilians. So they never know if the person they’re dealing with is a criminal, a victim, or an innocent bystander. And the environment they work in is the same as the environment they live in, which makes it difficult for them to put the job out of their mind when they’re off duty.
Of course I would. Free doughnuts for life from the kid! Woo hoo! What’s not to love?
But seriously, in the US I would support such a decision. Here in Thailand? No way. My best friend in Thailand is a fellow American who lives in the Northeast. His brother-in-law is a cop. Just about the only honest cop in Thailand. If you have a problem in Thailand, it really is usually best not to involve the police, but this guy really does believe in being a cop and serving the public. I’ve met him, and it’s quite sad. He’s a really nice guy. Won’t take bribes. All the other cops don’t trust him. He has no police friends. Keeps getting transferred all around the Northeast, because no one wants an honest cop around. Really. In front of the national police headquarters in Bangkok is a statue of a cop carrying a young boy to safety, and the common joke is that the statue is the only honest cop in Thailand.
I voted “not sure” based on my perception that the average police officer on patrol is likely outgunned by the people they encounter. Miss DrumBum is earning her degree in Chemistry so perhaps she would work in a police laboratory.
I voted yes. Neither of them would be great cops, but they would pick up skills in the training process that could be put to good use in other jobs.
Why in the world not? I can’t think of any legitimate, legal careeer that I would not support my kids pursuing. I would talk to them about the pros and cons (heh, cons in a police thread) but if that is what they wanted to do, more power to them.
No. If one of my daughters decided to become a police officer, I would never speak to her again.
It would be tantamount to her joining the SS, the Mafia or the CIA. Anyone who could do such a thing is out of my life for good.
A few years ago my niece expressed an interest in joining the army or national guard, with her motive being that she wanted something that gave her the same sense of kinship/belonging that she had enjoyed in marching band. Her mother advised her to think over this interest very carefully, as becoming a soldier can potentially confer some very negative damaging experiences. Apart from the possibility of being maimed or killed in combat, you may be called upon to kill under morally uncertain circumstances and bear witness to any number of horrifying experiences, and then live with those memories/injuries for the rest of your life - a heavy price to pay if your only interest is a sense of kinship/belonging.
If I had a kid who was interested in police work, I’d similarly advise him to carefully consider his choice. IANAPO, but I imagine that police work can be both rewarding and demoralizing. On the best of days you will be a hero to some, but most of the time you will be regarded by the people you interact with as an annoyance, to some you will be regarded as the devil incarnate - and to a select few you will be a target for physical attack. If my kid could tell me that he had made a good-faith effort to examine the big picture, and he still wanted to be a cop, I’d do whatever I could to support him.
I would certainly not encourage it, but if it’s what he or she really wanted, I would support them.
Depends on how you define “support.” I would discourage it, which is why I voted “no.” But if my son or daughter is absolutely set on it and I feel confident they know what they’re getting into, I would be supportive. It won’t kill our relationship.
People hate the police…until they need the police.
I think his experiences growing up were much different than yours.
Thought I’d expand a bit. My dad spent 50 years working LE in one capacity or another. I have an uncle who retired after a career as a PA State Trooper. I have an aunt who spent years as a police dispatcher. I put in 12 years part-timing as a deputy sheriff. Because of my family and my own association with LE, I have known and/or worked with a metric assload of cops, troopers, and deputies along with a smattering of Probation and Parole Agents, and a tiny handful of Feds from various agencies. Out of all those people, only a relative few of them who were more than rookies seemed to genuinely like their jobs and not exhibit the bitterness and cynicism common among cops. Most of the happy ones had specialist jobs, rather line officer slots.
At least as importantly, I never knew too many cop families who liked having dad or mom wear a badge. That includes my own.
I don’t currently hate the police. Or I don’t hate the current police. One of those.
I just don’t trust them or want to be associated with them as human beings. I have no problem with using their services, especially the criminal investigate ones. I don’t have to like them for it, nor do I intend to ever forget what they were in my youth.
Being a cop didn’t change me. Being a mod has made me bitter and cynical.
I would be worried for their safety, especially in the early years, but my kids are all pretty book-smart. I’d like to think that they could advance to fulfiling, well-paying, and relatively safe positions if they chose to be police officers. For one, I would strongly encourage them to get LE degrees first.
Don’t sell yourself short. You were always bitter.
It’s the jackboots - they pinch. 