Roles of the Public Safety Professional Principles of LPSCS 1

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Roles of the Public Safety ProfessionalPrinciples of LPSCS

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PART 1: Career Opportunities

County State

FederalMunicipal

Where can I work?What can I do?

Private Industry

Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved.Images and other multimedia content used with permission.


Municipal Public Safety

• Police Department• City Marshall• Fire Department• EMS• Jailer• 9-1-1 Operator• Crime Scene Investigator• Code Enforcement• Animal Control


County Public Safety

• Sheriff Deputy• Detention officer• Constable• Probation• Juvenile Probation/Detention• Medical Examiner’s Investigator• District Attorney’s Investigator


State Public Safety

• State Trooper• Texas Ranger• Game Warden• Park Ranger• Border Patrol• Correctional Officer• Parole officer• Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC)• Texas Office of Inspector General

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Federal Public Safety• Federal Bureau of

Investigations (FBI)• Secret Service• Drug Enforcement Agency

(DEA)• Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms

(ATF)• Immigration and

Neutralization (INS)• Internal Revenue Service (IRS)• U.S. Customs

• Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

• U.S. Marshals• Military• Air Marshall• Federal Bureau of

Prisons• Federal Probation/Pre-

Trial


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Education and Training Requirements:Municipal, County, and State

• High School Diploma/GED

• 30 + college hours or Bachelor’s degree

• TCLEOSE license (peace officer license)

• Military training• Good work history

• Strong character qualities• Pass physical agility test• U.S. Citizen• Written exam• Background Investigation

(no criminal history)• 21 years of age• Valid driver’s license


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Education Requirements:Federal

• U.S. Citizen• At least 23 years old,

but no more than 37 years old

• 4-year degree/GPA 2.5 or higher

• 3 years professional work experience

• Valid driver’s license• Physical exam• Medical review– 20/20 corrected vision– Pass hearing screening

• Extensive background check (no criminal history)



Roles of Law Enforcement Professionals

• Jurisdiction: the geographical region of responsibility or official duties covered by an agency

• Why Become a Police Officer?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoMBte0QHc8

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Police Duties

• Social Worker• Babysitter• Attorney• Role Model• Law Enforcer• First Responder• Firefighter

• Crime Prevention• Court Security• Investigator• Animal Control • Traffic Enforcement• Case Worker• Crime Scene

Investigator



Sheriff Duties

• Officers of the court– Serve as bailiffs in courtrooms and security in

courthouses• Jail operations– Staff and maintain the county jail

• Law Enforcement– Same duties as police counterparts, but outside

the city limits


Part 2: History of Policing in the U.S.


Police

• The arrangements made to ensure that the inhabitants keep the peace and obey the laws

• The force of peace officers employed for this purpose

A system of authority is required for a society to operate effectively. The history of policing reveals the evolution of that authority.


Roots of American Policing

• Code of Hammurabi– The first example of civil and criminal codes– 282 codes that governed civil and criminal

behavior in medieval times (eye-for-an-eye philosophy)

• Tithing system– A system based on kinship and civilian

responsibility and used to maintain social order – Families grouped by “tens” (men only) and formed

communities


Office of Sheriff

• Established through the tithing system• Power of Posse Comitatus (the power to

summon citizen assistance)• Separation of military from civilian law

enforcement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jQXjF9Y1HA



America Prior to 1776

• Slave patrols in the southern colonies– Civilian groups in southern states to protect

against rioting and revolts by slaves• Black codes– Laws passed by southern states after the Civil War

to disenfranchise freed slaves


Policing in America 1776 – 1850

• The first three police departments established in America– Philadelphia 1830• Night-watch and day-watch forces created

– New York 1844• Night and day watch formed one police force

– Boston 1855• A single police force established


Policing in America 1850 – 1900

• Urbanization • Conflicts from different groups including minorities and

immigrants• Controlled by the municipal government• Trained civil war veterans entered policing• Advances in firearm manufacturing• Carried revolvers for protection• Plessy v. Ferguson

– This U.S. landmark Supreme Court case established the “separate but equal” doctrine that allowed racial segregation


Policing in the Wild West

• Sparsely inhabited• Violence toward Native Americans• Lack of tolerance for those who were different• Widespread lawlessness• Personal defense (vigilantism)• Town marshals, U.S. marshals, and the U.S. Army• Justice was quick and brutal• Firearms and lynch mobs• No official law enforcement agency


Private Policing

• Businesses needed professional security and investigative services

• Brinks, Pinkerton, and Wells Fargo established• Corruption in local police departments• Geographic jurisdiction limitations• Lack of state/federal police


Modern Policing 1900 – 1930

• Increased population• Street violence (gangs, gambling, drinking, and

prostitution)• Electricity• New inventions that assisted in policing– Automobile– Airplane and telephone– Advances in weapons


Police Officer – 1900’s

• Working class• $1,400 a year after 6 years• Day shift – 75 hrs/wk• Night shift – 87 hrs/wk• 1 day off in 15 days• Obedient to authority, physical strength, and size• 6 ft. minimum height• No training


August Vollmer

• The Father of Modern Policing• Chief of police, Berkley, CA• “A dedicated body of educated persons

comprising a distinctive corporate entity with a prescribed code of behavior”

• Emphasis on education, professionalism, and administrative reform


Vollmer’s Philosophy

• Use of automobiles and radios• Emergency telegraph boxes• Typewriters for reports• College-educated• Entrance testing• 3-year training course • Use of polygraph, fingerprints, and scientific

evidence• Social workers


Current Trends in Policing

• Community policing– Focus on decentralized strategies that promote crime

prevention rather than rapid response, crime investigation, and apprehension of the criminal

– Focus on promoting quality of life of the community and public order, rather than law enforcement

– Use of alternatives other than arrest and force to solve the cause of the problem rather than responding to the symptoms of the problem

• Broken Window – the belief that ignoring public order violations and disruptive behavior leads to community neglect, which fosters further disorder and crime


Current Trends in Policing (continued)

• Zero Tolerance – strict enforcement of the laws, even for minor violations (example: “Click it or Ticket” seatbelt campaign)

• Problem-oriented– Increased effectiveness by attacking the underlying

problems that give rise to incidents that consume patrol and detective time

– Reliance on the expertise and creativity of line officers to study problems carefully and develop innovative solutions

– Closer involvement with the public to make sure that the police are addressing the needs of citizens


Current Trends in Policing (continued)

• SARA Model– Scanning: gathering data to define the problem– Analysis: determining the nature of the problem,

causes, and possible solutions– Response: working with people, groups, and

agencies to implement solutions– Assessment: following up on the initiatives taken


PART 3: Stress Management

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQBhnTj7uDE


Stress

• A physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease resulting from stress


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Good v. Bad Stress

• Attitude is the most important element in keeping your work stress at manageable, healthful levels

• Perception is the consciousness, the awareness of objects or other data through the senses, insight, and intuition



Confidence

• Belief in one’s own abilities• Lack of confidence = uncertainty and lost

credibility• Eliminates worry



Emotional Symptoms of Stress

• Divorce• Alcoholism• Suicide• Abrupt behavior changes• Overly suspicious/hostile• Fearful• Depressed• Anti-social


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Physical Symptoms of Stress

• Digestive disorders• Headaches• Excessive illness• High blood pressure• Sleep disorders• Back/neck/shoulder

pain• Increased/decreased

weight



Individual Stressors

• Fears regarding job competence or success• Necessity to conform• Necessity to take a second job• Altered social status



Police Work Stressors

• Frequent exposure to life’s miseries• Rigors of police work• Boredom• Fears and dangers• Responsibilities• Work overload• Fragmented nature of the job


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• Exercise• Recreation• Hobbies• Healthy lifestyle• Communication with others• Relaxation techniques• Incorporating time

management techniques


Coping with Stress


Time Management

• Eat Breakfast• Determine your top priorities• Get organized• Conquer procrastination• Learn to say no• Protect your prime time• Keep weekends for yourself



Stress Reduction

• Healthful levels of attitude• Laugh a little• Consciously relax your muscles• Use positive self talk• Seek solitude• Avoid excess coffee• Exercise regularly• Talk about it• Listen to your conscience



Resources

• Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE) http://www.tcleose.state.tx.us/

• Texas Code of Criminal Procedure http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/

• Fagan, James A. Criminal Justice. Pearson Education, 2004.• History of Policing Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jQXjF9Y1HA• Police Officer Career Information: Why Become a Police

Officer? Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoMBte0QHc8

• Men’s Fitness Magazine issue October 1994

http://www.tcleose.state.tx.us/

http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoMBte0QHc8


Documents

Roles of the Public Safety Professional Principles of LPSCS 1