AN INTERVIEW WITH A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER Essay

AN INTERVIEW WITH A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER - Essay Example The main reason why I loved the idea of having this interview with Officer McGinnis while at work was because this was a rare opportunity for me to get a first hand information and experience how it feels to be a Police Officer on patrol. It was also pretty much to have a feel of being above the law without worrying that I might get pulled over for speeding since I was with an officer. One thing that came to my attention during that ride was that other drivers, especially on I-435W, drove more courteously. Nobody seemed to have over sped since they all drove within the speed limit and behind McGinnis’ cruiser. Inside the car I also noticed a lot of equipment which were used in police work and this really surprised me. Back home policemen had only a radio to communicate and a gun to protect them. Officer McGinnis explained to me that different police departments had their own jurisdictions, capabilities and respective responsibilities to maintain law and order that require state-of the-arts technology. One question I raised during the interview was on what different kinds of challenges did he experience while on- and off- duty. According to Officer McGinnis, one of his greatest challenges he faces as a police officer starts daily with the half hour briefings on legal issues which he is expected to know. Other challenges he faced include the continuous rapid change in technology (hi-tech gadgets) which he has to grasp and learn fast. They are constantly trained and retrained to update them on everything including new weapons used by criminals. They have been equipped with new laptops in the squad cars that were developed by the military, computer aided dispatch and laser pads for fingerprinting which they must learn how to use. He also explained that they have to be informed or updated all the time to prepare them for any crucial situation they might encounter while on duty. He was careful to point out that police work was not all car chases, lights and