Peace Officer

Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:

• Interview people to obtain information about actions or status of individuals.
• Investigate accidents to determine causes.
• Investigate illegal or suspicious activities.
• Interview people to gather information about criminal activities.
• Investigate accidents to determine causes.
• Investigate illegal or suspicious activities.
• Determine operational procedures.
• Communicate situation details to appropriate personnel.
• Relay information about incidents or emergencies to personnel using phones or two-way radios.
• Maintain operational records.

Typical Working Conditions

• Working in a closed vehicle or equipment.
• Having face-to-face discussions.
• Dealing with external customers.
• The importance of being accurate or exact.
• Dealing with unpleasant or angry people.
• Frequent decision-making.
• Responsibility for others’ health and safety.
• Working in extremely bright or not enough lighting.
• Meeting strict deadlines.
• Exposure to hazardous equipment.
• Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
• Sitting.

Tools & Technology used by Patrol Officers

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

Most Important Skills for Patrol Officers

• Being Aware of Others—Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Negotiating—Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
• Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
• Helping Others—Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Persuading Others—Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
• Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Most Important Knowledge Areas for Patrol Officers

• Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Psychology—Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Public Safety and Security—Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Law and Government—Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Clerical—Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Personnel and Human Resources—Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:

• Realistic—Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Enterprising—Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

Low indicates 25% of workers earn less and 75% earn more. Median indicates 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more. High indicates 75% of workers earn less and 25% earn more.

Demand
This career is seeing high growth compared to other careers. There will be a 7.1% growth for Patrol Officers to meet market demand between 2018-2028. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

This career is best for those with at least an Associates degree, and many professionals earn an Bachelor’s degree. This career does require a license, and certifications can help you move ahead.

View the local post-secondary education options for this career from Central Lakes College.

Spotlight on Central Lakes College

• Why consider CLC?
• Virtual Campus Tours: Brainerd Campus, Staples Campus
• Learn more about the CLC Honors Program.
• Attend CLC, and you may never need to buy a textbook.

If you have a physical, mental, developmental, or cognitive condition that requires educational support, learn about support options at CLC.

Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:

• Business Computer Applications
• Business Law
• Cultural/Ethnic Studies
• Debate
• Human Development
• Personal Finance
• Physical Education
• Psychology
• Public Administration
• Safety and First Aid
• U.S. Government
• World Language

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise