From a Dream to Reality: Why I Want to Be a Police Officer

I believe that having an education is extremely important today even though you can still be successful without a degree. Since a person can go much farther in life with a college degree, it is highly encouraged that people further their education if they can afford it. I didn't really take middle school, freshman and sophomore years of schooling very seriously till my last two years of high school. During that period of time I asked myself why I want to be a police officer. In this short essay I want to explain how entering college and becoming a part of law enforcement sphere will be beneficial for my future carrer plans and goals.

My Path to the Career of My Childhood Dream

Entering high school, my plan was to join the military after my four years, so I wasn’t worried about having the best gpa but I did continue to do what I was supposed to do. When I finally made time to think about what I really wanted to do, I realized that I would need a college degree to further my career in law enforcement after researching that today state troopers and FBI agents are required to have a bachelor's degree which is why so I began to take school more seriously to get into a good school so I can live the dream I had always dreamed of.

Ever since I was a little boy, I had a passion for wanting to be the guy in the uniform with “tools.” Initially, I didn’t know if I wanted to be a police officer or a landscaper. During my seventh-grade year in middle school, I started my own small landscaping business, servicing customers within my community. Landscaping allowed me to show my creativity through nature opposed to drawing or painting, whereas people use different methods to relieve stress for example using their musical talents. To me, landscaping is peaceful. I was able to work at my own pace and assist people in discovering their dream yard with just a little care and maintenance. I’m confident that I would’ve been able to make a living out of landscaping considering it to be a good paying job. Though I love being outside and landscaping, I found myself daily watching police related videos and shows on YouTube and Netflix. My desires began to shift toward wanting to become a law enforcement officer. Where I live, community policing was big. During major events the city hosted, the police were present making connections to the community. Also, my former football coach was a sheriff who inspired me by , especially knowing that I could always ask him questions about the job, and he would give me good, immediate feedback. Not surprising, Criminal Justice is the major which I have chosen to pursue. Upon obtaining a college degree in Criminal Justice, I plan to begin my career as a state trooper and detective. My ultimate goal is to become a special agent for the FBI and retiring from law enforcement after completing the necessary years of service.

Though I will be majoring in Criminal Justice, I want to minor in a foreign language that could enhance my major to positively affect my career in law enforcement. I believe that Spanish would be a beneficial language, since it is currently the second largest in the United States. Because of the low number of people speaking and understanding Spanish, being bi-lingual would allow me to help whenever needed, not to mention that sometimes promotions are based on your ability to communicate in more than one language within your chosen field.

Conclusion

I want my focus to remain on what I want my contribution to law enforcement to be once college is completed. In the town that I live in, Salem, NJ, I know the chief of police and many of the officers that are on the force personally. I often wonder why the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in our schools no longer exists. Also, I’ve heard that there was a program called PAL (Police Athletic League) where police would spent time with the community on their time off. The PAL program had several offerings for children and young adults interested in literacy activities, arts projects, volunteer community service time, sports and recreation. Though I wasn’t born at the time, I was told by my cousin that every Friday evening, in my town the program would meet up with the teenagers at our local gym whether it was to play basketball, kickball, or flag football. The police would also ask for volunteers for a city trash pickup every other Saturday morning. The program was known to be very influential in the community and impacted a lot of youth growing up. I believe programs such as the two that I mentioned helps build a strong connection between law enforcement, schools, residents, and the community at large. It is important that the image of law enforcement across the country is restored to a more positive one. On top of that, a major reason that I will accomplish my dreams is to help bring the change necessary to unite all people as a police officer. I will purposefully invest my time and energy while in college to make sure that I obtain my degree. I see college as a new chapter in my life and knowing with it will come challenges, stressors and a few restless nights but I’m up for the challenge.