6 Overlooked Qualities of a Great Cop

Being a county police officer necessitates the capacity to carry out all aspects of the job. As a result, qualifying candidates must demonstrate more than the bare minimum of qualifications, expertise, and skills. They must also have additional attributes that cannot be taught or acquired.

These “soft skills” become critical to a cop’s ability to perform their daily duties and contribute to the department’s overall effectiveness. Even an applicant who appears to be extremely qualified without them might generate problems, raise costs, and act against the interests of a well-functioning society.

Finding suitable recruits with the correct mix of knowledge, abilities, and personality attributes is a difficult task, as anyone working in law enforcement can tell you. They must undoubtedly possess the requisite additional crucial qualities to a cop’s performance. This is in addition to the standard criteria of a clean background, stable job history, and financial stability.

Here are some characteristics that are often overlooked but are required to excel at being a great cop. These will help you make a real impact and realize whether being a county police officer is best suited for you.

Ability to Take Initiative

Crimes aren’t something that can be easily tackled, and most criminals go to great lengths to avoid being implicated. As a result, a police officer must constantly be willing to take the initiative to uncover criminal activity that isn’t immediately apparent.

For example, traffic stops provide cops with several opportunities to find crimes. During a normal encounter, the officer may notice unusual conduct or other signs pointing towards something suspicious. A cop can follow through on this reasonable suspicion by asking the driver and occupants more questions while documenting observed interior features without going beyond the limitations.

A county police officer who can take the initiative will do more to determine if their suspicions are right. They’ll find out if there could potentially be more to the traffic stop. A less driven cop could just hand out a ticket and move on with their patrol.

Ethical Standpoint

Ethics is a tough subject to teach or convey, despite the efforts of many police academies. Since grey areas might be difficult to identify, people who have an intuitive sense of personal ethics and grasp how laws convey ethics have an advantage. In police departments, such an understanding of ethics might be crucial for police who desire to follow the law through and through.

The truth is that police officers may easily commit a crime by disregarding procedure, violating due process, twisting the truth on paperwork, or otherwise exceeding their legal limitations. Even if such actions may not violate the law, the police officer jeopardizes the principles they claim to represent. Likewise, some cops may be highly skilled at apprehending criminals while still conducting crimes.

A cop should have a strong ethical ground to stand on to avoid these situations. They might use this solid foundation to assist their coworkers in avoiding ethical blunders. In the police force, everyone is on the lookout for one another.

Communication Experts

A cop’s job entails a lot of communication. Police officers should be able to explain themselves clearly while also having excellent comprehension skills. This comes in handy whether engaging with colleagues, supervisors, or people on the street.

These abilities extend further from written communication to include various vocal and nonverbal communication forms. Such qualities will enable them to obtain the information they require from someone, even if they are agitated or speak a foreign language.

In addition, during critical moments in the field, a cop should interpret body language and send nonverbal cues. Their coworkers must be able to communicate with them and understand them at all times.

Cool-Headed and Mindful Behavior

Many county police officer recruits have outstanding skills and talents, but they have one major flaw: they can be easily irritated. Let’s be clear: losing your cool in the field not only makes you look unprofessional, but it can also cost you your life. Imagine if a situation that may have been managed has now gone out of control. A cop may be tempted to break protocol to exact vengeance. This could have adverse consequences and threaten others’ safety.

Due to this, aggression is not a desirable trait in law enforcement unless it is directed constructively rather than destructively. Cops must think clearly and remain calm, particularly if they’re working in the field.

Common Sense

One of the qualities that aren’t easy to define is common sense. It helps if you can swiftly rationalize, discover trends, or process data. Training in a wide range of settings can also contribute to “street smarts.”

Common sense is an important part of an officer’s arsenal. They must be able to recognize and prevent potential blunders and quickly determine the best next course of action.

Drive To Serve Their People

Since upholding a cop’s sworn duty is usually challenging, those who choose to serve should be able to discover rewards that go beyond those of a standard job. They must receive joy from adhering to ideals that help keep society together. This is in addition to their compensation, benefits, or the satisfaction gained from employing particular abilities professionally. Maintaining the peace, abiding by the law, and defending the vulnerable should all serve as powerful motivators for individuals to strive for excellence and better their communities via their everyday acts.

Do you believe you have what it takes to become an ethical, competent, and level-minded county police officer? You have to be a skilled candidate to even apply for it. But before you do so, you might want to take some preparation classes and pass the police exam.

Civil Service Success is a private tutoring and preparation institution that provides course materials and workshops to candidates interested in taking the Suffolk County Police Exam. Our institution, based in New York, has been helping students pass their tests with flying colors for more than 45 years. We have courses to help you appear for the NYS Court Officer Exam, NYC Sanitation Officer Exam, and several other civil service exams. Register with us or contact us to learn more!