The first report, Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act: Report to Congress, contains 22 recommendations to Congress, ranging from supporting programs to integrate mental health professionals into law enforcement agencies to supporting the development of model guidelines and implementation guidelines for law enforcement agencies to make meaningful efforts to reduce suicide. As a law enforcement officer, it is my fundamental duty to serve the community; for the protection of life and property; protect the innocent from deception, the weak from oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful from violence or disorder; and to respect the constitutional rights of all to liberty, equality and justice. Not according to this judge, who said of the non-profession of law enforcement: “It is not regulated like other professions and has few of the characteristics of what is generally considered a profession.” The types of law enforcement agencies can be very different, each with its own purpose and jurisdiction. It can be helpful to decide what level you want to work at when you begin planning your career in law enforcement. While some people are more interested in helping their immediate community or county, others would prefer to work with a wider audience at the state or federal level. Here are some examples of federal agencies you may be familiar with: U.S. Department of State: The U.S. Department of State manages U.S. diplomacy, advocacy, and security internationally. Law enforcement responsibilities within this agency include diplomatic security and various officer positions tasked with protecting Americans abroad. U.S. Department of Justice: The DOJ handles federal law enforcement – including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Marshal Service, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Department of Homeland Security: DHS is home to many of the federal government`s best-known law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Intelligence Agency (USSS), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and Transportation Security Administration (TSA). At the state level, you can work in law enforcement by joining your state`s police, highway patrol, or patrol officers. Even more locally, opportunities may exist in private security, as a detective or sheriff. If you`ve studied criminal justice or criminology (or are thinking of getting started!), you`re uniquely positioned to use your background and expertise to make a difference in law enforcement. Criminal justice, a field also available through UTEP Connect, is the study of the systems society has built in response to crime. Students in this discipline learn about the many branches of the criminal justice system, how to enforce laws, and how to work to prevent anyone from breaking them. However, criminology is not quite the same.
The suffix “-ology” means “the study of”, so it is the study of crime. With this type of degree, students can gain an in-depth understanding of what drives people to commit crimes, when they are most likely to occur, and the circumstances that cause crimes. Each of these degrees can help students better understand the state and psychology of crime, helping to combat it at different levels throughout their careers. A career in law enforcement is a future of service to others. It is a commitment to justice and the service of the common good. It`s a vow to protect the people around you and gain the law enforcement skills, training and expertise to do so effectively. Day in and day out, communities trust law enforcement officers to help them enforce the law, fight crime, and protect the ideals of justice on which this land was founded. While law enforcement jobs can often be stressful and potentially dangerous, they are also incredibly rewarding because they touch so many lives. Many people working in law enforcement are able to use their natural communication, empathy and outreach skills to protect their communities. This, coupled with an education they receive through a criminal justice or other degree program, can prepare them for careers ranging from police officers to detectives, prosecutors, agents, administrators and beyond. Studying crime and the systems in place to prevent it can lead you to a number of career paths.
Some law enforcement careers (such as paralegals and prosecutors) are more focused on law enforcement; Others (such as police or probation officers) focus on responding to those who break the law. There are those who work immediately after a crime (think crime scene investigators, detectives, etc.) and others who work in more preventive roles, such as security forces. Other potential jobs in this field include: Border Patrol Officer, CIA Agent, Correctional Officer, FBI Agent, Police Officer, State Soldier, Private Investigator, Probation Officer, Crime Scene Investigator, TSA Agent, Immigration/Customs Officer, Bailiff, Fraud Investigator, or Emergency Dispatcher. While these careers touch all nodes of law enforcement, they are all a piece of the puzzle when it comes to protecting our citizens and communities from crime, threats and harm.
