Police Patrol Officers

• Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.
• Monitor, note, report, and investigate suspicious persons and situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area.
• Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.
• Patrol specific area on foot, horseback, or motorized conveyance, responding promptly to calls for assistance.
• Review facts of incidents to determine if criminal act or statute violations were involved.
• Render aid to accident victims and other persons requiring first aid for physical injuries.
• Investigate traffic accidents and other accidents to determine causes and to determine if a crime has been committed.
• Testify in court to present evidence or act as witness in traffic and criminal cases.
• Photograph or draw diagrams of crime or accident scenes and interview principals and eyewitnesses.
• Relay complaint and emergency-request information to appropriate agency dispatchers.
• Evaluate complaint and emergency-request information to determine response requirements.
• Process prisoners, and prepare and maintain records of prisoner bookings and prisoner status during booking and pre-trial process.
• Monitor traffic to ensure motorists observe traffic regulations and exhibit safe driving procedures.
• Issue citations or warnings to violators of motor vehicle ordinances.
• Direct traffic flow and reroute traffic in case of emergencies.
• Inform citizens of community services and recommend options to facilitate longer-term problem resolution.
• Provide road information to assist motorists.
• Inspect public establishments to ensure compliance with rules and regulations.
• Act as official escorts, such as when leading funeral processions or firefighters.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Police Patrol Officers.

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Police Patrol Officers.