What is an officer's main job?

The duties of a police officer largely depend on where they are located. In large cities, officers are usually given specific job duties or assigned to fraud, murder, drug trafficking, or rape units. Each unit has a specific goal, and the officers within the unit are trained solely for that objective.

Police officers in rural areas rarely have the opportunity to specialize in any given area of law enforcement. Due to lower crime rates and the relatively small population, officers in townships, co-ops, and other rural areas take care of any law enforcement tasks, from simple traffic infractions to child protection or murder cases.

Before and after their work in the field, police officers spend the largest portion of their time writing reports and keeping accurate records. The records they keep are often the only evidence in a court case. Some criminals cannot be convicted without it, so officers must complete their paperwork thoroughly and promptly.