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    Police Calling

    So I've been feeling drawn to work as a police officer for quite some time. (It's amusing that I've only recently put the connection between the calling and the fact that Athena is my patron.) Crossing pantheons a bit, I actually had an experience with The Morrigan today that left me feeling that I know I could use a gun if I had to (All of this was found from a conversation, so nothing bad actually happened). Before, I didn't think I could, but I know I could now.

    I'm just afraid of it. And not the violence of the police world or anything, but actually potentially ending someone's life. It scares me to no end to do it willingly, though I feel called to this line of work. I feel like I could make a difference. I intend to eventually work up to homicide when I do enter the force. And I'm going to use the practice of magic to help me. I also think that the police force needs more pagan representation. I have all of these good reasons, and I feel it would be very fulfilling.

    But that being said, I'm still afraid. What do you guys think? I think it's a healthy fear, and I have a little over a year before I join if and when I do. It just makes me unsure.

    #2
    Re: Police Calling

    I'd be concerned if you did not have issues with the idea of ending a life. It's not a responsibility to take lightly. With that said, homicide investigations aren't required to end in a shootout. You may be forced to take a life in defense of yourself or another but you may also never draw your weapon in anger.

    I'll boil it down to three questions. (these are specific to the role of homicide detective, I change three if you ever become a police sniper)

    1) Do you think that you can take a life to protect yourself or those under your care?

    2) Do you think you can live with yourself after?

    3) Will you do everything in your power (short of betraying your post or other silliness) to insure that you never have to find out whether you answered the previous two questions accurately?

    If you answer all three with yes then cool, you might do fine (there are other concerns not related to this thread). If you answer no to one of them then maybe the issue requires further thought.
    life itself was a lightsaber in his hands; even in the face of treachery and death and hopes gone cold, he burned like a candle in the darkness. Like a star shining in the black eternity of space.

    Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

    "But those men who know anything at all about the Light also know that there is a fierceness to its power, like the bare sword of the law, or the white burning of the sun." Suddenly his voice sounded to Will very strong, and very Welsh. "At the very heart, that is. Other things, like humanity, and mercy, and charity, that most good men hold more precious than all else, they do not come first for the Light. Oh, sometimes they are there; often, indeed. But in the very long run the concern of you people is with the absolute good, ahead of all else..."

    John Rowlands, The Grey King by Susan Cooper

    "You come from the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve", said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth; be content."

    Aslan, Prince Caspian by CS Lewis


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      #3
      Re: Police Calling

      Think about it this way (since this was a concern of mine when I joined the military, and I happened to have a friend that was a cop--this is his wisdom, not mine)...every time you leave your home, you could potentially end someone's live. A car is the deadliest thing us humans have invented. All it takes is some unfortunate timing and a couple tons applied to physics laws..and you've accidentally killed a mom or a dad or a son or a daughter. When it comes to pulling your gun, you at least have a choice.

      There was some more in there about training, and how rare statistically it is for a cop to pull a gun (traffic cops actually have one of the deadliest cop jobs), etc. But, at the end of the day...at least if you decide to pull the trigger, its up to you.

      ETA: I apologize if that doesn't make you feel better...I realize it might not comfort some people...but in a twisted sort of way, it made me feel better at the time...though that could be the copious amounts of alcohol I had ingested at the time.
      Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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        #4
        Re: Police Calling

        Since I work for a police department, I'll go ahead and offer what advice I can.

        Every officer thinks about this, even after they're all trained up. Becoming complacent is the deadliest thing to an officer. A smart copknows that the next stop could be that make or break moment. Most cops will draw their weapon at some point but most will never use it. If you ever did, you'd most likely feel justified - cops are trained to know when and when not to use their weapon.

        If you're ever unsure and would like an insiders perspective, call your local department and see if they offer a ride-a-along program. Investigate different agencies and ride with as many as you can, both large and small. A large agency is run very different and interacted with the public very differently than a smaller agency.

        Lastly, it's a good idea to investigate their hiring procedure. Large agencies will usually have a physical fitness requirement. A lot of small agencies don't.

        If you have any other questions, I'll do my best to answer them. Note that I'm not a police officer. I'm a communications officer. My wife won't let me go on the road. LOL
        There once was a man who said though,
        It seems that I know that I know,
        What I'd like to see,
        Is the I that knows me,
        When I know that I know that I know.

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          #5
          Re: Police Calling

          Thank you guys for answering so quickly.

          Masked, I can answer all of those questions with a yes, and that makes me feel a bit better about my thought process.

          Thalassa, it is actually kind of comforting. With a car, we may not have a choice whether we kill that person we have an accident with, but at least with a weapon there is that choice. And I think that is an important thing to remember.

          Gabriel, thanks for the idea! I was thinking about doing some ride-alongs, but I didn't think about seeing the different agencies. That will be a great idea.

          Thank you, guys. This has given me more to think about!

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