Policemen Interview

Putting your life in the line of fire everyday is not a job most are not willing to do. Police officers are in that position every day, whether it is from an armed robbery suspect who is holding a civilian at gun point or from a drug abuser who is carrying a gun. Many officers die every year from being shot in a stand off with a criminal. Having that burden put of their lives can create immeasurable amounts of stress on the officers. My uncle is Officer Thomas Melle of Raleigh Police Department, a city with a very high crime status. My interview with him will show the daily events and struggles of a police officer in a large city to keep crime low and peace elevated.

When asked his overview of his job, He replied “Police work is stressful and dangerous, especially in high-crime areas. On the street, cops often feel they\'re doing little more than keeping a lid on problems that are far bigger than they can control. Police officers also do a surprising amount of paperwork; every intervention must be carefully documented.” He also returned with a question of his own. Could I remain calm in a situation like this? You receive a call from dispatch of a domestic dispute involving a firearm. You arrive at the location and the wife has retreated across the street to the neighbors and the husband has barricaded himself in the house. He is cursing to the top of his lungs, the wife is yelling at you to go in and restrain him and you also have the young children crying in the background.

This is a situation that officers face on a day to day basis and must resolve without any harm to anyone in the incident. Most civilians would not be capable of resolving the situation. He says that it all comes down to training he received when he first became an officer. He said that before he entered the academy he was in the Army Reserve, where he went through basic training and learned all the fundamentals at gun handling and remaining calm in situations of distress. I...