For this assignment I have chosen the three criminal justice career fields that interest me the most and what I may pursue once my Air Force career has come to an end. I will discuss of course being a police officer since that is what I do in the Air Force, the next is ATF Agent and the last will be a Criminalist. All of these fields have interested me in some way from the videos I have watched and some the individuals I have come in contact with during my career.
I hope this assignment gives me a little more insight into what I actually want to pursue and help me make a more informed decision on my future. The Police officer career field is the most intriguing to me because that is what I do in the Air Force. Now being a cop in the Air Force is different from being an actual police officer in the real world but there are some similarities. Being a police officer can be a very rewarding job but at the same time it can be very thankless.
You are the first responder, you have the power to save or take a life, your duty is to protect and serve so once you get your badge you have an immense amount of responsibility and power put on your shoulders. This career field is not for the weak of heart. Police officers are generally charged with the apprehension of criminals and the prevention and detection of crime, and the maintenance of public order. Police officers are sworn to an oath, and have the power to arrest and detain individuals who have broken the law, There are also some other duties that a police officer may be assigned to do.
Some police officers may also be trained in special duties, such as counter-terrorism, surveillance, child protection, K-9, VIP protection, and investigation techniques into major crime, including fraud, rape, murder and drug trafficking. So as you can see you have many opportunities and responsibilities as a police officer. The next I chose was an ATF Agent. So what exactly does an ATF Agent do well I went straight to the ATF site to find out and it stated that the career of an ATF Special Agent is unique and one of the most challenging in Federal law enforcement.
Headquartered in Washington, DC, ATF has field offices throughout the United States and its territories. Highly trained special agents are responsible for investigating violations of Federal law relating to firearms, explosives, arson, and alcohol and tobacco diversion. These investigations involve surveillance, interviewing suspects and witnesses, making arrests, obtaining and executing search warrants, and searching for physical evidence. The Life of an ATF Agent is exciting and rewarding. Special agents must be tough – both physically and mentally.
They must also be able to handle rigorous training, personal risks, irregular hours, and extensive travel. Special agents are subject to reassignment to any ATF office in the United States, to include any U. S. Territory or ATF overseas assignment. (atf. gov). So as you can see this job is very demanding it has interested me because I deal a lot with firearms and this would be perfect for me. The last one I chose is a Criminalist. This has interested me ever since I started watching the many CSI shows on TV.
From what I have been viewing and reading the CSI shows are pretty realistic to how a criminalist actually does their work. So what is a criminalist? Well according to eHow. com Criminalists are key members of any law enforcement department. They analyze and interpret evidence left at crime scenes, especially physical evidence. Criminalists are expected to use the latest cutting-edge science and techniques to help detectives resolve crimes, and are often called as expert witnesses during trials.
Criminalist jobs have gotten especially popular since the advent of crime shows that emphasize their roles. As much as I would love to become a Criminalist I don’t think I ever will, for this you need to have a degree in forensic science or another scientific degree and that is one area I am not that great in but who knows maybe one day. So as you can see there are many different jobs and agencies that is associated with the criminal justice field. The three I chose were the ones that interested me the most. So hopefully one day I will work in one of the fields I have chosen to talk about.
