The occupation I chose is a Houston Texas police officer.

I chose this position because

there was a lot of commotion with the police department in Texas and I was curious if having to

endure what they do, is it worth it? The Houston Police Department (HPD) is a local industry

that serves to help the community located throughout the city of Houston.

Surprisingly, there are requirements that I didn't expect a police department to have. All

in this PDF that has the minimum requirements, there is a requirement that stood out to me. In

this requirement if you have the option to have one of the following; 48 credits in any area of

study, A minimum of two years active duty in the United States armed forces and received an

honorable discharge, or at least 5 years as a peace officer. (HPD Minimum Requirements)

Another few requirements would be being 20 ½ - 44 years old and must be a U.S. citizen. Some

conditions that might stop someone from applying to be a police officer would be that their

weight would need to be in proportion to their height determined by the HPD height and weight

chart. Also, must not have more than two moving traffic violations within 18-months of

applying, must not have been convicted of class A or class B misdemeanor or felony, and must

have a stable credit history, family background, and employment background.

The Houston police officers salary per year is $58,785- $70,847 ($20.86 - $31 per hour).

Having a bachelors, masters, or a doctorate degree makes a difference in how much an officer

gets paid. With a bachelor's degree, an officer can get paid $3,640 more bi-weekly. A master’s

degree, an officer can get paid $6,240 more bi-weekly. Lastly, with a MD, an officer can get paid

up to $8,840 more bi-weekly.

The primary function of a police officer is to provide a safe and secure environment/

community for people of all ages and color. Their role is to maintain order in areas and protect
people and prevent crime. There are many responsibilities a police officer carries, both on and

off duty. It's all about protecting those who cannot protect themselves and making a meaningful

impact on the community. Without realizing it, police officers have made an impact on not only

their community but also the people that caused crimes.

It is a dangerous world out there and these officers have put their life into trying to make

this country a better place. They are putting themselves in harm's way to protect the citizens of

their city. It’s a great duty that these officers endure and it’s a dangerous one as well. Being a

police officer can also lead to many more opportunities in law enforcement. An officer can climb

the police ranks. First it would be detective or sergeant, then later lieutenant, which then leads to

commander. In order to be assistant chief or executive assistant chief, they need to be appointed

by the chief of police and also have a nesters degree.

Some benefits of being a police officer in Houston is specialty pays. If an officer is

bilingual, they can get paid $1,800 based on skill. A patrol officer or investigator can get paid

$600- $2,200 based on the assignment and years of experience. Lastly, there is also physical

fitness and agility, which an officer can get $1000 or fourty hours of personal days. Other

benefits officers in Houston also have medical and dental insurance, life insurance, wellness

program, family medical leave, and student loan forgiveness.

 Bibliography

Requirements

Houston Police Department. (n.d.). HPD Minimum Requirements. Retrieved October 8, 2021,
from http://www.houstontx.gov/police/pdfs/hr_requirements.pdf.

Houston Police Department. (n.d.). Houston Police Department height and Weight Chart.
Retrieved October 9, 2021, from http://www.houstontx.gov/police/pdfs/hr_height_chart.pdf.

Purpose of a police officer

admin, A. the A. (2020, December 6). Compelling reasons to become a police officer. Civil
Service Success. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from
https://www.civilservicesuccess.com/compelling-reasons-to-become-a-police-officer/.

Police Officer and Civil Roles in the Police. Police Officer and Civil Roles in the Police |
Economic, Social and Political Sciences | University of Southampton. (n.d.). Retrieved October
10, 2021, from https://www.southampton.ac.uk/socsci/undergraduate/career_path_police.page.

Other

What are the ranks of police officers? Police1. (2021, September 13). Retrieved October 11,
2021, from https://www.police1.com/police-jobs-and-careers/articles/what-are-the-ranks-of-
police-officers-ubmv1W4wzK43uuM4/.

Recruiting, H. P. D. (n.d.). Benefits. Retrieved October 11, 2021, from

https://www.hpdcareer.com/benefits.html.

HPD. (n.d.). Testimonies . Testimonials. Retrieved October 11, 2021, from

https://www.hpdcareer.com/testimonials.html.