Occupation Summary

Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers

O*NET 33-3051.00

Description:

Maintain order and protect life and property by enforcing local, tribal, state, or federal laws and ordinances. Perform a combination of the following duties: patrol a specific area; direct traffic; issue traffic summonses; investigate accidents; apprehend and arrest suspects, or serve legal processes of courts. Includes police officers working at educational institutions.

Annual Wages:
$66,568.00
Employment Rate:
Employment is expected to increase by 12.84%.
Education Level:
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED). According to O*Net, the majority of people employed in this occupation have this level of education.
Endorsement:
Public Service

  1. Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.
  2. Provide for public safety by maintaining order, responding to emergencies, protecting people and property, enforcing motor vehicle and criminal laws, and promoting good community relations.
  3. Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.
  4. Render aid to accident victims and other persons requiring first aid for physical injuries.
  5. Investigate illegal or suspicious activities.
  6. Review facts of incidents to determine if criminal act or statute violations were involved.
  7. Monitor, note, report, and investigate suspicious persons and situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area.
  8. Testify in court to present evidence or act as witness in traffic and criminal cases.
  9. Drive vehicles or patrol specific areas to detect law violators, issue citations, and make arrests.
  10. Monitor traffic to ensure motorists observe traffic regulations and exhibit safe driving procedures.
  11. Relay complaint and emergency-request information to appropriate agency dispatchers.
  12. Verify that the proper legal charges have been made against law offenders.
  13. Photograph or draw diagrams of crime or accident scenes and interview principals and eyewitnesses.
  14. Evaluate complaint and emergency-request information to determine response requirements.
  15. Execute arrest warrants, locating and taking persons into custody.
  16. Patrol specific area on foot, horseback, or motorized conveyance, responding promptly to calls for assistance.
  17. Investigate traffic accidents and other accidents to determine causes and to determine if a crime has been committed.
  18. Direct traffic flow and reroute traffic in case of emergencies.
  19. Notify patrol units to take violators into custody or to provide needed assistance or medical aid.
  20. Serve statements of claims, subpoenas, summonses, jury summonses, orders to pay alimony, and other court orders.
  21. Question individuals entering secured areas to determine their business, directing and rerouting individuals as necessary.
  22. Patrol and guard courthouses, grand jury rooms, or assigned areas to provide security, enforce laws, maintain order, and arrest violators.
  23. Transport or escort prisoners and defendants en route to courtrooms, prisons or jails, attorneys' offices, or medical facilities.
  24. Inform citizens of community services and recommend options to facilitate longer-term problem resolution.
  25. Locate and confiscate real or personal property, as directed by court order.
  26. Provide road information to assist motorists.
  27. Process prisoners, and prepare and maintain records of prisoner bookings and prisoner status during booking and pre-trial process.
  28. Supervise law enforcement staff, such as jail staff, officers, and deputy sheriffs.
  29. Place people in protective custody.
  30. Conduct community programs for all ages concerning topics such as drugs and violence.


National Industry Employment Patterns


Industry % of Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers employed Annual Growth Rate
Colleges, universities, and professional schools 2.7 0.79


Labor Market Information


2022 Statewide average hourly wage $32.00
2022 National average hourly wage $34.32
2020 National employment 671,200
2020 Texas employment 58,016
Texas projected employment by 2030 65,467
Texas projected annual employment and Turnover openings through 2030 5,424




TEXAS COUNTY MAP BY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREA
* Due to confidentiality rules, not all regions may have the data displayed. The sum of all the regions may not be equal to the state total.


Top 10 Relevant Knowledge Areas Relevant Importance Levels
Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
96.60%
Law and Government
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
96.40%
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
85.20%
Psychology
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
81.80%
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
79.60%
Education and Training
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
75.20%
Telecommunications
Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
69.60%
Administration and Management
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
69.40%
Administrative
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
68.60%
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
67.60%


Top 10 Relevant Skill Areas Relevant Importance Levels
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
77.60%
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
77.60%
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
77.60%
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
75.00%
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
75.00%
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
72.40%
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
72.40%
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
72.40%
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
72.40%
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
70.00%


Top 10 Relevant Abilities Relevant Importance Levels
Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
90.00%
Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
90.00%
Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
85.00%
Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
85.00%
Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
82.40%
Written Comprehension
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
77.60%
Speech Clarity
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
77.60%
Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
75.00%
Information Ordering
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
75.00%
Far Vision
The ability to see details at a distance.
72.40%


  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
    -- Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
  • Getting Information
    -- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
    -- Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    -- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    -- Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Other Activities


  • Achievement
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
  • Relationships
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.



Tools

Acoustic ear muffs or defenders: Hearing protectors;

Alcohol analyzers: Breathalyzers;

All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled: All terrain vehicles ATV;

Binoculars: Surveillance binoculars;

Biological evidence collection kits: Deoxyribonucleic acid DNA collection kits; Blood collection kits;

Biometric identification equipment: Fingerprint scanners;

Body armour: Body armor;

Bullet proof vests: Bulletproof vests;

Desktop computers: Desktop computers;

Digital camcorders or video cameras: Digital video cameras;

Digital cameras: Digital cameras;

Diving instruments or accessories: Scuba diving equipment;

Fingerprint equipment: Suspect fingerprinting equipment;

Fingerprint latent print kits: Fingerprint evidence kits;

Fire extinguishers: Multipurpose fire extinguishers;

Flares: Road flares;

Flatbed trailers: Equipment transport trailers;

Footprint lifters: Impression casting kits;

Global positioning system GPS receiver: Global positioning system GPS receivers;

Goggles: Snow goggles;

Hand sprayers: Pepper spray;

Handcuffs: Plastic handcuffs; Metal handcuffs;

Handguns: Semiautomatic pistols; Service revolvers; Electroshock weapons; Handguns;

Hazardous material protective apparel: Biohazard suits;

Lasers: Laser trajectory pointers;

Masks or accessories: Filter masks;

Measuring wheels for distance: Distance measuring wheels;

Metal detectors: Metal detectors;

Military rifles: Police rifles;

Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles: Automated external defibrillators AED;

Mobile medical services first aid kits: First aid kits;

Mobile resuscitator or aspirator kits: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR face shields;

Narcotic test kits: Drug testing kits;

Night sticks: Nightsticks;

Notebook computers: Mobile data computers; Laptop computers;

Personal computers: Personal computers;

Personal motorized watercraft: Personal motorized watercraft;

Police or security shotguns: Police shotguns;

Police vehicles: Police bicycles; Police motorcycles; Police patrol cars;

Protective gloves: Protective gloves;

Radarbased surveillance systems: Radar speed readers;

Rescue ships or boats: Police boats;

Riot batons: Side-handle batons;

Riot helmets: Riot helmets;

Riot shields: Riot shields;

Rulers: Crime scene rulers;

Safety glasses: Safety glasses;

Snowmobiles or snow scooter: Police snowmobiles;

Sound measuring apparatus or decibel meter: Noise meters;

Speed stoppers: Tire deflation devices;

Still cameras: 35 millimeter cameras;

Surveillance video or audio recorders: Digital voice recorders; Audio recording equipment;

Tape measures: Crime scene tape measures;

Teletype input devices: Teletype terminals;

Traffic signals: Remote traffic signal controllers;

Two way radios: Base station radios; Police car radios; Two way radios;

Ultraviolet UV lamps: Ultraviolet UV lights;

Weapon or explosives detectors and supplies: Explosive detectors;

X ray radiography examination equipment: X ray examination systems;


Technology

Data base user interface and query software: Database software; Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System IAFIS; Law enforcement information databases; Microsoft Access; National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database; National Integrated Ballistics Information Network NIBIN; Spillman Technologies Records Management;

Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook; Email software;

Geographic information system: ESRI ArcView;

Graphics or photo imaging software: DesignWare 3D EyeWitness; Computer aided composite drawing software; The CAD Zone The Crime Zone; SmartDraw Legal; SmugMug Flickr;

Helpdesk or call center software: Computer aided dispatch software;

Internet browser software: Microsoft Internet Explorer; Web browser software;

Map creation software: Crime mapping software;

Office suite software: Corel WordPerfect Office Suite; Microsoft Office software;

Operating system software: Microsoft Windows;

Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint;

Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio;

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel; IBM Lotus 1-2-3;

Word processing software: Microsoft Word; Word processing software;


Related O*NET occupational titles for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers include:
  • 33-3011.00 Bailiffs
  • 33-3012.00 Correctional Officers and Jailers
  • 33-3051.04 Customs and Border Protection Officers
  • 33-3021.00 Detectives and Criminal Investigators
  • 33-1011.00 First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
  • 33-1012.00 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
  • 33-9021.00 Private Detectives and Investigators
  • 21-1092.00 Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
  • 33-9032.00 Security Guards
  • 33-3052.00 Transit and Railroad Police

Contact Texas Workforce Commission
Labor Market and Career Information  |  101 E. 15th Street, Annex Room 0252  |  Austin, Texas 78778
Official Website  |  1-800-822-PLAN (7526)  |  512.936.3200

** The information in this report may be derived from many sources like O*NET, BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), OOH (Occupational Outlook Handbook), and Career One Stop.