Job Analysis: Police Officer

Physical Demands

Standing/Walking

Patrol Duties: Stands and walks on concrete or asphalt pavement or uneven, unpaved surfaces about 30% of the day. Distance is normally 500 feet or less at any one time.
Office Duties: Stands and walks on concrete, vinyl and carpeted floors about 10% of the day. Distance is normally 100-feet or less.

Sitting

Patrol Duties: Sits in a patrol vehicle 40% of the day.
Office Duties: Sits in the office for report writing and meetings about 20% of the day in chairs normally at a table or using a computer terminal.

Carrying

May routinely carry objects of varying sizes up to 500-feet in distance. Objects may be of different substances or shapes. Some carrying may be under emergency conditions.

Lifting

May routinely lift objects as part of regular duties (i.e., drawing firearm or baton). Lifting does not normally require anything over shoulder height. May include lifting persons in custody, unconscious, et cetera. Weights range up to 200 pounds, but routinely weigh 10-40 pounds.

Pushing/Pulling

May be required to pull weights up to 180 to 200 pounds under emergency/arrest conditions. Routinely may push/pull objects weighing 10 to 40 pounds, or push a vehicle short distances.

Bending

More from the waist to pick up or lay down an object. May be down on knees for short time periods, as duties require.

Reaching

Patrol Duties: Reaching will be required under emergency/arrest conditions. Measurement of the degree is not possible to quantify. Reaching frequently in patrol vehicle for radio or siren/light bar controls – two feet or less. Will provide traffic direction and control – this requires extensive use of hand and arm signals for periods varying from five minutes to one hour.
Office Duties: Some reaching required while changing into uniform, reaching for office supplies across a table. Reaching is not normally required for distances over three feet.

Twisting

Patrol Duties: Twisting will be required under emergency/arrest conditions. Measurement of the degree is not possible to quantify. Twisting in the patrol vehicle is 45% to one side or the other as well as some twisting is involved in entering/leaving vehicle.
Office Duties: Twisting is required sitting at a table or desk as officer reaches for the phone or paper. Twisting in this environment is 45% to one side or the other.

Climbing – Height

Patrol Duties: On/over various building surfaces, fences, walls (approximately 6 feet high), etc. Climbing stairs between building levels common part of daily routine; slope//number of steps varies, dependent on situation. May be under emergency conditions.
Office Duties: Minimal exposure to this activity.

Crawling

Patrol Duties: May be required in emergency situations. Surfaces may vary, inside/outside, environments. Distance normally limited to less than ten feet.

Running

Patrol Duties: Running may be required for short distances to escape from or reach an incident scene or in the process of arresting a suspect.

Hearing

Patrol Duties: Officer must have hearing sufficient (unaided or aided) to perform essential hearing tasks without posing a direct threat to officer or others. Essential hearing tasks include, but are not limited to: discerning and distinguishing spoken words and speech from ambient background noise, such as highway traffic, sirens, “crowd noise”, et cetera; being able to determine from which direction speech or noise (i.e. cries for help, gunshots, screams, audible alarms, sirens, et cetera) is coming from. If amplification devices are used, they must be of the type that prevents further hearing loss, but also allows the officer to perform essential hearing tasks.

Vision

Patrol Duties: Officer must have vision sufficient (unaided or aided) to perform essential sight tasks without posing a direct threat to officer or others. “Vision” includes color discrimination, peripheral vision, depth perception and either uncorrected or corrected visual acuity in both eyes. Essential vision tasks include, but are not limited to: day and nighttime driving, use of weapons, observing activity around officer, reading documents, issuing citations, and processing crime scenes and arrestees.

Voice

Patrol Duties: Officer must have voice sufficient (unaided or aided) to perform essential speaking tasks without posing a direct threat to officer or others. Essential voice tasks include, but are not limited to: use of voice commands to project control and direct action, talking with persons attempting suicide to get them to stop, and talk to be heard above audible alarms, crime-scene confusion, and various ambient background noise.

Environment

Outside 70% of the work day (including in vehicle), 30% indoors.

Hazards

Patrol Duties: Variety of environments including noise, fumes, dust, traffic, et cetera. Extensive motor vehicle operation. Exposed to moving traffic enforcement/control situations. Subject to assault, combative or resistive persons in arrest situations, disturbance or other emergency calls. My have deadly/dangerous weapons used against officer. May be required to break up fights between two or more persons. May respond to hazardous materials spill or drug lab environment.
Office Duties: Normal office environment.

Equipment/Tools

Patrol Duties: Operates motor vehicle under regular and emergency conditions, including two-way radio. Uses hand tools to effect custody of violators, including handgun, shotgun, handcuffs, baton, cap stun, and flashlight. Must be able to hold handgun and discharge accurately.
Office Duties: Normal office tools/equipment (i.e. copier, fax machine, computer terminal phone and small desk tools).

Products/Materials

Patrol Duties: Fingerprint dust, cap stun, ammunition, highway flares, gasoline, oil, and any other material, which might be found at an incident scene.
Office Duties: Paper, glue, copier toner and other common office products.

Psychological Demands

Subject to varying levels of stress in accordance with type of assignment, dispatch called, traffic violator contact, follow-up investigation, suspect interviewing and management, crime scene and evidence processing, et cetera. Includes defensive posture, physical and mental state necessary to affect arrest, backup fellow officer, react in a life-saving manner.