Name: Henry V. RodarteCompany: La Habra Police...

Name: Henry V. Rodarte

Company: La Habra Police Department

Thumbs up: “Being able to help the public and handling problems that they may come across makes me feel good. That’s the rewarding thing. It makes the job worthwhile.”

Thumbs down: “There’s really not too much that I dislike about the job at all. I’ve been doing it for 18 years and it’s very rewarding and very worthwhile. The only drawback is probably the different shift work. We rotate day, graveyard and swing shifts every four months. Sometimes that’s pretty trying not only in your personal life but on your personal being as well.”

Next step: “I’m looking for a promotion as a sergeant to enhance my career here.”

Advice: “I think you have to really maintain a good sense of humor and be able to deal with different situations and be flexible. If you’re working with something really stressful, you’ve got to take it as it comes. A lot of times, you’ll need to prepare yourself to be able to deal with various stressful situations, from crime scenes to major crimes in progress.”

Salary range: Police officers in Orange County average between $3,142 and $3,949 per month.

Fringe benefits: Police departments commonly offer paid vacations, medical, life and dental insurance and paid sick leave. Some also offer additional pay for bilingual employees.

Hours: The average workweek is 40 hours.

Educational and training requirements: Civil service regulations govern the appointment of police in large cities and many small ones. Candidates for the job must be U.S. citizens, usually at least 21 years old, and must meet rigorous physical and personal qualifications. Applicants usually must have a high school education. Eligibility for appointment depends on performance on competitive written examinations, education and experience. Physical examinations often include tests of vision, strength and agility. Characteristics such as honesty, good judgment and a sense of responsibility are especially important in police work.

Size of work force: There are about 2,600 police officers in Orange County. This number does not include county sheriff’s deputies.

Expected demand: Stable. A more security-conscious society and growing concern about drug-related crimes should contribute to an increased demand for police services, but employment growth may be tempered somewhat by continuing budget constraints.

Job description: Police officers usually are assigned to a specific type of duty, or beat, such as patrol or traffic duty, or to a special detail such as accident prevention. Others specialize in chemical and microscopic analysis, firearms identification, and handwriting and fingerprint identification. Still other officers work with special units, such as motorcycle police, harbor patrols, helicopter patrols, canine corps, mobile rescue teams and youth aid services.

Major employing industries: Most police are employed by local governments.

Advancement: Promotions to sergeant, lieutenant and captain usually are made according to a candidate’s position on a promotion list, as determined by scores on a written examination and on-the-job performance.

For more information: Call police departments or city halls throughout Orange County or the police academies at Golden West College, (714) 895-8369, Fullerton College, (714) 992-7240 or the Orange County Sheriff’s Academy, (714) 538-3718.

Los Angeles Times