Police officers are among the most important people in a society and, for this reason, they carry out a job that is very risky and dangerous, but also rewarding and exciting. Police officers work to protect public order, prevent crime and arrest criminals. The job of a police officer can be very rewarding because helping people can really do some good. The job of a police officer is also very exciting and random because he never knows what he will see when he responds to a call. Police officers are expected to enter and defuse dangerous and risky situations. Not everyone likes to do this, some people just want to sit at a desk all day and be at peace. Police officers have great responsibilities, which is why they must undergo rigorous training at a police academy or college. The tasks of police officers are very diverse: one moment a police officer may be directing traffic, and the next moment he may find himself in the middle of a hostage situation. Police jobs are not without controversy, there are many stories of police brutality and corruption that continue to appear in the news. Police officer jobs and requirements are different for each state and police agency. For this reason, it is impossible to give exact police employment and training requirements for the entire United States. However, there are many requirements that are very common across all police departments and states. Some of the most common requirements are that a person must be a United States citizen. A person must have a GED or high school diploma. A person must have a driver's license and firearms license in the state for which they are applying. Usually the person must be over the age of 21, however some departments have an age requirement...... middle of paper ...... an example of extreme police brutality would be an unjustified shooting of someone one that poses no risk to anyone. One of the greatest cases of police brutality in American history is believed to be the beating of Rodney King. Rodney King was an African American man who was beaten by the LAPD, which sparked the Los Angeles riots in 1992. The officers who beat Rodney King were sentenced to 32 months in prison after the incident. This incident and the riots constitute the LAPD's most significant incident that led to very major reform. According to Andres and Stevens (2012), "King became a symbol of police brutality and difficult relations between the LAPD and minority residents when he was stopped for speeding by Los Angeles Police officers and beaten more than 20 years ago.” This proves how important it is for police brutality to stop and how seriously it should be taken..