Career in focus: police officer

Connie Locke

(CNN) -- Atlanta police officer Connie Locke likens her job to a head-rush, stomach-churning roller coaster ride. It is a ticket she said she would buy again and again.

"I've enjoyed every minute of it," she said. "I absolutely love my job."

Locke is a police sergeant in charge of new recruits, reserve units and uniformed police officers on the street. On the Atlanta Police Department force for 13 years, Locke's road to this career was not a straight path.

"After college I had a couple of different career paths that I took," she said. "One was in apartment complex management and the other was in the hotel industry. None of those floated my boat. So all of a sudden I woke up one day and...out of the blue, I said, 'you know what? I've always been interested in law enforcement, in police work, in helping people...I think that's what I want to do,'" she said.

AUDIO Locke: The characteristics of a good police officer / WAV sound Locke: Finding the right career / WAV sound   EXTRA INFORMATION Click here for more "Careers in focus"

Her role as a police officer has placed her front and center in domestic disturbances, burglaries in progress and much more. Locke has had to be on top of her game from the start.

"When you are out on calls...when you are in between service calls, you have to be aware of what could possibly happen to you or your fellow officers," Locke said. "That's where training comes into play."

All recruits must accomplish 26 weeks of intense police training that includes many hours of classroom work and field training. In addition, most recruits must complete a firearm proficiency course.

Learning how to communicate with the public is one of the most important skills an officer can learn, Locke said.

"I was an instructor at the Atlanta Police Academy," she said. "Without the training that we give, I think you would be less than suited to be a police officer. There are things that happen out on a day-to-day basis that you need to be ready for."

But what most police officers need to have to make them effective on the streets is heart, Locke said.

"They've got to show compassion," she said. "They have to have a healthy respect...for the law, and a healthy respect for humanity."

Locke's advice to those interested in joining law enforcement includes finishing high school and going on to college. She also recommends becoming proficient in a language like Spanish.

"This will be a rewarding career for those of you who want to make a difference, who want to turn a little bit around, make the negatives into positives, and help society," she said. "This is a career for you, but you have to have heart. Joining law enforcement was the best thing I ever did."

Some of the requirements to apply for law enforcement work with the Atlanta Police Department include: