Can Agents Work?

Jobs / Protective service / 33-3051.00

Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers

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.

US jobs
670,520
Median wage
$76,210 a year
Job family
Protective service

Can agents do the work of police and sheriff's patrol officers?

We read the evidence for the whole job family, Protective service: Unmeasured (no change in 12 months)

No direct benchmark gives a success rate.

0% of this occupation's work, by O*NET work activities, is measured by a direct benchmark.

  • 16%Maintain safety or securityNot measured
  • 10%Monitor safety or security of work areas, facilities, or propertiesNot measured
  • 8%Investigate criminal or legal mattersNot measured
  • 6%Explain regulations, policies, or proceduresNot measured
  • 6%Present information in legal proceedingsNot measured
  • 6%Inspect characteristics or conditions of materials or productsNot measured
  • 5%Maintain operational recordsNot measured
  • 4%Calculate financial dataNot measured

Unmeasured territory

No benchmark in this atlas covers this work yet.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • 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.
  • Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.
  • Verify that the proper legal charges have been made against law offenders.
  • Render aid to accident survivors and other persons requiring first aid for physical injuries.
  • Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.
  • Review facts of incidents to determine if criminal act or statute violations were involved.
  • Investigate illegal or suspicious activities.
  • Drive vehicles or patrol specific areas to detect law violators, issue citations, and make arrests.
  • Monitor, note, report, and investigate suspicious persons and situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area.
  • Investigate traffic accidents and other accidents to determine causes and to determine if a crime has been committed.
  • Execute arrest warrants, locating and taking persons into custody.
  • Relay complaint and emergency-request information to appropriate agency dispatchers.
Other job titles for this occupation (77)

Deputy Sheriff · K-9 Handler (Canine Handler) · Law Enforcement Officer · Patrol Officer · Peace Officer · Police Officer · Police Patrol Officer · Public Safety Officer (PSO) · SRO (School Resource Officer) · State Trooper · Accident Prevention Squad Police Officer · Border Patrol Officer · Campus Police Officer · Certified Police Officer · Chief Deputy Sheriff · City Constable · Civil Division Deputy Sheriff · Community Service Officer (CSO) · Community Service Patrol Officer · Constable · Cop · County Sheriff · Court Security Deputy Sheriff · Crime Prevention Police Officer · Custody Deputy Sheriff · Deputy Certified Sheriff · Deputy Sheriff Generalist · Drug Enforcement Agent · Enforcement Officer · Federal Police Officer · Grand Jury Deputy Sheriff · Highway Patrol Officer · Highway Patrol Pilot · K-9 Deputy (Canine Deputy) · K-9 Police Officer (Canine Police Officer) · Lateral Police Officer · Marshal · Military Police Officer (MP Officer) · Motorcycle Police · Mounted Police · Officer · Park Police · Patrol Deputy · Patrol Deputy Sheriff · Patrol Driver · Patrol Park Officer · Patrolman · Police Booking Officer · Police Corporal · Police Inspector · Police Park Officer · Police Worker · Policeman · Policewoman · Protective Officer · Road Deputy · Safety Instruction Police Officer · Safety Patrol Officer · Security Patrol Officer · Security Police Officer · Sheriff Department Corporal · Sheriff's Deputy · Sheriff's Detective · Sheriff's Officer · Sheriff's Sergeant · Special Deputy · Special Deputy Sheriff · Special Police Officer · State Highway Police Officer · State Patrol Officer · Town Marshal · Trooper · Under Sheriff · Uniform Patrol Police Officer · Uniformed Security Officer · University Police Officer · Working Dog Handler