The main advantage for most police officers is that they are doing good in the community. It's also a varied and sometimes exciting job, although it can be thankless too.
Obviously, police officers have to be on guard all the time, and take precautions against the more dangerous aspects of the job.
The long hours can cause problems for their families too,although naturally their families feel proud of them. The possibility of something really bad happening is probably always at the back of their minds, as well. Mostly, police officers deal with small crimes such as shoplifting, but, with the crime rate rising, any day could bring a lefe-threatening situation.