Small local departments have some distinct advantages and enormous appeal to certain kinds of law enforcement officers. There is a certain esprit de corps that exists everywhere in law enforcement, but seldom is it as evident as it is with smaller police departments. This may be due to the high level of dependence that each officer must invest in the other members of the agency. Smaller departments don't have the luxury of having many agents, making the presence and contribution of each officer seem that much more important. Each member of a small department is expected to handle a wider array of chores, as opposed to their big city counterparts. On the smallest forces, officers often stand their watch alone, without the reassurance of a fellow officer for backup. This requires an individual that is not only self-reliant, but one who can reason quickly and correctly without consultation with other officers. Such officers need to be strong, resolute, alert, and able to respond efficiently no matter what the call.

Though small-town law enforcement officers may sometimes be perceived as bumbling, over-zealous, and somewhat incompetent, in reality, they have to be able to handle a much greater variety of challenges than officials from larger agencies. The small-town officer must deal with anything from crossing duty at the elementary school to placing a drunk into protective custody from the local bar, from removing an unwanted animal from someone's garage to removing one of the partners in a domestic dispute from their own home, without having to call in outside help. Rank is often achieved merely by longevity, and the distance from the bottom of the pyramid to the top is not very far. In fact, being senior to the rest of the department may be the only distinction other than the identifiers of patrol officer and chief.