The opportunity to serve the community and those struggling against crime and addiction has been the motivation for many people joining the police force - including in one case three generations of the same family.

Dahne DeBottis is to follow in the footsteps of both his grandfathers as well as both his parents in becoming a police officer, Livingston Daily said.

Like many graduates preparing for a career in law enforcement, he has plenty of volunteer and extra-curricular experience to give him a foundation in the field.

Mr DeBottis, a criminal justice major, currently serves as a campus police officer for his university and he has also participated in numerous ride-alongs with local police and the county-level Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement Sting Unit.

He told the site that his interest in law enforcement had been sparked by family stories of bygone cases, especially those involving people fighting against drug addiction.

That is why he wants to eventually serve in the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, he added.

According to the Department of Labor, law enforcement careers can cover everything from local police and county sheriff's departments to being a state trooper or federal officer with agencies like the DEA and the FBI.

In 2006, there were 861,000 police and detective jobs in the US.