There is no simple answer to your question. For me, the biggest benefit has been that I am able to do almost every other job I've ever considered. I'm a writer, a scuba diver, a teacher, a psychiatrist, a bit of a comedian, and a leader. The only other thing I've wanted to be was a helicopter pilot, but my department doesn't have one.
Police work is most satisfying for people who like the unexpected- something different every day, who enjoy helping people (especially people who can't help themselves), and for people who would rather make the news (or witness it first-hand) than watch it.
Most everyone the police deal with are having a crisis, so we rarely see people at their best (more often, we see them at their worst). It's difficult not to become cynical or even paranoid.
The pay is not great. Most departments pay little better than factories; insurance, holiday pay, vacation, sick, and retirement benefits are about the same as with factory work. Large city departments generally pay better than smaller departments.
Some police become adrenalin junkies. Statistics say that about 30% suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Police officers are twice as likely to get divorced, commit suicide, become alcoholics, or abuse other drugs (legal or not), than the average Joe.
I don't encourage many people to become police officers. I hope my kids take a different path.