Well, we have completed another packed week and starting next Monday…we are officially halfway through this academy. WOW!!!
I have said in previous blogs, how busy we are…but really…we are busy. We usually have classroom lectures on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and arrest control and firearms training on Tuesday and Thursday.
Arrest control and firearms are always fun classes. We are learning techniques in arrest control that could potential save our life one day. Not to mention…it’s fun to go home and practice “wrist locks” on my family. I like the practice, but they are not really fond of it. Firearms is another part of the week that I have really come to love. I have always enjoyed shooting but what is great about this type of training…I am learning so many new techniques. Things I never thought I would be able to do with a gun and I am so comfortable with it that I don’t get as nervous anymore. Today we did a small qualifying round, where we had to shoot at certain distances, a certain number of rounds (bullets); at a particular part of the target and to top it all off…it was all timed. No pressure!!! Well, for my group we all did great and we even had a couple of people that did really well. The total number of points for this qualifying round was 180 and there were a couple of us that scored 171 and higher. (Yes, for whatever reason…I was a part of this group) I guess all the stars were aligned and no I am not complaining.
So now that we are moving through this academy at lightening speed the lectures that we are receiving now, are geared more towards procedures. What I mean by procedures is; report writing, how and what to look for when we pull a vehicle over, etc. Procedure classes are less about text books and more on techniques. Before when we had the law classes, we had our trusty “Blue Book,” to look things up and reference. But procedures is where we begin to develop our skills and for a lack of a better term, our Police Officer Personalities. This is where we start looking at how and what to say, when we pull a vehicle over. This is how and what to say, when we are talking with a suspect we are about to arrest. This is what to look for when we are called out to a domestic violence call and what we are going to say to de-escalate the situation.
We go through the motions here in classroom to practice and get that “muscle memory.” We come up with different things and my partners in class throw some crazy scenarios at me. But really…how and what will I say to that young child, as I am arresting their father or mother on a domestic violence call. Will I remember to cover everything and do a good job? Only time will tell, but I can’t help but think as I am running through scenarios in class, what it will feel like to actually do this job. What will it feel like to handcuff someone for the first time? What happens if a situation gets out of hand and I have to defend myself? Will I remember what to do and how to do it? I know that is why we practice so much, but I still have the “What if’s” in the back of my mind.
So I want to touch on something that has been happening lately here in this country. There have been so many shootings and so many police officers killed in the line of duty, I can’t help but think about this scary reality. This is the profession I have chosen and the reality is…I could be killed. At the end of this academy, I will take an oath to support and defend the citizens of Jefferson County. In other words, I will help and assist them any way I can and even give my life for a stranger. Scary...Yes, it is. But something I have been asked to do and I am willing to do. I know I have talked in previous Blogs about this profession and if you think you have what it takes to be a Sheriff’s Deputy…then you should apply and give it a shot. But you really need to take a look at what this profession is all about. Look at the world we live in and look at what is happening in this country. It is slowly getting worse on our streets. The front page of any given newspaper used to be covered with articles on the death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan, now it’s Pittsburgh, Oakland and New York.
Who is going to protect those streets? Who is going to make sure it’s safe to go to the bank or the immigration office? The answer is…the Police Officers and Sheriff’s Deputies serving the communities across the nation and soon…that will include me and my partners in this academy. Just to let you all know…we are all training hard and looking forward to pinning that badge on and going to work. We are preparing to do this job to best of our abilities and hopefully one day…we will be able to help someone or even save a life. Until next time…stay safe and enjoy the photographs.
