Looking for LEO advice

[tacticaldesire]

Keep your non-cop friends. If you don't you will never be able to truly get away from work and it will eat you. Sometimes it's nice having people that don't understand. Keep a few close co-workers but don't forget about everyone else.

[Vandal]

I've been back in the game for about 2 months after a 2 year break in the outside world. Coming back has been interesting, luckily I don't have to go back through the academy, just a 2 week refresher course.

Stay above the academy drama, keep your nose clean and always do the right thing. Keep your ego in check at the academy and in FTO. I'll second the thought of keeping your non-cop friends, though it can be difficult as they don't get it but those friends can be your dose of reality. For the love of God, have fun. This is a serious job and lives are often at risk, remember to laugh once in a while when appropriate (or not) and it can be a lot of fun. You will get jaded, when is up to you.

Work hard, keep your ears open and when you have them, ask questions. You can make mistakes, just don't make them twice and if you screw up admit it! The worst thing you can do is cover something up or lie about it.

Firefly had some great advice from many years in the hood. It's good to see you back brother.

[T2C]

Keep your non-cop friends. If you don't you will never be able to truly get away from work and it will eat you. Sometimes it's nice having people that don't understand. Keep a few close co-workers but don't forget about everyone else.

This is sound advice. Having friends outside the profession helps you keep things in perspective.

[Mozart]

Thanks for the advice guys. Hopefully I can stay in touch with old friends. Moving 400 miles away from where I grew up certainly reduced the number of people I talk to regularly. I've made a few friends down where I am now but we're all so busy all the time, takes an act of congress to make plans.

Driving training is done, and my only comment is: AGAIN! Damn fun. Especially the night course, watching dudes come back into the staging area with bright orange front rotors. LoL. I ended up with a 95.1% average for the week. I'll take it, not a "perfect" driver and don't claim to be.

[Mozart]

Defensive Tactics is very complex and difficult, and my body is rekt. Head to toe soreness. Still healing from an MCL sprain last month. Not understanding some of the techniques. This is, by miles, the hardest work I've ever been through. Really having to dig deep and find mental toughness. They can't f#cking make me quit.

[Ron3]

You wont/don't quit.

Everyone there is hurting to some degree. It will pass.

Many of those tactics you won't ever use. Some of it is usefull. Remember a committee decided most of what you do in DT. There may have been some Police brass on it but it was mostly civic leaders, city leaders, and lots of lawyers.

Take what is usefull, discard the rest. After the academy of course.

[Mozart]

Roger that. Most of the class have been questioning their metal as well, but we're all going to do fine. This too shall pass.

[Itsahak]

You have a good group of instructors there for the class. Tony and Thomas are good, and Harvey is the man! Just don't judge my entire department by Billy (an you be sure to tell him that I said that!!!)! I will probably stop by at some point next week...

[T2C]

Defensive Tactics is a very important phase of training. It not only helps you prepare for the inevitable physical confrontation you will have to deal with, it also prepares you for being patient when most people won't be.

Once you get in the field and have to deal with a physical confrontation, deal with it quickly. Shift your emotions into neutral, control the aggressive person, then stop when you no longer need to apply physical force. This requires mental discipline and mental discipline development is one of the goals of Defensive Tactics training. When dealing with a physically aggressive subject, don't take it personally or it will cause you grief.

Once you start working in the field, you will sometimes have to deal with an aggressive subject in the presence of a large, sometimes unfriendly, audience. Maintaining a cool head is the order of the day.

[Mozart]

You have a good group of instructors there for the class. Tony and Thomas are good, and Harvey is the man! Just don't judge my entire department by Billy (an you be sure to tell him that I said that!!!)! I will probably stop by at some point next week...

Oh yeah, they know their stuff. I haven't gotten everybodys name yet though.