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It's been a journey. Finished my degree last March and have applied to multiple departments since then. Finally got through the process with one after almost nine months of weeding out phases. I start the academy on June 4th. For the LEO's on here, any advice?
Averageman
05-16-18, 20:37
Don't sit next to Cadet Tackleberry?
Good Luck.
Don't sit next to Cadet Tackleberry?
Good Luck.
Haha. Thanks.
Bust your ass.
Don’t be THAT guy.
Bust your ass.
Congrats!
It takes a tough personality to begin a career in Law Enforcement these days.
I graduated the police academy 20 years ago this month. I had to go for 13 weeks. I think my state is 26 weeks now. I wish it was 26 weeks back then!
My advice is this....
Eat right and stay on top of your physical fitness requirements.
Flash cards helped me immensely for studying for tests.
Don't go out to bars with friends that are going to go "Hey my buddy here is in the police academy!". You have to hold yourself to a higher standard for the rest of your career starting RIGHT NOW!
NOTHING you learn in the academy is going to teach you how to deal with people on a daily basis. The academy will give you ideas but until you put the rubber to the road, you won't have it down. Don't worry, this will come with time and experience.
BE super alert and observant on the range. You will be with cadets that have never touched a firearm before! Watch your muzzle and everyone elses too! The first time we went hot on the range, the first time we drew our weapons, one handgun went rolling down range on the grass like a bocci ball!
Good luck, keep us updated on your progress!
Congrats!
It takes a tough personality to begin a career in Law Enforcement these days.
I graduated the police academy 20 years ago this month. I had to go for 13 weeks. I think my state is 26 weeks now. I wish it was 26 weeks back then!
My advice is this....
Eat right and stay on top of your physical fitness requirements.
Flash cards helped me immensely for studying for tests.
Don't go out to bars with friends that are going to go "Hey my buddy here is in the police academy!". You have to hold yourself to a higher standard for the rest of your career starting RIGHT NOW!
NOTHING you learn in the academy is going to teach you how to deal with people on a daily basis. The academy will give you ideas but until you put the rubber to the road, you won't have it down. Don't worry, this will come with time and experience.
BE super alert and observant on the range. You will be with cadets that have never touched a firearm before! Watch your muzzle and everyone elses too! The first time we went hot on the range, the first time we drew our weapons, one handgun went rolling down range on the grass like a bocci ball!
Good luck, keep us updated on your progress!
Thanks. The academy is 26 weeks, 6 months FTO, 2 more weeks back at the academy and then a year of probationary. I am probably in the best shape of my life now minus coming short of my fastest mile time (7 minutes at fastest and now at 8). Working on knocking that down now but that prior Infantry life put work on my knees haha. I've heard similar range stories. A lot of young people were in the process; makes me feel old at 29. A few other vets too so that will hopefully be beneficial.
SeriousStudent
05-16-18, 22:19
Bless you for taking on a job that while often thankless, needs to be done.
And done well. I am sure you are that man.
Three things that get cops fired.
Money, booze, and women.
While you are in the Academy be a hermit. Don’t go to the bar. Don’t go clubbing. Do low key things and study your ass off. The two biggest things that got guys booted from my Academy were test failures and doing dumb shit out on the town.
Bless you for taking on a job that while often thankless, needs to be done.
And done well. I am sure you are that man.
Thank you. I sure hope so. I would be severely disappointed in myself if that weren't the case.
Three things that get cops fired.
Money, booze, and women.
While you are in the Academy be a hermit. Don’t go to the bar. Don’t go clubbing. Do low key things and study your ass off. The two biggest things that got guys booted from my Academy were test failures and doing dumb shit out on the town.
I was waiting for you to hop in haha. Good thing I don't bar hop or club. Though I might head bob like a tweaked out rooster once in a while to "What Is Love" haha. Emelio! And what about money now?
And what about money now?
You won't have any, get used to it.
As a supplier I'd offer this. If it's something that might save your life one day, (vest, firearm, shoes you can run in) and it's coming out of your pocket, buy the best you can that works the best for YOU. Things that are dept. issue you don't have much say in, but if you shoot Gun A much better than Gun B and both are approved, buy Gun A. Hopefully you'll never need it other than qualifications, hopefully you'll never need to test the structural integrity of your vest and hopefully you'll never need to speed test your feet because everything is going sideways fast...but if those things happen it's a lot more important than your choice of Peerless vs. S&W handcuffs.
Learn everything you can at the academy and from the experiences of other officers, but at the same time you are responsible for you, if something feels terribly wrong and everyone else is saying "it's not a problem and everything is under control" continue with your preparations for everything to go to shit without warning. You can always be wrong and buy the beers later, but NOTHING is worse than knowing you are right and letting a bunch of other guys talk you down from your posture and THEN everything goes to shit and you could have been in a position to shut it down as soon as it started.
You are responsible for you at the end of the day. Everything you say, do and even think. If the music suddenly stops, don't expect for anyone to save you a chair.
If you are lucky, you get to make some really bad people go away and if you are very, very lucky you get to help somebody who really needs it and they actually DO something with the opportunity you provided them.
Diamondback
05-17-18, 03:59
No advice to give, but wishing you Good Hunting--remember, as a retired fighter pilot who took me under his wing in college said, "You make your own luck!"
Also, as the good Sgt. Esterhaus used to say...
https://youtu.be/_pIkkzDagsY
Moose-Knuckle
05-17-18, 04:25
When it comes to PT, do your part to pass the run times but don't try to set any records.
You'll have to beat your best times down the line so keep that in mind.
ThirdWatcher
05-17-18, 05:51
A lot of good advice in this thread. It’s all about INTEGRITY. When I went through the Academy (1979) it was all I could do to keep up (that’s the way it was designed to be, the theory being we would retain more). The temptation would be to cheat, something they were watching for. I never cheated but I did learn the value of being in a good study group.
The other thing is there is a reason why we were born with two ears but only one mouth. There is a lot to learn in a short period of time and they are only teaching you enough to keep you alive and out of trouble until you learn the job. Don’t be the guy who messes up every break by asking questions at the end of class (i.e. “that guy”).
God Speed!
dwhitehorne
05-17-18, 10:07
Congrats!
Don't go out to bars with friends that are going to go "Hey my buddy here is in the police academy!". You have to hold yourself to a higher standard for the rest of your career starting RIGHT NOW!
^^^This is the best advise in the thread. We loose more recruits doing stupid stuff off duty than any other category combined. Like don't get a Speeding/Reckless Driving ticket going to the Academy because you are running late.
Always give your max effort even when you don't feel like it and you will do fine. Good luck. David
Thanks. The academy is 26 weeks, 6 months FTO, 2 more weeks back at the academy and then a year of probationary. I am probably in the best shape of my life now minus coming short of my fastest mile time (7 minutes at fastest and now at 8). Working on knocking that down now but that prior Infantry life put work on my knees haha. I've heard similar range stories. A lot of young people were in the process; makes me feel old at 29. A few other vets too so that will hopefully be beneficial.
This answers the question I had as to which academy you were attending :)
Follow the advice in the thread, and hit me up when you're done, I'm in your AO and can help answer a lot of questions you may have after you get released. Hit me up if you need a K9 search!
Three things that get cops fired.
Money, booze, and women.
While you are in the Academy be a hermit. Don’t go to the bar. Don’t go clubbing. Do low key things and study your ass off. The two biggest things that got guys booted from my Academy were test failures and doing dumb shit out on the town.
We called them the 'Three B's' - Broads, Booze, Bribes
Civilians are not your enemy.
Not much to add here, as most of the high points have already been covered.
Law-enforcement is a very political career. The best advice I was ever given came from my senior detective partner who had been in the business upwards of 30 years... “Son, remember that the feet you step on today, just might be connected to the @$$ that you have to kiss tomorrow”.
From me... Never let your guard down when you’re working. There is no such thing as routine traffic stop, or a routine domestic violence call. Watch the freaking hands!
Especially nowadays, no matter where you go or what you do, you are going to be on some type of electronic surveillance. Exercise common sense, and you will have a long rewarding career. Don’t do nuttin’ dumb. A lot of good people have been fired over the years for doing something stupid in one short period of time by letting their emotions take over instead of letting good judgment prevail.
The brotherhood you will experience in your new career will rival anything seen in the military. I’m envious. I went through the Academy back when we still qualified with wheel guns, and the cars had whip antennas with no computers in them. Fortunately, the dinosaurs had just gone extinct back then. It’s a new world now. Be careful. Don’t forget to have a little fun along the way. It’s a great career.
Never, I mean never, compromise your integrity. Some days, your integrity is all you have. They will test it at the academy, just to see who breaks.
Study groups are going to be a huge help retaining the information you're about to be fed by fire hose. If you have questions don't let them go unanswered, find it or find someone who can help you find it. Be prepared for your academy staff to not just feed you answers, start working those detection skills.
Help those in your class who need it. Policing is a team, contact sport. Help each other out, without cheating.
Watch their hands, start now. Hands will kill you.
Thanks men. For sure will be watching hands. Have to do that now in my current job. I should have inferred that money was in regards to bribes haha. For sure will not be compromising my integrity. I don't now, and will not ever. That virtue of mine rubs many people the wrong way I am sure.
This answers the question I had as to which academy you were attending :)
Follow the advice in the thread, and hit me up when you're done, I'm in your AO and can help answer a lot of questions you may have after you get released. Hit me up if you need a K9 search!
Thanks. Who are you with?
Civilians are not your enemy.
This says and means a lot.
My senior project professor was prior CID in 'Nam and LE in Cali after. My senior project was on the Rule of Law, and one of its principles is consent of the governed. I loved that class and getting into the history and application of it. Those in government to include law enforcement are granted that authority. He made it a point to call it privileged authority, and that stuck with me even though it is essentially a novel concept. Sadly some, in particular politicians, seem to forget that. I will not.
It looks like a lot of folks have already given you some sound advice. I'll just had that it's always good to remember why you wanted to do this job, and to trust your instincts...most of the time, they are right.
El Vaquero
05-21-18, 15:19
While in the Academy if you get stopped on a traffic stop do not say or infer that you are a cop. Just be honest and say you’re in the academy. I’ve seen many a recruit get terminated because they said they were full commissioned cops to the officer on the traffic stop.
Will echo what others said, find a good study group. Try to keep balance in life while in academy. When you get out, no one cares what your test scores were, only that you passed.
When you hit streets, just because you CAN take someone to jail doesn’t mean you should. It won’t take long to figure out who the real turds are and who does and doesn’t need to go to jail. Don’t be that officer that is all about stats. Do what feels right.
For the Academy:
-Don't be a clown. You represent a department, and how you act reflects on them and their decision to hire you and take a chance on you.
-Take care of yourself physically. If you bust your butt 200% every day and you aren't ready for it, injuries may follow.
-Take a laptop if allowed. I was one of the few taking notes with pen and paper, and that was 12 years ago. Most lectures have powerpoints slides to download and follow along with or study later. Don't get caught playing solitaire in class or looking at sports scores or nudie pics.
-Turn your phone off. Say good-bye to your family/friends/loved ones, and apologize ahead of time for dropping off the radar.
-Don't post stupid stuff on facebook. That includes work related sensitive stuff, and drunk pics from your trip to Mexico. If you can't trust yourself, disable or delete your account.
In FTO:
-Apologize ahead of time to your wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, or loved ones. You have a job that will bleed over into your personal time and require all of your time during the training phase. You will spend time off duty polishing boots, squaring away a uniform, studying codes, studying maps, and prepping for the next day.
-10 hour days will become 14 hour days when you muck everything up and have to re-write a report 6 times. Apologize to friends and loved ones ahead of time, the time sacrifice will hurt them, they may not understand, and if they aren't supportive it will hurt you at work and at home.
-Take it one day at a time
-Keep your mouth shut and your ears open. If you act like you know it all, prepare to be humbled.
-FTO can be a stress game. They need to see how you will hold up and how you make decisions under pressure.
-Talk to people on calls and on traffic stops. Learning how to carry yourself and how to interact in a uniform is a whole new ballgame for most people.
-The school teacher who smiles every day will lie through her teeth about using her blinker, and the guy who just beat his wife will be cool as a cucumber while blaming the overreacting neighbors after he puts her head through the drywall.
-Decision making and report writing are the two big killers that are hard to overcome. You can be taught most everything else, but making a decision and putting it down on paper come from you.
For the Academy:
-Don't be a clown. You represent a department, and how you act reflects on them and their decision to hire you and take a chance on you.
-Take care of yourself physically. If you bust your butt 200% every day and you aren't ready for it, injuries may follow.
-Take a laptop if allowed. I was one of the few taking notes with pen and paper, and that was 12 years ago. Most lectures have powerpoints slides to download and follow along with or study later. Don't get caught playing solitaire in class or looking at sports scores or nudie pics.
-Turn your phone off. Say good-bye to your family/friends/loved ones, and apologize ahead of time for dropping off the radar.
-Don't post stupid stuff on facebook. That includes work related sensitive stuff, and drunk pics from your trip to Mexico. If you can't trust yourself, disable or delete your account.
In FTO:
-Apologize ahead of time to your wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, or loved ones. You have a job that will bleed over into your personal time and require all of your time during the training phase. You will spend time off duty polishing boots, squaring away a uniform, studying codes, studying maps, and prepping for the next day.
-10 hour days will become 14 hour days when you muck everything up and have to re-write a report 6 times. Apologize to friends and loved ones ahead of time, the time sacrifice will hurt them, they may not understand, and if they aren't supportive it will hurt you at work and at home.
-Take it one day at a time
-Keep your mouth shut and your ears open. If you act like you know it all, prepare to be humbled.
-FTO can be a stress game. They need to see how you will hold up and how you make decisions under pressure.
-Talk to people on calls and on traffic stops. Learning how to carry yourself and how to interact in a uniform is a whole new ballgame for most people.
-The school teacher who smiles every day will lie through her teeth about using her blinker, and the guy who just beat his wife will be cool as a cucumber while blaming the overreacting neighbors after he puts her head through the drywall.
-Decision making and report writing are the two big killers that are hard to overcome. You can be taught most everything else, but making a decision and putting it down on paper come from you.
I think this really covers it. Think of the academy as your prep course and FTO as your graduate course.
RioGrandeGreen
05-22-18, 13:23
"Anything you post can and will be used against you in a court of law"
That applies to everyone LE or not !
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