Week ten- Always, each and every time, consistently...

Another bitter sweet week.  This was the final week at the range; the bitter part.  The sweet part is that we are over the halfway point of the academy.  On our final trek down "the hill" at the range we all laughed remembering our very first day at the range.  We were wet behind the ear recruits.  We have come far.  Now, all decked out in our duty belts loaded down with newly issued equipment and vests our first day is only a memory.  That first day we must have looked like little kids at Christmas opening our new gear, but no idea how to wear it! Now hopefully we look like we know what we are doing. 

This week we learned a lot about contacting a pedestrian.  As simple as some of this might seem, there is so much more to it than meets the eye. We are taught that the unexpected is always the normal.  We cannot let our guard down.  At the same time it is important that people we contact are treated with respect.  Often there is a fine line.  It is vital that we remain true to who we are and not try to be someone we are not.

We did some more report writing and although not near as exhilarating as the shooting at the range, just as important.  The repetition we are getting with our report writing is very helpful and every report is getting a little easier to write as we learn how to "tell a story" in each report.  The goal is not to reduce the time taken to write as every detail is needed in the report.  Ultimately the flow should be smoother.

Many of the things that are getting smoother could easily be done quicker, but that rarely gets you anywhere.  For example, cleaning your gun should be to perfection constantly, shining your boots should be perfected every time, doing Cross Fit workouts should be done with full range of motion on every exercise consistently.  Reports should be spell checked and revised without fail, ironing your uniform should be to a nice crisp crease always, arrest control should be done with attention to detail every time, etc.... 

We learned more moves in arrest control that could save our lives one day if ever needed.  I am amazed every time we have arrest control at the new holds, escapes, and take downs we learn.  My dogs are not too impressed with the take downs I practice on them but I tell them to be grateful they do not have thumbs or wrists otherwise they would get the cuffs.

We all did great on the test which always makes Fridays more enjoyable.  There is a huge relief around 9 a.m. every Friday once we know we have all passed the test.  We are each other's biggest fans and we all want to see each other do well.  I have an awesome little study group that I have worked diligently to find.  Thank goodness we found each other because it has been so helpful to learn from other people and hear what they learned from each presentation.  We all have our strengths and we all have our weaknesses but each of us is an important part of the puzzle.

Next week....vehicle stops and a guest blogger!

Week nine-Scenarios

Recruit Shaira shared a little about our ‘dim light shooting’ but I have to elaborate a bit more...   Obviously the shooting is a blast... the time our group spends together at the bottom of ‘the hill’ before we start class has become where we loosen up a teeny tiny bit.  We are outside, have just eaten lunch (or only had time to down an energy drink) and anticipate shooting our guns soon.   We sing, dance, tell stupid jokes, and make fun of each other--in a light hearted way of course.  Those twenty minutes are the best minutes of the day.  We done our range baseball caps, put on our eyes and ears, duty belts, lather up with sunscreen, and load our pockets with bottles of water.  My secret is a stash of macadamia nuts in my secret pocket.

Anywho... ‘dim light shooting’ was a blast.  Like recruit Shaira said at the end of the night we all got a little cranky.  All we could do was laugh because no one was getting to bed before midnight and everyone was getting up the next morning before 6 a.m.  Not only was it different shooting at night, it rained the first night!  Always expect the unexpected.

This week was intense.  We had our qualification test for Firearms at the range on Thursday.  We have shot this course many times, but it's natural for nerves to kick in when you hear "today is the day."  A handful did not pass on the first day but that is the reality of it.  If it were easy anyone could be in law enforcement.  This career is not for everyone and most of us, if not all of us, have been in positions where we have had to ask ourselves if this is truly what we want to do.  I feel the instructors put all of us in those positions intentionally so we DO ask ourselves that very question.  That thought has come and gone and been gone for a long time for all of us.  We are here to the end.

On Friday we had our week's test first thing that morning.  We all passed then off to the park.   At the park we were divided into groups.  Those groups went around the park to different scenarios.  Each scenario consisted of instructors role-playing as suspects, and victims. They did an incredible job and we were so appreciative of their patience.  Going in to a scenario you must mentally rehearse but sometimes that gets thrown for a loop. You must count on your common sense and your training to complete the call.  In a nutshell I would describe the day as...WOW.  All the laws, arrest control, decision making and pedestrian contacts we have learned in the classroom thus far were all utilized at once on these scenarios. 

It was interesting to see my peers in a different role other than playing ‘Gary on the kickdrum’ from the movie The Break Up.   It was cool (it's better than saying neat) to know you're partner had your back on these calls.  You absolutely have to trust your partner whether you are contact or cover.  This is tough for some because of similar personalities wanting control but you find a way to work together because it’s a necessity. 

At the end of day I put my brain to bed.  It was done.  I was done.  I didn't even make it to Dateline at 9 p.m.!  I felt like someone snuck something into my drink.  It was as though two elephants were sitting on my eyelids.  For the life of me I could not put words together to make sentences.  I swear I saw llamas sitting in my living room. And I could not move any of my limbs.  I was exhausted.  That is a good day at work, let me tell you.



Week eight- Guest Blog- Shaira, Wheat Ridge PD



It’s Monday morning of Week 8 and there I stand, all 5’4” of me in front of a class of 40. My arms are stiff at my sides as Sergeant stops in front of me, all I can see is the middle of his chest. “Any issues?” he asks me. Issues? I think, forgetting everything everyone has told me in the last 5 minutes. (he has this skill of resetting my “oodaloop” like nobodies business.)

This was how Monday started for me but if there is one thing I’ve learned so far it was to let things roll off your back. Our weekly theme for the week was “shower well“, which, understandably caused a few chuckles from some of my teammates. We all knew we could smell pretty bad after our PT sessions but to name a theme after it? Luckily for us this wasn’t the case, “shower well” simply meant to let the unfavorable things that happened to us, roll of our backs so we could start the days, the hours, the minutes with fresh starts.

Keeping this theme in mind, I told myself every morning that the day was fresh. That my team needed me to come in without the baggage of life so I could help lift them any means possible. We are a team after all, one giant family of blue that learns together, shoots together, works out together and most importantly puts each other in twist-locks until the muscles in our forearms throb and ache (for you folks at home, that was sarcasm).

All kidding aside, we had a rough week ahead of us. Tuesday and Thursday we had dim light shooting that lasted until 2200 hours, with early mornings Wednesday and Friday. Though shooting is fun, it was obvious that patience was wearing thin towards the end. People had families to go home to and dogs to feed but everyone did the best they could.  I know that I personally, wanted nothing more than a bone crushing hug from my goofy, loveable and understanding husband.

If there is one thing I want to share with my team, it’s that he is the only reason I haven’t gone completely mental because, let’s face it, I’m 20% there and I hope every night that every single person in my class has someone to get that hug from. Without him, there would be no one to split the nightly duties of ironing, shining boots and gun cleaning. No one to cry to or laugh with. Don’t get me wrong, we have our moments where we argue but we’ve managed to find that middle ground where we understand that we CAN’T understand the stress of each other’s life and it’s not worth trying to one up each other. Instead we goof off, say ridiculous things to each other and occasionally sneak up on each other and see how it turns out.

 

That being said, I could have more to complain about to my husband but instead I find myself telling him about how proud I am of my team mates and how lucky I am that they give 100%.  It was an honor being Class Leader and I can’t wait to see my brothers and sisters in blue out on the streets. And remember; “and maybe remind the few, if ill of us they speak, that we are all that stands between the monsters and the weak.” 

Week seven- Black and White

Many probably think that being in Law Enforcement involves a lot of drawing your weapon and arresting people and all the other cop stuff you watch on tv but we learned this week that 90% of what we will be doing in this job is...report writing.  I am an English minor and never had a problem writing so I enjoyed this week.  It sure beats doing math 90% of the time.  

We can take notes all we want but the second we were given practical senerios it changed everything.  Talking to people is not black and white and there are no two conversations that will be identical.  That is why we all got into this profession, because every day is different.  Every day is full of something new.  Every day we get to interact with people, we get to talk to people, and we get to take bad people of the streets. 

We are at the end of week 7 and we are getting a lot better at multi tasking and finding a way to live off of fewer hours of sleep but I will say it again...there is NOTHING more any of us would rather be doing.

Our team/unit/family gets stronger every single day and this is the brother/sisterhood I signed up for.  I live for this.  We all make our mistakes here and there but we are in this together and we all pick each other up.  There is not a greater feeling than knowing you have 40 other people who have your back.

Week 7 down...week 8 here we come!

Week six- Guest Blog Kyle, Lone Tree PD



Since I was four years old I have had my mind set on being a police officer and joining the brotherhood of the thin blue line. When I was 15 I joined the Police Explorer program with Parker Police Department allowing me the opportunity to know that this career is exactly where I belong. So there I was a month after my 21^st birthday applying for my first and only police department, Lone Tree Police. I was up against over 200 applicants.  Getting that letter in the mail letting me know I had made it was the moment my life changed. I knew that I had to prove that I was the right choice and that I would wear the badge with honor.

Starting the academy I knew there was a high possibility that I was going to be the youngest, and soon came to find out that I was. I knew it was going to be a challenge to show I had the maturity and drive that anyone else there did.

Going into the sixth week all of us recruits had gotten to know each other and the real personalities were starting to come out.  It was almost if we were starting to hate each other because we are all headstrong stubborn personalities. We started thinking of team-building activities as we went through the week to show that we could work as a team and put our differences beside us. This was especially hard for me because one of the Sergeants had told me that I didn’t have the life experiences that others did and needed to sit back and watch how my peers responded. I knew at this point that I was in a spotlight and needed to prove everyday that I wanted to be there and have what it takes. So from here on out it is my goal to be the best that I can be. I am the only recruit from Lone Tree, and fortunately have a great support from my department, but if they hear I am not doing well, then I have failed them, and myself.

Being the youngest recruit has been a huge learning experience for me thus far. It is teaching me that everyone at the academy is there for my best interest even though this is very hard to see sometimes. I look at the positives in everything that happens even the times that I am getting talked to in the Sergeants office. They are teaching me that I have to have thick skin and a hard head because I will be challenged when I get out on the streets.  I can't be seen as an uneducated rookie, or a pushover. I have to go out there and settle for nothing less than the best.

Week five- Fight, Flight, or Freeze

This week we learned how to fight. 

The only fight I have ever been in is with my twin brother growing up about who had to sit on the "red cooler" between my parents on family road trips.  One of our instructors who teaches us escape moves, jujitsu, and overall how to survive as a Police Officer is also an MMA fighter and extremely skilled in every aspect of everything he teaches us.  The lesson of the week regarding fighting was survival.  If/when the day comes where we have to fight to survive and we get jacked in the face with a fist or other object how are we going to respond?  We're going to fight!  We're going to go home to our families at the end of the day.

Round 1 was punches only.  My main focus was to move. For the average person on the street it is harder to hit a moving target. I didn't seem to phase our instructor but I did it anyway.

Round 2 punching and kicking.  I wasn't about to kick anyone because I do not have the first clue how to kick and I know there are a ton of teeny tiny little bones in the foot that could get easily broken.  So I stuck to what I didn't know better and just stuck to punching and defending. 

Round 3 punching, kicking, grappling.  I remember having wanted to wrestle when I was little because my twin brother got to and I didn't understand why I couldn't.  Now females can wrestle but after Round 3 I am glad I was not allowed to join the little boy wrestling team when I was a child.  It felt like I was grappling with a python.  Needless to say the whole experience of the day was valuable and in one day alone has given us all a taste of reality.

The rest of the week we learned in the classroom about Victim's Rights and bombs.  It is crazy that we are learning about bombs but if you think about it, maybe it is not crazy.  You always have to expect the unexpected in this profession and bombs are not ever expected.

The shooting range was awesome as well.  I feel like a kid when I leave the range because "THAT was so awesome," but then I finish with Arrest Control and I say the same thing.

We are learning how to shoot behind coverage at the range.   We have different sizes of coverage and trying to get small to the big guys is not easy, but they find a way.  I find it interesting the drills the instuctors put us through because I have taught basketball camps for over 10 years and the amount of drills we have for the campers is endless and they are all fun of course.  Same goes for the drills at the range.  There is competition against your peers, but most of them at this point are competition against yourself.   We are learning to shoot at close range as well as far, and we are learning how to shoot in the kneeling and prone positions.  It gets better every day.  We get better every day. 

Fruit Friday cannot come soon enough.  We have started bringing fruit on Fridays.  Fridays are a different beast.  We are exhausted from a full week of shining shoes, ironing uniforms, doing homework, writing reports, completing surveys, studying, packing lunch for the next day, cleaning your guns, and packing your bag for the next day yet our anxiety is high because we have a test to pass, and we have physical training.  Fridays are bitter sweet.  Fridays are like a roller coaster ride at Eliches because before the test you just want to take the test.  Then during the test you have to relax.  Then you have your reaction to your test score which could be high or low.  Then you have to get prepped for PT.  Then you come down from the adrenaline.  Then you have a whole afternoon of classroom but you really want to think about a relaxing weekend.  Regardless of our high or low...we can count on our fruit.

The lesson was a hard one to learn as there were some bloody noses, a lot of bumps and bruises, a lot of sore ribs, etc...but it was the most valuable lessons I have learned thus far.  I made it out with blood free but my jaw got rocked.  I think the two initial reactions to getting popped in the face are to fight or flight.

Next week I will have a guest speaker to share their story about the week.

Week four-Twisted into a Pretzel

We have officially made it a whole month.  It seems as if we have been doing this for a year because of how much we have already learned and how close we have all become. 

This week we spent two days at the range and two days of Arrest Control.  Right when you think training cannot get any better...it does.  The firearms and arrest control instructors are absolutely incredible.   Not only is their experience and expertise valuable, but their patience and vigil towards  officer safety is outstanding.  I am literally taken back by the level of information we are being taught at the intensity we are being taught but even more taken back at the level of professionalism and knowledge of every single one of our instructors.

Each day I get twisted and turned and manipulated into a pretzel by one of my peers or even better by one of the instructors who can make even the biggest guy drop by the tiniest tweak in a movement.  Now I get to do the same techniques to the giants that are my peers. 

The range is a different animal.  Safety is numero uno.  Our weekly motto was "Safety first, safety always" and every move you make at the range has to be made with safety as priority.  The organization and structure of everything we do, not only at the range but in the academy, is well thought out.   If I can go through my day moving with a purpose and understanding that everything I say and everything I do must be with a purpose then my days will be great.

The range was awesome.  Not many of us have ever shot, and if we had it was not more than a time or two so many of us were learning for the first time.  Like all other "firsts" in the academy our first day at the range was officially a success.  Each instructor shares their expertise and even the slightest correction can make the biggest difference. 

It gets hot up on the range so imagine wearing your gear, with a hat, and "eyes and ears" and shooting for 4 hours....right!  Can you possibly imagine doing anything else?!  There IS nothing else.

We also had two full days of Criminal Code from Director Baca.  He is such a great teacher and his presence in the classroom is like no other.  We have a massive amount to learn and it all seems overwhelming but Director Baca's style and approach in how he presents the material makes everything a bit easier to understand.  Every instructor has very real stories that they share but Director Baca is very animated and makes sounds and uses his hands to tell the story.  He clearly knows how to capture an audience.

Next week is an exciting week for us.  We get to wear our academy uniforms.  Adios dress shoes that have been turned into workout shoes.  We have learned that you do not have to wear a t-shirt, shorts, and running shoes to workout; you can do pull ups in a nice button up, slacks, and shined shoes.  Air squats...a different story.  One of our recruits split the backside out of his dress pants doing air squats but the timing was impeccable as we needed a good laugh.  Sergeant could not even resist a good chuckle. 

We have completed Week 4 and I am sure I can speak for the rest of the team that there truly is nothing else we would rather be doing than going to academy for 9 hours and learning from the absolute best there is out there, going home and only having time to eat, play with the family for an hour, study, practice arrest control, practice our draw and weapon manipulation, complete any homework we have, sleep, repeat.

Week three- Have your punishment and eat it too.

By now it's truly official; our instructors want us to succeed.  As intimidating as they can be, they are human.  They smile.  They laugh.  And they all think they are very funny. Nonetheless they are preparing us each and every day.   If we have to do push-ups, pull ups, and squats in the parking lot in our dress clothes it is because as a group we did not do as we were asked.  Allowing us to cut corners will not prepare us for this career.  This is not punishment.  Getting stronger physically and mentally is only better preparing us for the future.  Punishment would be making us eat a chocolate cake while sitting on a couch watching mind numbing reality television.  Although many would agree that this behavior is a necessity on weekends.

The Academy is all about perspective.  We all went through quite a hiring process to be invited to the Academy.  We are all here because we thrive off this environment.  If you are considering applying and going through this hiring process it is important that you understand that the process is tough for a reason, this career is not for everyone.  But I encourage you nonetheless.  You won't be at it alone.  Here's to 17 more weeks! 

Guest Spotlight- James Beaudry

                                                                                             The longest week.

It is the end of week 2, ten percent of the twenty week academy complete, and Lakewood Police Department  (LPD) Sergeant Maestas enters the classroom.  He begins to scan the room while saying he was choosing the class leader for the following week.  He looks at me, and then looks to the other side.  He looks back to me and says “Beaudry.”  I have been selected as class leader.  I respond with the only response I could muster; the only one expected – “yes sir.”  I receive a briefing from last weeks’ outgoing class leader, and leave for my weekend knowing my days for the following week would be even longer.

Monday morning begins, and I decide to get to the academy earlier than I had been the previous two weeks.  Being class leader, I feel I need to set an example.  I arrive prior to 7:15 a.m., and was shocked to see more than half the class was already there.  At 7:30 a.m., we begin our lineup; the daily formation for morning announcements and inspections.  This procedure was taking longer than usual since we now have new groups and squads.  We all notice we have a recruit missing from lineup; a recruit that was not there three days earlier.  I decide to ask the academy staff prior to inspection, and was told it would be addressed.  Soon thereafter, LPD Agent Ruybal exits the building and we snap to attention.  He mentions our missing recruit and leads us to believe he was affected by the courageous, yet difficult, story we heard from an LPD Detective the previous week.  I find out later that day, from a conversation I was probably not meant to hear, our fellow recruit decided not to continue with our academy class.  We are now down two recruits from where we started, although one of those empty seats had been filled by a replacement; our class still strong at forty-one recruits from nine different agencies. 

The classes for the week are ones I had been looking forward to; the beginning of firearms and arrest control training.  It was time for less lecture, and more practical training.  As class leader though, I was confronted with issues from the other recruits.  Many were approaching me, and asking questions meant for the academy staff.  In order for them to be answered, I was the “link” as I was part of the chain-of-command; a concept many recruits were not familiar with two weeks prior.  By the end of Monday, I was sick of hearing my name called by others. 

            As I am driving in Tuesday morning, I realize I forgot my gun cleaning kit at home; not a good start to the day, especially when I am supposed to be setting an example.  We lineup and I immediately admit my error to my fellow recruits.  I then ask if anybody else forgot and two others raise their hands.  This was going to hurt.  Sgt. Maestas exits for inspection, and we snap to attention.  He asks the usual question if there are any issues.  I report that three of us did not have our required equipment.  After our lecture, it was time for what some see as punishment; for me it is just a part of the choice I had made when I changed careers after twelve years, and at the age of thirty-eight.  We were told to choose what we should do; the whole class having to participate for the mistakes of the few (instilling in us the necessity of teamwork and how a seemingly small error by one can have a huge impact on all).  After the first suggestions not being sufficient, it is eventually decided; three sets of 10 pull-ups, 20 push-ups & 20 air squats.  The first set completed before our first class; the rest on our breaks.  We complete our set and enter the classroom.  We fail to snap to attention when the instructor enters; our attention to detail for that morning was missing.  We just earned ourselves another set; another break we would not have.

            Wednesday does not improve, as I am continually approached with the various issues from squad leaders and recruits.  I am thinking this was one of the reasons I chose to leave my prior career; I did not want to go back to being a supervisor at this point in my life, yet here I was dealing with staff issues again.  At the end of the day, I realize I forgot the class leader key at home. I had to ask Sgt. Maestas for the key to secure the building.  He was not thrilled with me and said it would be addressed in the morning.  Two days in a row of forgetting things at home.   This was not like me.  My week as class leader is obviously having a negative effect.          

            Thursday creates a new challenge as class leader.  Our uniforms were in and many recruits had issues with the sizes.  I instruct the recruits to get the issues turned into the squad leaders.  I turn the list in at the end of the day but it was not good enough; more detail was needed and some issues were non-issues.  Short of a custom fitted shirt, uniform shirts are not meant as fashion statements.  The lists were returned to the squad leaders; time to do it again. 

            Friday has finally arrived.  A new class leader would be chosen at the end of the day.  The end is in sight.  As we begin to lineup, it is brought to my attention that a recruit does not have a suit jacket.  I know this is not going to go over well.  When I am asked if there are any issues, I report the issue.  The recruit tells Sgt. Maestas he did not forget it but it was at the cleaners.  One thing we had learned was to just accept responsibility without excuses.  This was really going to be bad.  After an easy day with no physical training on Thursday, it was time he made up for it.  It was time for a pull-up contest between the two groups.  Although I disagreed with allowing assisted pull-ups, the group I was assigned to won.  A reward would be given later that day.  Unfortunately, other events would cause us to lose any possibility of a reward… 

            We take our weekly test, and there were apparently many issues with some of the answers.  We are told they were looking into it and there would probably be some questions eliminated.  Our day continues with a lecture, and then physical training (PT).  As we begin PT, we are told, we will be doing a double rotation since we missed a day of PT the previous week.  After doing pull-ups in the morning, my squad was doing more pull-ups and now push-presses for our first rotation.  We then go inside for fight training, upper bodies already burning from our previous workout, we struggle through four rounds.  At the end of lunch, Sgt. Maestas announces many of the questions were removed and tests rescored.  Without thinking, I go into the test on the computer to see the adjusted score.  An hour later, I am told there was an internet “spike” at 1:10 and told to find out why.  It is immediately apparent many others did the same as I did.  This internet spike occurred in the beginning of class and when an instructor was talking.  I ask the recruits to return to the classroom and asked who looked at the test when class began; we learn there were thirty-one out of forty-one that checked the test or were otherwise online at that time. This was not good.  The day ends and it is time for announcements.  The new class leader was about to be chosen, and the female recruit sitting next to me gets that honor.  I immediately hand her the key, relieved of the responsibility. 

            But wait, our week isn’t over yet; it was time to pay.  We are broken up into groups of five, each with a forty-five pound weight.  We are told to run down to the light and back, approximately a quarter-mile, all the while handing off the weight to the other members of our group.   Once that is completed, it continues; thirty-one push-ups and thirty-one air squats, one for each of us that went online.  We are dismissed.  I give a briefing to the incoming leader and head home; the week is finally over. 

Week two- Lint free and Ready

This week was all about multitasking. 

Coming into the Academy I expected intensity.  My response was, "Finally."  I played Division 1 and a little professional basketball back in the day and I have been unengaged ever since I stopped playing.  That is why I am so set on getting into Law Enforcement because there is no better feeling than being a part of a brotherhood/sisterhood.  I imagine there is not a greater sense of accomplishment than putting on a uniform every day and being pushed to the physical and mental maximum.  This is it.  Some may find throughout this academy that this is not what they expected.  Two recruits are no longer with us.  This is becoming very real to the rest of us.  

This week was a bit more exciting academically and asked us to multi-task a bit more.  We learned about Use of Force which we know soon leads to Firearms Training!

Week one

For the last four years I have been waiting for this day.
For others the wait was not as long. 
There are 11 females and 30 men in this academy. 
I happen to be the oldest female, and for any of you who think it is too late to accomplish a goal! The oldest male is 57 years young!

No matter our age or background differences, none of us can be completely prepared for our 20 week future together but with baby steps we will become a united team...

We are all prepared to do whatever is asked of us; even if that means doing push-ups for too much lint on our clothes or pull ups for placing our water bottles on the desks.  We finished this first week understanding the importance of paying attention to detail.  Every morning at 7:30 a.m. we take part in a lint rolling party where we get inspections and hear announcements for the day.  This is also the time for 42 recruits to look like baboons cleaning each other of loose hair, loose threads and pet hair!  The guys are all in suits and ties for two weeks and 99% of us wore black and 99.9% of us all have pets that love to say good bye each morning before the Academy.