My name is Ryan and I was selected to participate in the current academy run by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Upon successful completion, I will work as a Deputy Sheriff for them. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my experiences with all of you as I go through this important training. I want to provide a good overview of what the academy is like for those of you who want to attend in the future. I also want to give the residents of Colorado a look at the training that we, as law enforcement officers, go through to protect and serve you.
I grew up in Thatcher, Arizona and later moved to Utah to attend college. I have been married for almost 7 years and have a beautiful daughter who is 10 months old. I worked at a credit union while studying Business Management and Sociology at Utah Valley University, thinking that I wanted to work in Banking or Finance. When I could not find a career opportunity after graduation, I had some time to think about what I truly want to be when I grow up. I decided that I want a job that will allow me to protect and help people, and one that I can take great pride in each and every day. This was the turning point when I decided to commit my heart and soul to being a cop. Because my wife partly grew up in the Denver area, I knew that Jefferson County (Jeffco) would provide the perfect opportunity for me and my family. I feel fortunate to be here and am very excited!
I am proud to join 29 other men and women who will become law enforcement officers for Arvada, Boulder County, Lone Tree, Vail, Ward, Westminster and Wheat Ridge. Some of us began pursuing different careers prior to choosing law enforcement and others have always wanted to work in this profession. On the first day of the academy, we had the privilege of meeting the Jefferson County staff that will direct the academy, as well as personnel from most of the agencies who have sent recruits here. They are all very professional and I know we will definitely learn from some of the best in the state.
To begin, we were able to introduce ourselves and share our backgrounds with one another. We also received instructions about the academy rules and our expectations. Although the training and work we will do is serious, I have appreciated the humor involved -- who knew cops were so funny? We jumped right into a classroom setting and have already been taught about stress management, wellness, and nutrition, which are so important because our minds and bodies must be in top condition to succeed in this job. We also learned many techniques in preventing crime, and how to accomplish this jointly with the communities in which we will work everyday.
Sergeant B., who helps oversee us, shared some extremely powerful words and experiences with us. He told us that we will have emotions that may be difficult to deal with, but we are brothers and sisters who will lean on each other for support. There is a certain image of cops that may be familiar to some, of being tough and not showing any emotions, but it is absolutely okay and necessary to get things off their chests and empty the skeletons from their closets. This is critical in moving forward in professional and personal life. He said "this job doesn't define us, we define the job." What we become is entirely up to us and the things in life we value like family and friends. I want to thank Sergeant B. for sharing his personal stories that will help us as the next generation of cops.....The next generation of warriors.
