Learning and Working Hard

Everything is going really well! We get to do arrest control and firearms training twice a week now, which is helping us develop hands-on skills we need. Arrest control is really interesting and fun too. We have been learning lots of holds and takedowns to use if necessary. Last week we got out our handcuffs for the first time and learned how to "hook" someone up as they say in the law enforcement world. This was neat because handcuffs will be one of our most frequently used tools as cops. One thing we have learned is that it is good to break in your cuffs before using them. The ones issued to most of us are very stiff and unkind to our wrists.

Shooting at the range is a blast (no pun intended). Our instructors are very experienced and are there to give us good advice and teach us new techniques during each range session. A benefit of this academy is that we have instructors from many departments within the county rather than from just one department. This means that we get some of the best from the entire Denver metro area. I definitely have some of the least experience in my range group but I am quickly learning and will continue to improve. I will try to post some pictures from the range soon.

Things are definitely continuing to pick up. The written tests have been more frequent and challenging and PT has definitely been increasing in intensity. Today, we did a modified (quite modified) version of a Navy SEALs workout but it was still very tough. We were told afterwards by Deputy Joselyn that this workout gives us a good idea of where we are at physically and what we need to work on. Boy is he right and I have lots of work to do. We will eventually work up to this full workout or at least close to it I think. In PT we have been working on improving both our cardio and strength. We continue to be challenged every single day both mentally and physically. We need to be tough in both categories.

Dealing with Bad Guys

A few weeks ago we began what is called arrest control. It is defined as the degree of influence you have to exert over a subject to take him or her safely into custody. We have learned about the levels of control, which range from showing up to a situation to using lethal force if necessary. We have also learned about the different types of resistance exhibited by people we will come across. As law enforcement officers we can expect to quickly go from a professional stance to a combat stance in order to defend ourselves or take action. The best way to learn this is of course is to practice, which is exactly what we get to do.

We have learned different strikes, holds, and take-downs to use in order to gain control over suspects and we get to perform all of these on each other. Essentially we take turns being the good guys and bad guys. It is amazing how many new muscles are used and abused. I think we were all sore for a little while. We didn't have any arrest control classes last week and I think all of our muscles, arms, and legs are healed.....just in time to do it again this week. This is very physical training and contributes to the top-notch shape we need to obtain and maintain. This training is critical to our survival and is taken very seriously by all of the instructors and recruits.

Being who I Want to Be

For this entry I want to share some of my feelings about who I want to be during my career as a law enforcement officer in the state of Colorado. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to attend this academy. I know we are receiving more training than is actually required by the state. I want to be sure not to take this or future training for granted.

I want to be teachable in the academy and throughout my career. There are many experienced individuals employed by Jefferson County and its cities, and I can already see that they want me to be sucessful. For example, I have less experience with firearms than almost everyone else in my class, but my fellow recruits constantly ask me how I am doing with shooting and the instructors constantly keep an eye on me to make sure I improve. With learning I must be open to feedback and constructive criticism. One day I hope to be in a position where I can share my knowledge with others.

As a deputy sheriff, I also want to set a good example for those around me including fellow deputies and officers, and citizens of this county. I will be honest in my dealings with them and hold myself to the highest standards. Hopefully I can encourage those around me to do the same, which will help maintain a great place to work and live for everyone.

I pledge to be reliable in my career. I want to be there for others no matter the situation or time of day. Others will know they can count on me for help. I will keep my word and follow through on my commitments. I know this will require constant attention and work but will be worth it. The biggest thing for me to remember is to do the right thing all of the time and I will be the deputy and I intend to be.