I... Failed?

Please welcome Recruit Vanessa. In this entry, she discusses the high level of academic achievement required  of each recruit.

I sat in my assigned seat during the first week of the Police Academy and listened to the policies and procedures over and over again. Virtually every week there would be an exam. Passing is 80 percent. We were told multiple times that it would be highly frowned upon to flirt with an eighty, let alone get a lower grade.  We would be required to attend remedial sessions if we failed a test. We would also be subject to expulsion from our agencies if we stumbled more than a time or two.  As a recruit we should “strive for perfection, accept excellence,” and we are reminded of that every day by the plaque that hangs in the room.  The instructors drilled this into our heads over and over again; I thought to myself “that will never be me.” I would never fail a test, and I certainly would not forget anything.

The following Monday morning we sat down to take the test. I felt very comfortable and confident. I had studied a good amount on my weekend and I felt ready.  I answer all 50 questions and hit the green FINISH button, expecting to see “Congratulations, you passed.”

Nope. Instead, it stated something along the lines of, “I’m sorry, but you did not answer enough questions correctly.” My stomach sank. I was devastated.  I wanted to cry, but “there’s no crying in baseball” and there is certainly no crying at the Police Academy.  The realization sets in….. This Academy is going to be hard. I might actually fail.

I was sad and embarrassed that I did so poorly on the first test.  I knew the grades were going to be posted in the classroom, so there was no reason to hide from my failure.  Instead, I learned from my disappointment and knew that I needed to change.  I needed to adjust my studying skills and change my time management.  I knew that I could not do everything, and I knew now that I could not do it alone.  Who came to my rescue? My colleagues and my significant other.

I was always a person who never asked for help.  I always wanted to do everything on my own.  I thought that I was going to be able to give more time to my family at home.  But, I learned that, with the hour drive there and back from the academy building I was very short on time in the day.  I could no longer keep the house as clean as I would like it.  I could no longer make dinner every night.  I could no longer sit and watch my favorite shows.  I learned that these small indulgences in my life, ones that made me happy and made me feel useful, would be set aside for a while. 

 

My boyfriend saw my frustration.  He saw me going to bed at night exhausted.  He took it on himself to start doing more chores around the house. He started helping with the dishes, the grocery shopping, and the vacuuming.  I have learned that life doesn’t stop when you enter the Police Academy.  If anything, the six hours that I used to be able to spend on “my life” is now squeezed into two hours.  Having the support of my family to help me manage my “life” is priceless.

To tackle the academic issue, I went to the recruit who received the highest score on the test.  I asked her if we could have a small study group on Saturdays.  Without even a second thought she said, “Of course.”  Since the first week, a small group of recruits meet in a library every Saturday and go over course material.  With their help I have been able to dominate the tests.  The other Lakewood recruits have also helped me to stay positive.  We all seek each other out after the tests, making sure that we all passed.  The group of Lakewood recruits watch out of each other.  We have even started a “friendship dinner.”  We all try to meet up once a month for dinner with our significant others.  We are truly starting to become a family.  We will not let each other fail, and I am thankful for each and every one of them. 

A Fish In A Big Pond

Please welcome Lakewood Police Recruit Loren. He compares and contrasts his military experience with the rigors of civilian police academy training.

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.”

― Heraclitus

It has been nine years since the last time I attended a police academy. I was only nineteen years old then, young, inexperienced, and with the exception of high school, I hadn't really done much. I graduated from Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy, but following graduation I decided to put my law enforcement dreams on hold.

Recruit Loren during his Army years

I worked odd jobs here and there including a handful of security positions, professional mixed martial arts as well as a few years delivering furniture. I eventually went back to college at the University of South Florida and earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Criminal Justice while concurrently being part of the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps. I felt a deep calling to serve my country so I signed a four year contract with the Army and was commissioned as an officer. The next handfuls of years were an absolute blur; a metaphorical tornado of time, mixing pain and awesome memories in a nearly indescribable whirlwind of maturing.

During my military tenure (Light Infantry) I jumped out of a few planes, learned how to thoroughly PowerPoint stuff, and lead people in stressful conditions. I learned a lot about life and myself; while also trusted with extreme responsibility and millions of dollars of equipment. I met amazing people / leaders, worked long hours, and carried heavy weight long distances in unforgiving terrain. Looking back, I wouldn't trade the experience for the world. It was the uncomfortable path of the warrior and there is nothing I am more proud of in my life so far. (Especially knowing that I made a difference as a Platoon Leader).

Fast forward four years and I was promoted to Captain. My Army contract was about to be up and I knew it was my time to move on. The Army was great to me while it lasted, but I knew my next career step. I wanted to become a peace officer. I was a different man than when I was nineteen.

I resigned my Army commission and focused all my energy on getting hired. After researching all the departments in Colorado, Lakewood looked to be everything I was looking for.

I wanted to surround myself with top notch, like-minded people who are there to make a positive difference. People who strived to be the best and Lakewood was without a doubt it. After months of withstanding strenuous hiring testing got the awesome news. I was offered a position as a recruit at the Combined Regional Academy class 2015-03. I can't begin to explain how lucky I felt and still feel today. There were hundreds of initial applicants and eight of us got the conditional job offer in the end. Enough incoherent recruit rambling...off to the academy.

Arrest Control Classroom

Week zero – All Lakewood personnel came in a week prior to the official start date in order to ensure we were ready to start the following week. In my opinion, this prep week speaks volumes about the department. The academy hadn't even started yet and the instructors were doing everything in their power to set us up for success.

We got sized for uniforms, completed admin / benefits paperwork, received various blocks of instruction, and got issued temporary identification badges. After day two, I realized I made the right department decision. Every person that I met was intelligent, ethical, humble, and genuine. The best part of all was that they all had common sense. We also got that Friday off for admin time. This was a great time to buy the only four items that are not provided by Lakewood - duty weapon (your choice of Glock 17 or M&P 9mm with optional mounted light), holster, magazine pouch, and black boots that need to be shine-able.

I purchased the Glock 17 (from Neves), TLR1 light, Safariland Level II 6280 holster, Safariland Model 79 magazine pouch (from Amazon), and Danner boots (the department generously contributes $150 towards boots).

As for the academy instructors, they were wealths of knowledge and innate teachers. There was no yelling, no mind games, and no one was hoping that you fail. You were given enough time to eat lunch casually, breaks every hour and if you stay late you actually got compensated for it. I went home to my awesome wife and dogs with a huge smile on my face every night. Having a set schedule is amazing compared to what I was used to.

Tip - From the date of conditional hire to week zero - You should STUDY LAKEWOOD GEOGRAPHY (Street Rotation attached). You are expected to know the full street rotations by heart. If I could do one thing different, I would have started studying geography months ago. Once the academy starts your primary focus will be on the weekly tests. Study geography before this happens. I currently feel like a hypostomus plecostomus (sucker fish – remember, I’m from Florida) thrown into a tank full of algae. It is going to be awhile before I don't feel like an overwhelmed rookie in this million gallon figurative fish tank of law enforcement knowledge.

Week One - Academically it was like drinking from a fire hose. There were forty-four of us, all from different walks of life, and all there to accomplish the same dream.

Right place, right time, right uniform, right attitude, week one was easy stuff in my opinion.

Typical days start with inspection formation at 0745 and conclude at 1700. During the first week we learned the rules of the academy, were personally welcomed by the Chief, got issued / ordered our gear, conducted physical training, and had eight blocks of instruction. The overall quality of people truly surpassed my expectations.

I do remember throwing up (a little, I’m not gonna lie) as a result of attempting to win the PT test. Unfortunately, I ended up getting 2^nd, but no excuses.

Tip - Week one - Prepare for the PT test / acclimate your body to the high altitude. The PT test consists of a quarter mile run, 40 air squats (you sit on a medicine ball to ensure proper form), 30 situps, 20 pushups, 10 pull ups. You take this pt test three times total throughout the academy and the first one is on day one. Most of the work outs are body weight crossfit workouts with minimal running.

We have a lot more training to look forward to. It will be interesting for me (and, I hope, you) to see how a couple more months has changed, tempered or reinforced my initial impressions. Check back!