Please help me welcome Recruit Haleigh (pronounced Hay-lee). She is a member of the newest recruit class of Lakewood Agents. She and her classmates arrive at a time of great demands on law enforcement. Each has undertaken this journey knowing the realities their profession faces.
My name is Lakewood Police Department Recruit Haleigh. I am honored to be able to share my story and give you an inside
perspective of the 2016-2 Combined Regional Academy.
I am originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado and attended
the University of Northern Colorado where I received my Bachelor of Science
degree in Recreation and Tourism in 2010. Prior to joining the Lakewood Police
Department as a Recruit Agent, I was fortunate to serve as a Code Enforcement
Officer with the Englewood Police Department and as a Limited Commissioned
Ranger with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. To say law enforcement and public
service are in my blood would be an understatement as both my desire to “serve
and protect” and my passion for this field in general go far deeper than simple
genetics. Law enforcement is a fully enveloped lifestyle choice for me and I am
incredibly grateful to be here.
So why did I choose the Lakewood Police Department, do you
ask? Over ten years ago, I drove to Lakewood, Colorado for the first time to
visit a friend and immediately had one of those cliché moments that you see in
the movies, where everything just came together and “clicked”. I fell in love
with the city and all that it had to offer. Eventually, I was able to call Lakewood
“home” for the first time several years ago. That’s what led me to apply! What
better way to pursue my dream of becoming a certified peace officer than in a
city and department that I have nothing but utter respect and adoration for –
sounds like the best of both worlds, if you ask me.
Now, for the good stuff…the reason you are all here – the
inside perspective! The first week of the academy was an incredible, albeit
challenging, experience. As my fellow recruits and I (all forty-seven of us) filtered
through the doors on the first day – the mixture of nervous and excited energy
could quickly be felt throughout the classroom. While eagerly awaiting the
arrival of academy staff, I couldn’t help but feel an immense sense of pride. My
fellow recruits and I were about to embark on a twenty-two week adventure that
would not only try our own personal limitations, but also reinforce a unique
bond amongst ourselves that would eventually lead us to success as a team.
By the end of the week, we had experienced our fair share of
disciplinary running, two high-intensity CrossFit workouts, an initial fitness
test, and more classroom-based material than I think any of us were 100% ready
for. Our curriculum thus far has included: Ethics and Anti-biased Policing,
Criminal Code (Articles 1 and 2), Crime Prevention, Criminal Process, Stress
Management, and Law Enforcement Organizations. Each morning, we line up in
formation for inspection to ensure our boots are shined and our uniforms are properly
pressed with no visible lint or imperfections. During this time, we also review
presented material with Academy Director Philip Baca from the previous days’
lectures and collectively recite our class motto.
At the beginning of our second week, we completed our first
exam. While many of the recruits did exceptionally well – others ended up in
that “palm-to-face” situation where, no matter how hard they may have studied,
some of the questions still tripped them up. The academy staff means it when
they say this program will be one of the hardest things we will ever endure!
Despite the sore muscles and information overload, however,
the discipline and strict policies of the academy truly are implemented for a
reason. The staff pushes us all to our limits and beyond, and rightfully so, as
they know exactly what it takes to be successful in the law enforcement field.
My fellow recruits and I came here as individuals, but we will leave in December
as brothers and sisters in blue (and green!) with a unique story to tell and a
sense of accomplishment that can only come by facing the trials and hardships
of this program head-on. This process is by no means meant to be easy. It is
designed to challenge the very core of each and every recruit so that by the
end, we will have respectively earned
the right to be called peace officers with our respective agencies – and I
believe I speak for all of us when I say we take that title seriously.
Stay tuned next week for another blog from one of my fellow
recruits!
