Week Two - Recruit Sebastian

We continued to be in suit and tie for men and the equivalent for women. We were all looking forward to Friday, the day our uniforms were supposed to arrive. We are really starting to gel as a team and roll call in the morning is more of a lint roll line-up as most of us have pets at home that love to say goodbye in the morning. A big thank you to Recruit Kuhns, our former Marine Sergeant Major, who was able to whip us into shape in no time during his time as Class Leader. Although we are still in business attire, most of us are wearing our boots. Most of them look great and the spit shine on the toe has to resemble a mirror like finish. Over the weekend, I had to completely strip my boots and start all over as most of the polish cracked in a variety of places. A little hint to those starting the academy soon; start wearing your boots as soon as you get them and then start to apply the spit polish. If you do not, you might be in the same boat as me.

We also had three Wellness sessions this week, which were intense. 150 wall balls, hundreds of push-ups, as well as pull-ups have really taken its toll. There never is a day I do not feel like a truck hit me on the way home. However, it is exactly what I need as I was not in as great of shape I wished I would have been in when I started the Academy. On a side note, make sure you are in the best shape you can be. Prepare yourself physically and do not let that slip during your career. Many officers stop working out after the academy. Not only will it help you when you have to chase down a bad guy, but it will also allow you to enjoy your retirement. Due to the stress of the job, many police officers die from heart attacks and do not even make it to retirement. We also learned during PT that we do not leave our fellow recruits behind and finish together as a team, no matter what.

Aside from teamwork, discipline and attention to detail are very important in the Law Enforcement profession. Throughout the day we get little reminders in the form of push-ups and/or air squats to remind us of that fact. For the classroom, we continued at lightning speed and touched on subjects such as Search and Seizures, Community Policing, and Ethics. Some days, I feel like my head is going to explode with all of the information we have to fit in there in such a short period of time. At the same time, the instructors as well as your classmates are always willing and prepared to help should you need a hand.

Friday marked the second test and suffice it to say that all of us passed. Friday also marked the day that we would wear our business attire for the last time. All of our Academy uniforms and PT gear came. All of us were like little kids on Christmas morning when we unpacked all of our new stuff. Moreover, the instructors appointed new class leaders and squad leaders. We also came up with an award, which we found abandoned in a park during our Community Policing field trip. We decided to name it for all intensive purposes ‘The Captain Obvious Award’. You can all probably figure out to whom such a prestigious honor would be bestowed upon. 2 weeks down, 20 to go.