Week 9--Recruit Fratto

The theme of this week is perseverance, how fitting with what we are going through as a class this week.  

Up to this point in the academy we have been doing a pretty good job of policing each other. Agent Ruybal warned us about getting complacent when we start to get comfortable, and think we are doing everything right. 

This week two recruits left their lockers open in one day. Now the reaction they got from staff was a bit funny, just not the punishment we received as a team. The first recruit had his jacket and keys taken by someone who wrote him a fake “ransom letter” on how to get it back while the second recruit who left his locker open after we had  just had a 20-minute lecture on not getting complacent and doing that, had a bucket full of paper shreddings left in his locker. Again, somewhat comical, but the punishment wasn't. 

On Wednesday we had to not only run down to the pole and back with 25- to 45-pound weights (depending on our size) over our heads, but carry that weight around for the rest of the day. Wherever we went, it went! The point is that if you want to get complacent, and do this job at 50%, someone is going to have to pick up your slack, or in this case, your “weight.” I think after a day of that, LESSON LEARNED!

On Tuesday and Thursday, we had our now normal Arrest Control and Firearms. Both classes keep adding more and more techniques, and while I don’t get to see both squads, I have to say everyone is doing a good job keeping up. Just when you think your brain can’t take any more learning, we learn something new. We surprise ourselves every time with how much we retain.

On Friday we had our 9th test, and last one until we get a much-needed week off from testing! Everyone passed, and Director Baca brought us in doughnuts again! (I know non-law enforcement readers are now stereotyping)

Lastly, I want to talk about our workout for Friday. We did the “James Davies Memorial” workout. James worked for Lakewood, and was a very good friend of our P.T. instructors. After hearing the instructors tell us about what kind of police officer James was, I think we could all aspire to be ½ the officer he was. It made all of us take a lot of pride in doing this workout, and you could tell it’s the hardest we have all worked. It also reminds us that this job has a lot of dangers, and that the people who do it and risk their lives are truly special.   TRUE BLUE HERO – JAMES DAVIES 1899 – EOW 11-9-12

After persevering through the first part of this week, I am happy to say we all made it and we are on to Week 10. Slowly but surely closing in on the halfway mark! 



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