Week 18 – Recruit Fratto

Week 18 started out relatively quiet and ended with a lot of anxiety and hate towards a certain item we will be carrying on our belts. That item I speak of is our O.C. Spray (pepper spray) and Friday was our O.C. Practical where we get sprayed.

Monday through Wednesday we had three full class days on crime scenes. Everything from photography to DNA collection to fingerprinting and sketching out a crime scene. We were given such a wealth of information that I hope I can retain it all when I get thrown into that situation. Crime scenes are somewhat difficult, you have to be careful of what you track in and out so that you don't contaminate the scene. The last thing you want as an officer is to let a suspect run free because you contaminated the scene, and that evidence wasn't admissible in court.

Thursday was our first review for the P.O.S.T. Test. (Peace Officers Standards and Training) Like I said in the previous blog, we received our study guides--all 300 + pages of it--and are all hard at work getting in as much time as possible. I was quite nervous at first, as I was scoring below what I thought I should be on the practice tests. But as Director Baca says “repetition is the key to success.” He was right. After getting through the study guide a couple times, my test scores dramatically improved and so did my confidence on taking this test. As of today, the test is only 23 days away, and all the recruits can't wait to score well, and move on to their respective agencies.

So, as I stated above, Friday was O.C. Day. I think it is a great thing that we get exposure to our Tasers, and O.C. It helps us articulate in court that, “yes” we do know how it feels, and that it was reasonable and appropriate for us to us that tool. Also if our tool is ever turned against us, we can articulate why we had to use a force above that to protect our lives. 

Now back in Week 1, I marked two dates on the calender. One was Taser Day and the second was O.C. Day. There is always a debate about which one is worse, and that is still debated throughout our class. But I can honestly say that I would take the Taser any day over getting sprayed! The Taser is over in 5 seconds, but being sprayed is truly “the gift that keeps on giving!” My face felt on fire for hours after my exposure, and just when I thought I was in the clear, my shower reactivated the O.C.! So the conclusion is that I'll take the Taser any day over O.C. Spray.

Only 22 days until the P.O.S.T. Exam, and 24 days til graduation. This Academy had really flown by, and before we know it we will be getting our badges pinned on, and getting on with our careers!