Week 1--Recruit Magor

Week 1—Recruit Magor

I would like to tell you a little about myself, my name is Clayton Magor and I am a recruit in the Combined Regional Training Academy. I have worked as a civilian for Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office for close to two years with a small gap in the middle.

My family and I made a decision to move away from Colorado and try out Florida. Long story short, we decided Florida living was not for us. Truly, I missed the Sheriff’s Office. So I applied for the Regional Academy and was presented with a wonderful opportunity to return to my old position and start the Academy this month.

Here I am today, headed down the path I have desired since I went on my first ride along with my father. I have lived most my life in Arvada, Colorado. I went to school at Red Rocks Community College and Colorado Mesa University studying criminal justice. Needless to say, I am honored and humbled to be sitting in the seat I am in.

Jefferson County Recruits had a two-day orientation before the official start date to acquaint us with the Sheriff’s Office.  We were fitted for uniforms and body armor. Trying on a ballistic vest for the first time made me consider the severity of the career as a deputy.

Day 1 started July 13, 2015. We started the day off with introduction about ourselves. Ten different agencies have combined for this academy with a total of 44 recruits, 10 of which are working for Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

We did a physical fitness test that consisted of a 400 meter run, 40 squats, 30 sit ups, 20 pushups and 10 pull ups. The goal was to complete this test as quickly as possible. Every recruit finished strong and we all helped motivate each other. I have never done CrossFit in the past, but after this workout I see exactly why the Regional Academy uses this style of training. These workouts will push us not only physically, but mentally to keep fighting till the end. There are times in this career we may have to push ourselves until backup comes or we get the situation calmed down.

Director Baca gave a lecture on Criminal Code Articles 1 and 2, which I might add was one of the most interesting classes I have taken. Director Baca has a special way to keep the class laughing and alert while learning difficult material. The rest of week our focus was on ethics, learning in high stress environments, criminal process, crime prevention and problem solving. This is very different from your typical criminal justice college class; one day of class in the Regional Academy feels equivalent to five days in a college course.

Line inspections are foreign to most of us; however Recruit Schultz took charge as the team leader. He was a natural with his 23 years of military experience. We went from a scary mess to neat order in no time. Over the weekend I’m certain that we will all be studying very hard for our first test Monday morning. In this career, camaraderie is essential. After only five days in class we have already developed a close-knit team and will remain that way for the next 21 weeks of training and beyond into our careers.