Week 12—Recruit Steinmetz

 Week 12 was a great week. We started off with another exam, which went really well. Tuesday and Thursday were our normal days of arrest control and firearms training. Each time we go to the gun range we have the opportunity to run through the POST exam, and I must say, the improvements our entire class is making is easy to see. Everyone has been practicing their combat reloads and misfire manipulations and it shows. Our speed is up and our movements are becoming more and more efficient.

The week’s arrest control training offered our first lessons in fighting. For some of us, it was our first experience sparring with a punching bag. We also focused our attention on the importance of gun retention. We learned ways to keep others from grabbing our guns and how to take guns away from someone else. While I certainly understand the seriousness of what we’re learning, it felt a bit “James Bond-like” practicing these particular skills.

On Wednesday, we all reported in our Class A uniforms for the first time. While each department has different uniforms, and some need to be tailored, we all looked and felt extremely professional. After Director Baca gave us a thorough inspection, we spent the rest of the day busy in the most realistic and beneficial scenario we have had yet to date.

We started by answering an initial call--an armed robbery in progress. Then, as we worked to complete the paperwork involved in this first scenario, we had to respond to various other calls. It was clear that the day’s purpose was to practice what it was like to write an accurate report while continuing to perform our normal duties – one of which required that we drive a marked squad car. Now that was truly awesome. It was a tough exercise, but it was great to way for us to put everything we’ve learned together. It demonstrated how law enforcement definitely involves multitasking! 

We wrapped up the week with classroom lectures on traffic code, computer crimes, and fraud. While these classes are not as exciting as driving a patrol car or practicing specific arrest control techniques, they are still very important. These sessions build our overall knowledge for the law and remind us that our job will be a great deal of routine punctuated by moments of great excitement.