Posted: 6/22/2006 7:37:10 PM EDT
......and it was a blast. I'm sure by larger city standards it was a sleeper of a shift, but I had a great time. My FTO is introducing me to everything at a great pace and I'm loving it. Did plenty of basic work with the radio, plenty of driving, cut some parking tickets, a bunch of interviewing on a complaint, and even a traffic stop for speeding  .Like I said, something to laugh at for the big-city cops, but a good training time for me. Tomorrow I get to do it all over again. 
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LOL...I can sort of remember my first day more than 8 years ago. Hell, for my first year or so I would have done the job for free, I hated when it was time to go off duty, and despised being off. Luckily I realized it's great to love your job but that I needed a life besides police work. |
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Good deal. All good advice so far. Don't be fooled, the "sleepy" towns can get the worst fusterclucks. The real moment of truth comes when you are off FTO and in the car alone for the first time.  Good luck in your training. Watch your partners backs and keep those eyes in the back of your head at all times. NorCal |
Yep....that's why I'm trying as hard as I can to remember everything crucial my FTO is telling me, so I don't freeze up or have no idea what to do when I'm out patrolling alone. Thanks for the advice all.
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My 2nd day of patrol (after 4 months of F.T.O.) I was involved in a fatal shooting in a very sleepy little small town. Just because it is a small town don't think for a minute shit can't happen. Be careful and have fun! |
Don't get your hopes up. Shit, after a few hundred parkers you'll be itching for a hot call. I don't want to point my gun at people either but when I have to............  . I remember my first one, first day of FTO third call. I/C times two, stolen vehicle. God I miss the big city sometimes. Did I just say that?!?! Edit: What uberjaeger said! |
Hidden mikes? I wish we had some wiz bang stuff like that. Good luck to you and for me it has only got better from my first day a few months or so ago. I am lucky enough that I get to go through FTO twice I am in it now and when I get back from Iraq in 07 I get to start all over again. |
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My first shift working alone I worked a murder... I discovered the body at a park-n-ride... Literally found it in the first 15 minutes of my first ever shift... First police "action" I ever performed... And back then you were allowed to work for a while before you completed the academy. I had a little time riding before I got hired but was basically thrown in a car and told good luck at that point. Oh, and I worked for a sleepy little town with a population of around 2200 at the time. Sleepy little towns don't offer the call volume or experience level that a larger jurisdiction offers in the same amount of time but crazy stuff still happens. Be careful and have fun! 
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My second shift (paid full time, I was a reserve in a big city before that) in a small town (population 6400) I was involved in a drug search warrant at a residence with a subject trying to run down one of our task force guys in a camaro, officer put two rounds into the car while rolling off the hood, managed to get one round into the drivers back shoulder. We pursued for about 9 1/2 miles before his engine blew and we took him and his GF into custody. Always wear your vest and be careful, welcome to LE. |
I'm confused, weren't you at the college career fair 2 months ago? archive.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=75&t=452063 They must put you guys though the academy pretty fast to be in FTO that quick... Am I missing something? 
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I'm a reserve officer, though our department works a tad different and allows reserves to work 40+ hours a week and go on patrol and what not. As you may imagine, the reserve course is brief compared to the real deal. I went through 3 weeks of academy time and now am finishing up 2 weeks of FTO time. The full-time academy is an 18+ week process. |