Careers: Page 11

What Rattles Your Cage?

Every recruit has their inner fears or phobias. They must be addressed and not suppressed. Much like the monster that was under your bed as a child, they will haunt you.

Rookie Shopping Sprees

Rookies will buy nearly anything without the trifecta of questions that every young cop should ask themselves before a purchase.

How to Handle an APE Situation

Every department has had one or so, and will continue to have them. I'm not talking about a commissioner's kid getting a parking ticket. The commissioner's kid is arrested for a felony and the media is swirling.

Avoid Being Identified As A Cop

Telling a story about your most recent call, as others listen within ear shot, gives two ideas. Either you are a young cop or a 'mall ninja' who has overdosed on police shows.

Know Your Limitations

One of my former defensive tactics instructors taught me a valuable lesson about sizing up an opponent. He asked me if I had ever seen a Japanese tea cup and what is different about it?

Japanese tea cup. Photo via Flickr.com (angelcandy.baby).

How to Get Along In a Department

It is a common rookie mistake to think just because you're now a copper with the uniform and shield, you're special. Don't ever fool yourself; the department's staff is what keeps you rolling.

Layoffs and Reality

Follow what's going on with your employer. Maybe you don't live in the municipality, so you haven't been paying attention. Start paying attention, when the words "budget shortfalls" and "layoffs" come over the news, sit up and pay attention. You may be forced to make some tough decisions.

Little Things To Make Patrol Life Easier

Experience is probably the best teacher in the category of little things that can be a pain in the day at work. The academy instructors maybe mentioned a few and you should have observed your Field Training Officer (FTO), but some things just seem to slip by.

Mall Ninjas

The Mall Ninja will seek the attention of the unwary public. They obtain weird, black T-shirts that have FBI, DEA, Narcotics and SWAT on the back. Then they parade around in the public with them on for all to gaze upon. They are not cops; they are wanna-bes or pseudo cops.

Plan For an Unexpected Assault

You have read about the alarming and ever increasing ambush assaults on police officers. Whether you are on the job, in the academy, or on vacation you should have a plan. Police officers train for the active shooter call but what happens if you are the target in the hot zone?

Not Everything Will Get You Killed

"If you do this or that you will get killed." I have heard this statement millions of times. Every officer has. It becomes meaningless to us all when it is overused.

Policing Fads

Learn as much as you can from veteran officers and their experiences - both good and bad - about why we now do what we do.

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