Careers: Page 18

Get Your Life in Order

Everyone has seen movies where the drill sergeant storms into the barracks and tells the recruits how it's going to be. Some of us lived this. For me, it was at Ft. Dix, N.J. Well, what do you need to do to get through the police academy and the FTO period? Simple; what I was told and what I tell every recruit: Get your life in order!

Flash Your Way to Higher Academy Grades

Before every academy class I taught, recruits asked me how they could get better grades. Make time and study with your flash cards.

Learning to Speak Like a Cop

One of the most daunting tasks a recruit must undertake is learning and mastering the various languages that are spoken in policeland. How many languages does a cop speak? Quite a few; definitely more than two, to my mind.

First Impressions Count

You have waited for the announcement that your local agency is hiring officers. Then you see it in the newspaper. You cannot wait to make that application to become a cop! So you want to run down immediately to apply. Your enthusiasm is appreciated, but don't let it end your career before it starts. Stop, read the announcement carefully, and comply with what it directs you to do.

The Field Training Recruit’s Shopping List

Your department should tell you what it will issue to you. This prevents you from purchasing needless items and wasting your money. It should also tell you the items it recommends you have that it will not purchase for you. Finally, it should tell you what it prohibits you to have.

Recruit Tip: Have a Comfort Kit

Patrol duty can be really long and tiring. You will have headaches, minor injuries, heartburn, and you will spend a lot of time in weather that drives most people indoors for the night. You can make your life on the job a lot better by taking the time to pack and carry some little things that you are sure to need. Put a creature comfort kit in your bag. Why? It is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and have to pay $5 for a 25-cent item in a convenience store on

Your First Inspection

It is your first day on the job. You are going to be scrutinized by everyone. Your superiors are going to inspect you. You know this, but do you actually know what the first inspection is really going to be like? This will be a critical inspection for you and one that will set the tone for the rest of your patrol life.

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