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Names do not make you a cop. If you mature and conduct yourself as a seasoned officer, the title will eventually disappear from around you.
Read More →You are a rookie and sometimes you think it is best to stay quiet. You may have been told or maybe it was implied that you should sit down, shut up, and don't touch anything. This could be the worst advice of all. Sometimes it is best to speak up.
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The first year after your academy graduation is critical in building the foundation for the remainder of your career. A great deal of it starts with the personal relationships you build with your peers during your first year on the street.
Read More →We are riding around; you hear a street name go out on the radio. Tell me where that street is now! Give me a landmark close to the call as well. No, your grandmother's house does not count either.
Read More →To me, FTO stands for Fine Tuning Officer, not Fun Time Officer. If you are a recruit who thinks this is a chance for a good time, go to the local amusement park instead. FTO work is hard work; get used to it now.
Read More →Don't get your feelings hurt, but if you think your FTO won't mark up your first police report until it's bleeding red ink you're in for a surprise.
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So you're beginning your career in law enforcement and you want to position yourself now for the future. You wish to become a chief, sheriff, captain, or detective. But how do you prepare yourself today for that career that is 15 years down the road? Simple; today's planning will set your future's career path.
Read More →Have you ever asked a fellow officer where in the world they learned to do what they just did, and had them say in reply that they had been taught that in the academy? Or in some in-service class? Or had seen it in a training video? Here's one way that that happens.
Read More →There is not a cop alive who doesn't have a trunkful of good police war stories. In fact, I used to think the reason cops were invited to parties was for our great storytelling ability. But knowing when to use that ability is key.
Read More →There is an age old question that surfaces in this column of mine: How long will the FTO be my FTO? The first answer to this is that it depends on which phase of the training process you are in, but that is the incorrect answer. The real answer is, for life.
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