[AGENT-006]

Hey guys. Im joining the police academy in January..well im testing in january to get in for february lol im ecstatic! I am ready for the challenge ahead and trying to best prepare myself for anything coming my way..i know theres a lot of Leos on this forum..any tips for me going into the academy?

[CHMSC]

I am applying as well. Make sure you are in shape and ready to be yelled at a lot! Lol I have been taking criminal justice classes that will help with learning the laws and such, plus give me a degree. Make sure you own a gun and know how to handle it and shoot proficiently.

I know a lot of LEO's from the classes and ride alongs. I would suggest going on a few ride alongs before the academy to get used to what you are going to be doing.

Good luck!!

[19K3SS]

Start physical conditioning now.

Get in the right mindset. Depending on how para-military your academy is, it can be stressful for those not prepared to be yelled at. If you can't handle the instructors yelling at you, you won't be able to handle people on the street yelling at you.

Don't go in thinking you know everything. You need to be receptive to all the information you will be getting. If you think you know it already and block out what they are teaching you, you won't last. You may make it past the academy, but you'll wash out on the job.

Chances are, they'll train you the way they want you to shoot. If you develop bad habits in the way you handle firearms before the academy, it'll make it harder for you to learn their way.

They should also tell you what gear you need, so don't go buying all kinds of crazy things now that you won't use. Same goes for whatever department you end up working for. What you can use at one might not be accepted at another.

Don't go buying up all kinds of gear and wear it around thinking you are the police. And along with that, don't go around telling people you are the police. Eventually someone will call you out on it and it could be a bad guy. (We were issued cheap gun belts when I went through the academy. One recruit liked to wear his grocery shopping, with his red gun too. Bad decision on his part, since one of the instructors shops at the same store. Lucky for him, the instructor ran into him before someone w/ a grudge against cops.)

Don't put yourself into a situation that could end your career before it starts. Along with the point above, if you find yourself in a situation, don't tell the police you are an officer. You will get called out on it. I've been out on a suspicious vehicle call where the occupant was wearing a police hat, had a flash light, etc. However, he did not have corresponding ID. Then he tried claiming he was in the academy, which then turned into he applied for it, which then turned into he called a friend of a guy who went into the academy to find out what he needs to do to get into it.

Prepare your family, not just yourself. Long days of training, weekends, studying when you get home, etc, can put a lot of stress on the home front. My academy was 16 weeks. My marriage almost became a victim of it.

If you are putting yourself through the academy, as opposed to already being hired by a department, you want to excel. The career field is competitive. Any edge you have over the competition may move you up higher on the hiring lists.

You have to be better than a lawyer if you want to win your cases. You have to be a mediator, a counselor, a shoulder to cry on, a ear to hear the citizens' concerns, the fall guy that people direct their attitude toward. You'll be someone's hero, and a target to the next guy. The academy is going to teach you the basics in how to do the job and how to stay alive while doing it. It'll be up to you to take it all in and build on it to be successful.

[CHMSC]

Originally Posted by 19K3SS

Start physical conditioning now.

Get in the right mindset. Depending on how para-military your academy is, it can be stressful for those not prepared to be yelled at. If you can't handle the instructors yelling at you, you won't be able to handle people on the street yelling at you.

Don't go in thinking you know everything. You need to be receptive to all the information you will be getting. If you think you know it already and block out what they are teaching you, you won't last. You may make it past the academy, but you'll wash out on the job.

Chances are, they'll train you the way they want you to shoot. If you develop bad habits in the way you handle firearms before the academy, it'll make it harder for you to learn their way.

They should also tell you what gear you need, so don't go buying all kinds of crazy things now that you won't use. Same goes for whatever department you end up working for. What you can use at one might not be accepted at another.

Don't go buying up all kinds of gear and wear it around thinking you are the police. And along with that, don't go around telling people you are the police. Eventually someone will call you out on it and it could be a bad guy. (We were issued cheap gun belts when I went through the academy. One recruit liked to wear his grocery shopping, with his red gun too. Bad decision on his part, since one of the instructors shops at the same store. Lucky for him, the instructor ran into him before someone w/ a grudge against cops.)

Don't put yourself into a situation that could end your career before it starts. Along with the point above, if you find yourself in a situation, don't tell the police you are an officer. You will get called out on it. I've been out on a suspicious vehicle call where the occupant was wearing a police hat, had a flash light, etc. However, he did not have corresponding ID. Then he tried claiming he was in the academy, which then turned into he applied for it, which then turned into he called a friend of a guy who went into the academy to find out what he needs to do to get into it.

Prepare your family, not just yourself. Long days of training, weekends, studying when you get home, etc, can put a lot of stress on the home front. My academy was 16 weeks. My marriage almost became a victim of it.

If you are putting yourself through the academy, as opposed to already being hired by a department, you want to excel. The career field is competitive. Any edge you have over the competition may move you up higher on the hiring lists.

You have to be better than a lawyer if you want to win your cases. You have to be a mediator, a counselor, a shoulder to cry on, a ear to hear the citizens' concerns, the fall guy that people direct their attitude toward. You'll be someone's hero, and a target to the next guy. The academy is going to teach you the basics in how to do the job and how to stay alive while doing it. It'll be up to you to take it all in and build on it to be successful.

Well put. I would still suggest shooting a gun and getting used to it. There are a lot of people who have never shot one and it could possibly scare them. There are tons of good courses to take at your local gun range, which are usually taught by LEO's. Not saying you need to be a world class sniper but it wouldn't hurt to be familiar with how to properly handle a firearm.

[AGENT-006]

thanks guys!
i do own a firearm..i have a glock 17 which is what the local pd in my town uses. I am quite good at shooting and handling it. I am very careful with my weapon.
I am in pretty good shape. Im 5'8 and about 145 pounds. I can jump fences and walls, and i recently just started working on my cardio so i am able to run in better shape lol

and i definitely will not claim being an officer before i ever am.

Im also beginning to now study for the POST test.