ABSTRACT
The police academy was what I expected, a paramilitary environment that commanded the respect and discipline needed to do the job as a police officer.
Welcome to the Police Academy .......................................................................... 1 To Serve and Protect .............................................................................................. 5 Police Culture: Training to Survive the Streets ................................................... 8 Seven “Cs” of Street Survival ................................................................................. 9 Imminence of Violence: Responding to Internal and External Stimuli ........ 10 Gut Feeling (the Sixth Sense) .............................................................................. 10 Police Chief Kent Williams ................................................................................. 12 Time Increments on the Job ................................................................................ 12
One to Four Years on the Job in Law Enforcement (4-Year Time Frame) ...................................................................................... 12 Five to Ten Years on the Job in Law Enforcement (5-Year Time Frame) ...................................................................................... 13 Eleven to Seventeen Years on the Job in Law Enforcement (6-Year Time Frame) ......................................................................................................14 Seventeen to Twenty-Five Years on the Job in Law Enforcement (7-Year Time Frame) ........................................................................................14 Twenty-Six to Thirty-Three Years on the Job (8-Year Time Frame) ......... 15
Technology ............................................................................................................ 15 Camaraderie: “All for One-One for All, Officers Bond When They Share Risk” ..............................................................................................................16 Supervisors .............................................................................................................18 Police Management and Administration .......................................................... 19 Acknowledgment .................................................................................................. 20 References .............................................................................................................. 20
I loved the classroom environment, military-like instructions, and formalities. A large book of rules and regulations, followed by policies and procedures, was handed out the first day of class. This book is the virtual bible for every police officer, from the first day at the police academy to the last day on the job. The police recruits are instructed to sign a release form stating that they have received his copy of the general orders. In signing their names, they are acknowledging that they will read, understand, and do what is expected of them at all times, on and off duty. Signing the release form protects the police department from liability. Just like the law, ignorance of what is required by the officer is not an excuse. When new orders are written, they either incorporate police formalities that have not been dealt with before or update outdated orders to reflect what police are experiencing today. Any and all infractions that involve police misconduct are specifically addressed, from minor infractions that can be handled with verbal and/or written warnings to more serious infractions involving escalating levels of discipline or from verbal and/or written warnings to time off, suspension, or possible firing.
