It's amazing how quickly 8 years has come and gone. 8 years ago I was in 9th grade. 8 years ago getting my Driver's License was only a year away. 8 years ago the world changed.
I lost my cousin on the 104th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. They didn't find much of him to bring home to my Aunt and Uncle. My Uncle on the other side of my family almost went down there, but it was just his luck that he was off that day. Each year it has gotten better and better, and I keep thinking about how some of the things this county set out to do never really got done, and it all boils down to this question: "Where is Osama?" I mean, Afghanistan is not exactly the largest or most populous nation in the world. I'm sure we could have turned that country upside down by now to find him, or any neighboring country for that matter. As Robin Williams said, "He's a 6 foot 5 Arab on Dialysis.... why is that so fucking hard to find?"
In any matter, despite the anniversary of that date I conducted business as usual. Wrote some tickets, went to some calls, did a few checks, sat checkpoint, and over the course of the week I've lost 3 pounds, which makes me only 6 pounds shy of my goal of 185. By no means am I heavy, nor have I ever been over 200 pounds, but I'd like to be as fit as I can be. After struggling with a man in a hospital bed whose blood alcohol level was .451, I feel I can generate a bit more power from my body. That's my short term goal for the moment. 5'11'' and 185lbs of sinew.
In the next day or so I should get my shift assignment, and I heard that seniority was a factor. I may be headed to the shift where the sun is simply an optical illusion. Wish me luck!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Day 24: "Traffic" -8/29/09-09/10/09
Well, this update was far long overdue, but I've been quite busy lately.
I have been doing tons of business checks and deterring crime, both on the sidewalk and on the roadway. I do let some people go, but most end up with a citation. To someone who has received a ticket or two, I can relate that a ticket sucks, but at the same time is a valuable lesson. It is true that some people will never get it until it's too late, but even a warning, written or verbal, does the trick more often than not.
The new shift bids are coming up, and surprisingly seniority isn't too much of a factor, so hopefully I'll get mornings or afternoons. If I do end up getting midnights, I will make the most of it.
I am actually being quite productive, even on checkpoints. I am getting a chance to meet new people and remember people, as well as what they drive. I also have been creating a new way to view the Standard Operating Procedures for my Department... ones that don't have so much wind stuffed in them. I'm letting out the sails and giving you the basic bits. Hopefully it'll be a good boost for the guys just getting on FTO.
In other news, a buddy of mine does professional photography, so I had my car shot. I take fantastic care of my car if I do say so myself. It is a 1999 Chevrolet Camaro SS SLP with 119,000 miles on it, and it is immaculate, down to the last detail. The exterior is no exception. Below is a pic. The Miami sky came alive for the shot, and I love it. Keep in mind, this was taken with a 20 Megapixel camera, and all lighting was done on scene. No photoshop was needed or used.
Camaro picture
I have been doing tons of business checks and deterring crime, both on the sidewalk and on the roadway. I do let some people go, but most end up with a citation. To someone who has received a ticket or two, I can relate that a ticket sucks, but at the same time is a valuable lesson. It is true that some people will never get it until it's too late, but even a warning, written or verbal, does the trick more often than not.
The new shift bids are coming up, and surprisingly seniority isn't too much of a factor, so hopefully I'll get mornings or afternoons. If I do end up getting midnights, I will make the most of it.
I am actually being quite productive, even on checkpoints. I am getting a chance to meet new people and remember people, as well as what they drive. I also have been creating a new way to view the Standard Operating Procedures for my Department... ones that don't have so much wind stuffed in them. I'm letting out the sails and giving you the basic bits. Hopefully it'll be a good boost for the guys just getting on FTO.
In other news, a buddy of mine does professional photography, so I had my car shot. I take fantastic care of my car if I do say so myself. It is a 1999 Chevrolet Camaro SS SLP with 119,000 miles on it, and it is immaculate, down to the last detail. The exterior is no exception. Below is a pic. The Miami sky came alive for the shot, and I love it. Keep in mind, this was taken with a 20 Megapixel camera, and all lighting was done on scene. No photoshop was needed or used.
Camaro picture
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Day 23: "Prisoner" - 8/18/09-8/28/09
Hello everyone. I'd first like to apologize for not staying on top of my blog as I should be. However, I have purchased a wireless internet card so I can update on the go. My first week solo was a bit hectic, but I am continuing to learn a lot. In fact, I learned a very valuable lesson not 3 hours into my time away from an FTO. The lesson? HAVE SPARE KEYS!
I was doing an extra watch of a property that had been vandalized recently, so I got out of my patrol vehicle and locked the doors, not knowing that my keys had fallen off of my belt keeper and onto the seat. After completing the check, I go to open my doors. They're locked. No big deal. I reach down for my keys, which of course are not there. My face turned pale. Oh shit. I didn't want to use my radio and let the whole shift know I just locked myself out of my car, so I called the station and asked for someone to bring me the lock-out kit, and who else to bring it to me but my old FTO! Fantastic! Not only did he take a picture of me using the lock out kit on my patrol car, but posted the picture in the station for everyone to see. Super.
On the positive side, I have been getting so much more done without my immediate supervisor breathing down my neck. Don't get me wrong, I really learned a lot on FTO. However, not having that added pressure of your superior there ALL THE TIME made life a lot easier. I could patrol where I wanted, write as many tickets as I wanted, contact whoever I wanted, and make the community safer by using my own style. I had no idea, but over the course of one week I had generated 26 traffic tickets, which if you do the math is about 4 tickets a day. However, on each day I lost roughly 1-2 hours worth of work for special details I had to do, like being assigned to the local school or patrol an area which can be better referred to as "The Boonies", and is a good 25 miles from any real landmark, but is a part of our jurisdiction for a certain reason.
Not all of my time spent this past week has been just patrolling; of course there would be calls for service. I only had three, which is surprisingly low. The first was to assist the Florida Highway Patrol in reference to a vehicle crash. The call came out as a "car rapidly taking on water", so of course I respond with lights and siren in the pouring down rain. When I arrived I came upon a pickup truck that was in 10" of water.... barely enough to cover HALF of the tires. The guy climbed out of the truck, and with the help of fire rescue made it to dry land. I directed traffic and waited for FHP to do their investigation, and as soon as they were done I took off my rain coat, got in my patrol car, and kept being productive. I then got another call for service in reference to counterfeit currency.
It's amazing how much of this stuff is floating around in our system. It seems every other day our agency seems to be getting a call about this. The interesting thing is that all of these counterfeit bills seem perfectly legit when compared side by side to a similar note of equal value. The gentleman who tried to pass the bill was oblivious as well, and unfortunately was out the $10 he tried to use to pay for a pack of cigarettes. I seized the currency, generated a property receipt, and filled out a short form report.
Finally, 10 minutes before the end of my shift, I received a call reference a woman who was trying to find her vehicle. The only problem was that she was very readily described as "drunk" by the reporting person. After making contact with the individual, I noticed she was so intoxicated that she could barely stand on her own, perform the most menial of tasks, and had urinated all over herself. This is the kind of person who thinks they can drive and gets someone killed. I told her she was in no condition to drive, and that she needed to give me her keys. It took a bit of convincing, but her combative nature gave way for only a moment for me to grab her keys and license. I ran her information, only to have it come back to a prior arrest for, guess what, disorderly intoxication. Those that do not learn from history are destined to repeat it.
Anyway, I asked her if she had any money for a cab, a hotel room, or any resource to come and pick her up. All replies led to "NO" and "I know my rights". Since there no place for her to stay and she was combative, I arrested her for disorderly intoxication. This is when all hell broke loose. She tensed up on me, so I bent her wrist back and induced slight pain for compliance. After that handcuff was on, it was time for the second. She tried to get away from me, so I again applied a wrist-lock transporter to her other hand. Now that both cuffs were on, it was time to go to the patrol car. She, of course, didn't want to go, and literally went in kicking and screaming. After loading her torso into the car, all that was left was her legs. I tried pushing them in, but she decided to kick me with both feet. Both of her feet landed just above both of my kneecaps. The pain was slight, but fortunately 4 other officers who were at the end of their shifts saw the whole thing. I threw her legs back and closed the door. Next time, it will be easier. If people actively resist, they're either getting a knee-strike or pepper spray. End of story. The only reason I didn't was because it was in a public place and she was a female. Next time it will be different. This time, however, she was charged not only with disorderly intoxication, but battery on law enforcement officer, resisting with violence, and was trespassed from the establishment.
I love my career and I love going to work every day.
I was doing an extra watch of a property that had been vandalized recently, so I got out of my patrol vehicle and locked the doors, not knowing that my keys had fallen off of my belt keeper and onto the seat. After completing the check, I go to open my doors. They're locked. No big deal. I reach down for my keys, which of course are not there. My face turned pale. Oh shit. I didn't want to use my radio and let the whole shift know I just locked myself out of my car, so I called the station and asked for someone to bring me the lock-out kit, and who else to bring it to me but my old FTO! Fantastic! Not only did he take a picture of me using the lock out kit on my patrol car, but posted the picture in the station for everyone to see. Super.
On the positive side, I have been getting so much more done without my immediate supervisor breathing down my neck. Don't get me wrong, I really learned a lot on FTO. However, not having that added pressure of your superior there ALL THE TIME made life a lot easier. I could patrol where I wanted, write as many tickets as I wanted, contact whoever I wanted, and make the community safer by using my own style. I had no idea, but over the course of one week I had generated 26 traffic tickets, which if you do the math is about 4 tickets a day. However, on each day I lost roughly 1-2 hours worth of work for special details I had to do, like being assigned to the local school or patrol an area which can be better referred to as "The Boonies", and is a good 25 miles from any real landmark, but is a part of our jurisdiction for a certain reason.
Not all of my time spent this past week has been just patrolling; of course there would be calls for service. I only had three, which is surprisingly low. The first was to assist the Florida Highway Patrol in reference to a vehicle crash. The call came out as a "car rapidly taking on water", so of course I respond with lights and siren in the pouring down rain. When I arrived I came upon a pickup truck that was in 10" of water.... barely enough to cover HALF of the tires. The guy climbed out of the truck, and with the help of fire rescue made it to dry land. I directed traffic and waited for FHP to do their investigation, and as soon as they were done I took off my rain coat, got in my patrol car, and kept being productive. I then got another call for service in reference to counterfeit currency.
It's amazing how much of this stuff is floating around in our system. It seems every other day our agency seems to be getting a call about this. The interesting thing is that all of these counterfeit bills seem perfectly legit when compared side by side to a similar note of equal value. The gentleman who tried to pass the bill was oblivious as well, and unfortunately was out the $10 he tried to use to pay for a pack of cigarettes. I seized the currency, generated a property receipt, and filled out a short form report.
Finally, 10 minutes before the end of my shift, I received a call reference a woman who was trying to find her vehicle. The only problem was that she was very readily described as "drunk" by the reporting person. After making contact with the individual, I noticed she was so intoxicated that she could barely stand on her own, perform the most menial of tasks, and had urinated all over herself. This is the kind of person who thinks they can drive and gets someone killed. I told her she was in no condition to drive, and that she needed to give me her keys. It took a bit of convincing, but her combative nature gave way for only a moment for me to grab her keys and license. I ran her information, only to have it come back to a prior arrest for, guess what, disorderly intoxication. Those that do not learn from history are destined to repeat it.
Anyway, I asked her if she had any money for a cab, a hotel room, or any resource to come and pick her up. All replies led to "NO" and "I know my rights". Since there no place for her to stay and she was combative, I arrested her for disorderly intoxication. This is when all hell broke loose. She tensed up on me, so I bent her wrist back and induced slight pain for compliance. After that handcuff was on, it was time for the second. She tried to get away from me, so I again applied a wrist-lock transporter to her other hand. Now that both cuffs were on, it was time to go to the patrol car. She, of course, didn't want to go, and literally went in kicking and screaming. After loading her torso into the car, all that was left was her legs. I tried pushing them in, but she decided to kick me with both feet. Both of her feet landed just above both of my kneecaps. The pain was slight, but fortunately 4 other officers who were at the end of their shifts saw the whole thing. I threw her legs back and closed the door. Next time, it will be easier. If people actively resist, they're either getting a knee-strike or pepper spray. End of story. The only reason I didn't was because it was in a public place and she was a female. Next time it will be different. This time, however, she was charged not only with disorderly intoxication, but battery on law enforcement officer, resisting with violence, and was trespassed from the establishment.
I love my career and I love going to work every day.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Day 22: "Solo" - 8/7/09-8/17/09
Well, after a lot of hard work, a couple of mistakes, and plenty of learning experiences I am finally off of FTO. It was a bit of a rocky road, but now I get to take all of the knowledge I obtained throughout my law enforcement education and take it to the streets. All I really need to do is stay on top of everything and be on my P's and Q's, because I can't afford to slip up now. My agency watches all the new officers very carefully, and I will be no exception. I took some time and set up my patrol car the way I like it and it was an interesting feeling looking to my right and not having someone there.
I won't say I didn't like having someone ride with me, but I personally work better when I am myself. I don't second-guess any of my decisions because my supervisor isn't on top of me, and I will have a lot more freedom to combat criminal activity in my own way that will reflect positively on my agency.
Life is good.
I won't say I didn't like having someone ride with me, but I personally work better when I am myself. I don't second-guess any of my decisions because my supervisor isn't on top of me, and I will have a lot more freedom to combat criminal activity in my own way that will reflect positively on my agency.
Life is good.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Day 21 - "Three": 7/29-8/6/09
So I passed phase 2 and it's on to phase 3, which means tons of responsibility and a much looser leash. I have found myself to come into my own, and a majority of my paperwork has been submitted with few, if any flaws. We have responded to a couple of interesting calls, and I have been handling them with very little assistance from my FTO. My car is doing very well, although I almost blew it up a couple of days ago. I went after a speeder and ended up doing close to 130MPH to catch him, when all of a sudden he realizes he's been caught, and slams on his brakes. I end up threshold braking at the above speed, and after pulling into the grass all I can see is smoke and all I can smell is brakes. The driver is like, "Your car is on fire". All I said was, "It's not mine, now let me see your license, registration, and proof of insurance". I am constantly keeping my eye on my vehicle, the violator, and traffic, just to be sure any one of those variables doesn't jeopardize my safety, or my job. Over the past four days I have blown through 25 citations, all for different things. However, a majority of them have been for speeding, passing in a no passing zone, seat belt violations, and other equipment violations. I never thought I'd say this, but I like doing traffic. I aspire to do traffic homicide, so hopefully a citation will prevent me from investigating a case later down the road. There is always a method to the madness, even if the violator doesn't see it at first.
I am now on my second week of phase 3, so all I have to do is prove myself for another week, then it's off to shadow phase, where my FTO sits there in plain clothes and judges me on how I perform "solo". After that, I am really on my own, and I am chomping at the bit for that time in my law enforcement career.
Speaking of which, I know this profession doesn't have a ton of room for opinion, but I'd like to shed some light on something. Recently, a couple of Broward County police officers were dealing with a DUI, and in the course of things there was a traffic accident... no big deal. However, the officers decided to lie about it, which is absolutely unacceptable and asenine. The only kicker in all of this is that the DRUNK WOMAN decides to go on National Television (insert OMFG comment) and broadcast "her story" like she's some survivor. It's like, "look at how plastered I was. How irresponsible am I. And now all of America knows it!!!!" Congratulations lady, a job well done. I'd like to extend the same sarcastic remark to the officers who will now never again see the joy of working in this profession. I mean come on, we work so hard and jump through so many hoops to be where we are, and then to even consider opening yourself up to a career-ending mistake is... well... stupid. Sorry, that's how I feel.
Life overall is good. I am planning the next steps in my life, and things are moving forward. All of my hard work is continuing to pay off.
I am now on my second week of phase 3, so all I have to do is prove myself for another week, then it's off to shadow phase, where my FTO sits there in plain clothes and judges me on how I perform "solo". After that, I am really on my own, and I am chomping at the bit for that time in my law enforcement career.
Speaking of which, I know this profession doesn't have a ton of room for opinion, but I'd like to shed some light on something. Recently, a couple of Broward County police officers were dealing with a DUI, and in the course of things there was a traffic accident... no big deal. However, the officers decided to lie about it, which is absolutely unacceptable and asenine. The only kicker in all of this is that the DRUNK WOMAN decides to go on National Television (insert OMFG comment) and broadcast "her story" like she's some survivor. It's like, "look at how plastered I was. How irresponsible am I. And now all of America knows it!!!!" Congratulations lady, a job well done. I'd like to extend the same sarcastic remark to the officers who will now never again see the joy of working in this profession. I mean come on, we work so hard and jump through so many hoops to be where we are, and then to even consider opening yourself up to a career-ending mistake is... well... stupid. Sorry, that's how I feel.
Life overall is good. I am planning the next steps in my life, and things are moving forward. All of my hard work is continuing to pay off.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Day 20 - "Fahrvergnügen" - 7/21/09-7/27/09
So, second phase definitely has its perks. I have begun driving my assigned patrol vehicle, and I love it. Conducting traffic stops is slightly more difficult because not only do I have to pull the vehicle over and remember all my officer safety, but I have to use proper radio procedure and give all pertinent information. Also, I am on a tighter timetable, and I am handling it fairly well. Also, the volume of calls is increasing, and I am handling them all more independently.
Today was fairly interesting. Not only was it the first day of school, we were a little short on staff, and sure enough, the calls came a-coming. The first call we received was for a medical emergency; an elderly resident got weak in the knees, fell down, and hit her head on the floor. We attended to her, and just as she came around another call of the same nature came in, only this one was from the school; a parent had a seizure. Now there are lots of variables. Very few officers coupled with multiple calls makes things a little chaotic. Things got so bad with the patients that we had to send an air unit, which now meant we had to meet the helicopter and transport the paramedics to both scenes. Now since all the pieces were in their proper places, it was time to take care of traffic and crowd control, which wasn't too bad. After all was said and done, both patients were stable, and one was being airlifted. One complete hour had passed. Time flies when you're having fun.
Then later in the day, another set of the same type of call at the same time. We had to respond to a person locked out of their vehicle, which wasn't a problem. As soon as we were done, it was time to go to a different lockout. I tell you, I've responded to five of these things already. Especially with power door locks, I don't understand how you lock your keys in your car. Whatever, every person is forgetful in one area or another.
I like responding to all of these calls, especially now that I am driving. I started FTO as strictly as an observer, and with phase 3 of my FTO drawing closer, I am beginning to feel independent..... I like it a lot.
Well, that's it. Oh, and "Fahrvergnügen" is German for "The pleasure of driving" :D. Thanks Volkswagen commercials for the word, thanks to my FTO and my agency for the source.
Today was fairly interesting. Not only was it the first day of school, we were a little short on staff, and sure enough, the calls came a-coming. The first call we received was for a medical emergency; an elderly resident got weak in the knees, fell down, and hit her head on the floor. We attended to her, and just as she came around another call of the same nature came in, only this one was from the school; a parent had a seizure. Now there are lots of variables. Very few officers coupled with multiple calls makes things a little chaotic. Things got so bad with the patients that we had to send an air unit, which now meant we had to meet the helicopter and transport the paramedics to both scenes. Now since all the pieces were in their proper places, it was time to take care of traffic and crowd control, which wasn't too bad. After all was said and done, both patients were stable, and one was being airlifted. One complete hour had passed. Time flies when you're having fun.
Then later in the day, another set of the same type of call at the same time. We had to respond to a person locked out of their vehicle, which wasn't a problem. As soon as we were done, it was time to go to a different lockout. I tell you, I've responded to five of these things already. Especially with power door locks, I don't understand how you lock your keys in your car. Whatever, every person is forgetful in one area or another.
I like responding to all of these calls, especially now that I am driving. I started FTO as strictly as an observer, and with phase 3 of my FTO drawing closer, I am beginning to feel independent..... I like it a lot.
Well, that's it. Oh, and "Fahrvergnügen" is German for "The pleasure of driving" :D. Thanks Volkswagen commercials for the word, thanks to my FTO and my agency for the source.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Day 19 - "Seize" - 7/20/09
My weekend went exceptionally well. I got to see my girlfriend, got to relax quite a bit, and got to slow down a little. It really feels good every time I see her, and we have a lot of plans for the future. We've been going out for almost four years now, and I can already see the next couple of steps in our lives. She is going to grad school in Palm Beach, and since I am working in Miami, we need to find a middle ground so we can move in together. Our dogs, however, are a problem because not many associations take our type of breed (Siberian Husky), and the ones that do are either not reasonably priced, or are too far away. We are continuing to look, and hopefully we'll find the right place soon enough. I am also putting a lot of money into my savings account for a "special" piece of jewelry I know she'll love.
Yesterday was a fairly interesting day. We served some subpoenas, did a bit of patrolling, and only did one traffic stop. I don't know why, but I had the biggest senior moment (no offense to seniors reading this blog). I missed two boxes on my citation, almost forgot to rip the violator copy from the rest, and almost forgot to issue the mailer. My FTO was like, "What are you on?" I apologized a lot and felt really bad. The rest of the traffic stop was OK, but I need to really take some time with these tickets. One of my better traits is also one of my worst enemies. It's not that I am competitive, but I am the type of person who wants to not only excel in whatever they do, but to be BETTER than those that already do it, and teach them so they can better themselves. I used to do it when I played baseball, I did it during my entire academic career, I do it on the race track, and I do it on the job. The only problem is that when I don't feel I've done well, it gets me down. It's like "Fuck man, what is wrong with me? I should've known that. I should've done better." I get over being down fairly quickly, and it pushes me to be better. I learn not to make that mistake again.
We also did a vehicle search today. My FTO watched me as I searched the vehicle, and for some reason my senior moments continued. I knew in the academy if there was a bag inside of a vehicle that was being searched, the bag was fair game. However, for some reason, I didn't search it until my FTO told me to, and that's when it clicked that I could. There goes mistake #2, with mistake #3 right on its heels. When I searched the guys car, I was very detailed, but when I searched his car, I didn't put any of his stuff back. Damn. In the academy all they teach you is how to search the car, but they don't tell you what to do afterwards. There should be a closing sentence on that section that says, "If you don't find anything, please remember to put the subject's shit back the way you found it."
Since my first week on Phase 2 was almost finished, my FTO began talking to me about my performance. He called this day my allowable "shit day", and he said everybody has one, and I had it at the right time. I will just learn not to make those mistakes again. His "review" of me was very positive, which I liked, but he also gave me some pointers at how I can make myself better, which was good. Things are moving in the right direction. Then night fell, and some proactive policing helped me assist another officer in a VERY nice arrest.
An officer stopped a vehicle for not driving with it's headlights on. Upon making contact, the officer observed the passenger with close to a pound of marijuana in his possession. He arrested both occupants, took all the evidence to the station, and began filling out paperwork. I did a couple of things like transport prisoners to their cells, did some handcuffing, did some paperwork, and something a little "too tactical". My FTO liked it, the dispatcher didn't. One of the prisoners had to use the restroom. No biggie, I'll "prep" the restroom for his use, which meant getting rid of any possible weapons. I took away the obvious stuff like disinfectant sprays and cleaners, but I began looking at other possible weapons. I ended up taking the shower rod from the bathroom, the jug of soap, all disinfectants, and some coffee cups laying en route to the bathroom. This guy, even if he tried, couldn't use anything against me, unless he's Jet Li, which he's not. The bathroom trip went uneventful, and I had to put the stuff back. The guy had to wash his hands, so I did it a little "unorthodox", but it worked. I soaked a bunch of paper towels, put some liquid soap on one, and gave him some dry towels. I put them in his cell, and my improvisation actually worked. He washed his hands sufficiently, I picked up the towels and threw them away, and that was that.
After helping to complete some paperwork, it was the end of our shift. I completed my paperwork and went home. Today is the last day of my first week, and I'd like to see what my FTO puts on paper.
Yesterday was a fairly interesting day. We served some subpoenas, did a bit of patrolling, and only did one traffic stop. I don't know why, but I had the biggest senior moment (no offense to seniors reading this blog). I missed two boxes on my citation, almost forgot to rip the violator copy from the rest, and almost forgot to issue the mailer. My FTO was like, "What are you on?" I apologized a lot and felt really bad. The rest of the traffic stop was OK, but I need to really take some time with these tickets. One of my better traits is also one of my worst enemies. It's not that I am competitive, but I am the type of person who wants to not only excel in whatever they do, but to be BETTER than those that already do it, and teach them so they can better themselves. I used to do it when I played baseball, I did it during my entire academic career, I do it on the race track, and I do it on the job. The only problem is that when I don't feel I've done well, it gets me down. It's like "Fuck man, what is wrong with me? I should've known that. I should've done better." I get over being down fairly quickly, and it pushes me to be better. I learn not to make that mistake again.
We also did a vehicle search today. My FTO watched me as I searched the vehicle, and for some reason my senior moments continued. I knew in the academy if there was a bag inside of a vehicle that was being searched, the bag was fair game. However, for some reason, I didn't search it until my FTO told me to, and that's when it clicked that I could. There goes mistake #2, with mistake #3 right on its heels. When I searched the guys car, I was very detailed, but when I searched his car, I didn't put any of his stuff back. Damn. In the academy all they teach you is how to search the car, but they don't tell you what to do afterwards. There should be a closing sentence on that section that says, "If you don't find anything, please remember to put the subject's shit back the way you found it."
Since my first week on Phase 2 was almost finished, my FTO began talking to me about my performance. He called this day my allowable "shit day", and he said everybody has one, and I had it at the right time. I will just learn not to make those mistakes again. His "review" of me was very positive, which I liked, but he also gave me some pointers at how I can make myself better, which was good. Things are moving in the right direction. Then night fell, and some proactive policing helped me assist another officer in a VERY nice arrest.
An officer stopped a vehicle for not driving with it's headlights on. Upon making contact, the officer observed the passenger with close to a pound of marijuana in his possession. He arrested both occupants, took all the evidence to the station, and began filling out paperwork. I did a couple of things like transport prisoners to their cells, did some handcuffing, did some paperwork, and something a little "too tactical". My FTO liked it, the dispatcher didn't. One of the prisoners had to use the restroom. No biggie, I'll "prep" the restroom for his use, which meant getting rid of any possible weapons. I took away the obvious stuff like disinfectant sprays and cleaners, but I began looking at other possible weapons. I ended up taking the shower rod from the bathroom, the jug of soap, all disinfectants, and some coffee cups laying en route to the bathroom. This guy, even if he tried, couldn't use anything against me, unless he's Jet Li, which he's not. The bathroom trip went uneventful, and I had to put the stuff back. The guy had to wash his hands, so I did it a little "unorthodox", but it worked. I soaked a bunch of paper towels, put some liquid soap on one, and gave him some dry towels. I put them in his cell, and my improvisation actually worked. He washed his hands sufficiently, I picked up the towels and threw them away, and that was that.
After helping to complete some paperwork, it was the end of our shift. I completed my paperwork and went home. Today is the last day of my first week, and I'd like to see what my FTO puts on paper.
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