Academy Prep Advice

[StuckInTheP.R.O.Ca]

Asking a simple question is now an attack?

No it is not an attack (yet). I was refering to Bobby's post. But considering the answer to your question was clearly articulated in my post, the question does appear antagonistic in nature considering what I know about how things are here.

I don't want any problems here. I just wanted to give the OP advice without controversy or harassment .

Edit: Reference the attacks. Just like I was expecting. You guys are so predictable.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

Have you gone through a Police Academy?

Maybe he went through with these guys:


Or with these guys:

[TRICKSTER]

Maybe he went through with these guys:


Or with these guys:

I do find it strange that some of the people that spend an inordinate amount of time looking for reasons to badmouth LE in OT want to come to the LE forum and answer questions addressed to LE. Makes me wonder if some are disgruntled wannabes that are angry at LE because they couldn't get hired, but still have that deep desire to be a cop.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

I do find it strange that some of the people that spend an inordinate amount of time looking for reasons to badmouth LE in OT want to come to the LE forum and answer questions addressed to LE. Makes me wonder if some are disgruntled wannabes that are angry at LE because they couldn't get hired, but still have that deep desire to be a cop.

I think that is exactly the case, a weird sort of self-loathing identity disorder. It is unfathomable to think that one could relentlessly trash and insult LEO's all across this site and then expect to have any sort of credibility in this forum.

Sorry, no.

[StuckInTheP.R.O.Ca]

Yes. My advice to the OP is to read some of your previous posts and then flatly ignore any of your sham third hand "advice" about academy preparation.

It is unfortunate that you feel the need to attack me and be so antagonistic for just giving advice to the OP. Nothing I said should illicit such a hostile response. Also I could care less if you believe whether I attended a POST Academy or not. Think what you want.

Reference your "investigative" work. You forget to add todays posts where I sided with a LEO in a OIS or the various othe posts where I gave the LEO the benefit of the doubt.. Now would a true cop hater do that? For me it not about blind allegiance but about right and wrong.

Yep, I am not in lockstep with every local LEO action and am very critical of local LEO when it appears there is incompetence, corruption or misguided enforcement. It's sad that some can't accept any criticism or humor without it being seen as an attack to their profession.

Have a good night Bobby. I'm through here. Like I said I don't want any problems.

[StuckInTheP.R.O.Ca]

I do find it strange that some of the people that spend an inordinate amount of time looking for reasons to badmouth LE in OT want to come to the LE forum and answer questions addressed to LE. Makes me wonder if some are disgruntled wannabes that are angry at LE because they couldn't get hired, but still have that deep desire to be a cop.

Many incorrect assumptions but this is exactly the line of attack I was expecting from you guys.

[CinnamonBear723]

As said before, lots of running and push ups.

I took a pre workout (C4) everyday right before inspection, which usually included a lot of physical exercise. Also keep caffeine pills handy for the lecture portions.

Besides that, its all a mind game. Always remind yourself, they aren't going to punch you in the face, and they have to let you go home at some point.

[TRICKSTER]

Yep, run, run and run some more.
Brush up on your writing skills, we had more people flunk out from report writing than anything else.
Always have all of your equipment available unless you are specifically told to do otherwise.
Don't listen to people that think that they know all about LE but have never actually done the job.
Stay away from Calguns OT, Facebook, Twitter, etc until you are off probation

[Bobby Ricigliano]

I almost forgot that this thread is about academy prep, not outing frauds, fakes, and hypocrites!

OP: Be aware that the academy staff will sometimes put recruits in situations where there is no way to win, just to see how you react. You may be given an impossibly short amount of time to complete a complex task. Some recruits will bear down and work the problem to the best of their ability, while others of weaker constitution may nut up and fall apart. Be the former, not the latter.

Sometimes the work will get piled on to the point of absurdity, and again they are trying to see who has the mental toughness not to collapse under the weight of it all. In my academy, they remediated people on shooting, PT, critical decision making, but there was one area where you had to be on the ball: academics.

Basically, the way it works is that there are numerous state mandated learning domains. Each culminates with an exam. If you fail an exam, you get one do-over. Fail the do-over, and you are washed out. It doesn't matter how much they like you or what a stud you are in other areas. So STUDY!!

I studied obsessively during the academy which took up most of my free time. I wasn't the fastest or smartest, but when you take seats and they hand out an exam, you can gauge the preparedness on the faces of your fellow recruits. Some are calm and reassured. Others are suddenly regretting that they played video games all weekend.

Above all, stay focused and don't quit. The academy feels like a lifetime while you are there, but it is really just a footnote in your career that will provide many funny stories down the road as you go through your career.

Here endeth the lesson.

[oddjob]

OP,

A name at the bottom of your post shows "Rachael" and so I'm assuming your female. If so its been my experience most females have problems with upper body strength conditions. This would include going over fences (6 foot), some arrest techniques (baton strikes), some physical fitness training (pushups and pullups) and some weapons handling (racking a handgun slide, shotgun firing). The 6 or 8 foot fences seem to be the big ones for females.

If you lack upper body strength get with a trainer now. Don't wait.

And Congrats!!!

[BadKitty]

Also, speaking as a female myself, having a good command presence helps a lot. I'm not saying that you should be arrogant or act like something you're not; but, I sometimes noticed my fellow females going into training scenarios with a meek posture or weak presence and that made them stand out in a bad way. I usually walked into d-tac staring down my instructors like, "Yeah, that's right. I'm gonna Eff you up today!" I stood with solid interview posture and a "serious business" facial expression when facing a suspect (both in training scenarios and during field training). I found, in my experience, that a lot if it is about having a strong mindset. Because I set my intention to have a strong mindset, that also gave me a stronger physical performance and stronger emotional control.

Good luck!

[dicker3957lasd]

That's good advice

That's good advice

Buy a unabridged Penal and Vehicle Code. Also get the Qwik Code versions for quick reference. Start studying now. Things will go much easier if you have some familiarity with Ca. law. The POST test will not require you to know the PC section numbers but you will need to know the specific elements of the crimes. You will need to know the section numbers for "grinders" though. Im assuming your academy hasn't gone full PC and eliminated the "stress" of "grinders".

If you can get your academy books now, do buy them asap and study up. Pay special attention to the "learning domains" on search and seizure. Many have the most difficulty with this LD. Expect to have all your homework come back with a "resubmit" stamp on it for the first several weeks. They did this to everyone in my academy so don't take it personally. It's just a game done by the Deputies to get you to quit.

Some quick tips:

Never walk into the Deputies office without first knocking and getting permission to enter and speak. Didn't happen to me but I was was a witness to a poor b*****d that did.

If you leave the Academy grounds for lunch, etc and you don't dress down in civiies, take off your uniform shirt or at least use a cover shirt.

Don't sweep Deputies while at the range or any other time. The consequences are severe. Poor b*****d.

While at EVOC don't take it upon yourself to drive a unit across the skid pan at double the authorized speed and without the driving Instructers say so. You may hit a fire hydrant and consequently get your "walking papers".

Academy students with a "ride" ( post hire) are usually the ones to **** up a good thing. Don't take it for granted!

Only bring your baton to the Academy on days that you are using your baton for training. Someone from a previous academy got popped for 12020 for doing this by a letter of the law Chippy. Walking papers ensued.

Good luck and stay ethical. Integrity, intrigity, integrity.

[dicker3957lasd]

Please don't leave anything at home

Please don't leave anything at home if it's part of your uniform . If you have to put it in your locked vehicle OUT OF VIEW OF ANYONE, Your firearm doesn't belong in your vehicle, Bobby gave you good advice. Oh boy I can tell you stories about not have your issued stuff. You will never know what the academy personal will ask of you any given day. One summer day we were asked to fall out with our RAIN Gear, will as you guessed a number of us, including me, didn't have. A long night for all of us

Really? Which part?

Leave your baton at home except on the days when you think you will be using it. Let me know how that works for you. It is a part of the uniform and impromptu baton training can occur anytime. An academy recruit with an issued baton on the way to and from the academy would be exempt from any law restricting possession of it. What about your firearm? You'll have that in your car too. So that story is BS.

[ls2monaro]

Bring everything everyday just in case.

The 12020 chp story is believable. I have my own gem:

Back when I was a brand new cage kicker (jail dep), chp in central ca liked to pull over marked buses and vans doing inmate transports.

Had one try and stop me in the big *** bus for going 60 in a commercial vehicle.... I called our dispatch and told them to notify chp dispatch I would not be stopping the bus while transporting 50+ inmates in the middle of nowhere. I informed them I would be heading to Tehachapi and would gladly speak with the chp officer once I had all my inmates secured off the bus.

Miraculously he turned off his overhead lights and flew by me going 100+mph...

[peter95]

which academy?

1. Fitness. Make sure you can run well. work on pushups if you are not good at it. sit ups will also help you.
2. Never complain about anything. If you mess up, do not make any excuses. Own up to them get in trouble and move on.
3. Command presence. Never speak quietly or softly.
4. Help one another. The longer you take care of yourself only, the longer you will all suffer as a class.
5. Dont do anything stupid for the next 6 months during academy. Speeding tickets will get you in trouble, but any DUI's or any other crimes will get you kicked out. You are an at will employee until your probation if over. They will fire you.

which academy are you attending? Congrats... itll be the longest 6 months in the beginning, but the shortest on your last week.