Hitting the streets in 6 weeks...

[rainman0341]

Hey everyone. I will be graduating the Academy in 6 weeks and can't wait to start. I know that I will be greener than hell when it comes to cop work but am excited for the challenge.

Any sage words of wisdom to pass on besides do exactly as your FTO says?

[1CavScout]

One thing I did that helped me was to drive the city I was working on my days off and learn the beat. This was before we had computers in the car though, and we were still using maps. Knowing the beat (at least the major streets) helped a lot when responding to calls.

Every time you turn onto a street look at the name of the street and the block number. Know where you are at all the times.

I also stayed after my shifts when I was on training to learn all the forms and the computer systems. When your TO is riding you too hurry up it makes it easier if you somewhat know what you are doing.

Good luck...

[Ralston]

Keep your gun hand free. Don't tell your FTO " I know, I was going to..." Learn your beat. When it's slow do bar checks. Don't point out a reason to stop a car and then NOT stop it. If you see a violation while enroute to a "cold" paper call by all means stop it. It's known as pro activity and FTOs like that. Study your FTOs reports, if you write like him/her they can't complain too much. Stay positive. Learn from your mistakes. Officer safety, beat orientation and report writing are the biggest things. Write tickets. Consent searches are big. Plan to arrest everyone you legally can and let your FTO decide whether or not to call a cab or friend to pick up the drunk. Stay busy. Don't be afraid to ask for help from beat partners. Try to take all paper calls. When you're clear FTO help out the next guy. Don't ever say on the air "do you want me to take that for you?" to help out another officer if he's down paper on prior calls, just take the paper.

[9mmepiphany]

Yup knowing the major cross streets are a huge help...as is the ability to determine compass directions.

Another helpful thing to know is where your major bars/clubs and other hot spots are within your beat

[Ralston]

Learn the vehicle code. It opens the door for so many contacts and arrests. Develop good habits early. Learn something from every FTO. Learn something from having terrible partners too and don't do what they do. Talk to people on the street. You can talk to anybody, whether or not they want to stay and listen is another thing. Don't be a robot. Tackle all the hard stuff early. If you haven't taken a rape call or a DV yet, get it out of the way ASAP so you're more comfortable next time. It's only 4 months and it flies by. Don't worry about much else in those 4 months. When it's up and you start making decisions on your own and you're not evaluated daily is when it all starts coming together. You gain your confidence that way.

[nobody33]

I'm a big fan of cheat sheets and quick codes... but never arrest or cite someone without ever having read the whole VC or PC section.

Find out how the agency calls out traffic stops on the radio and practice calling out stops out loud to yourself on your way to and from work. It forces you to remember your location and practice radio traffic.

Study the maps and geography of the area you will train in. We get a lot of trainees who suck at map reading. All that time taken up teaching them how to get to a call it taken away from training on how to be a cop.

Read the newspaper and know whats going on in the community.

If you went to an academy not put on by your agency, start studying your department policies and procedures on your time off. You are held accountable for knowing all of them.

Start collection copies of good reports to refer to.

[SansSouci]

rainman0341,

Congratulations and best of luck.

You've received excellent advice. Officer safety and survival should be muscle memory for you by now.

My advice is to subscribe to the California Peace Officers Legal Source Book published by CA DOJ. It was my single best source of info. Knowing substantive and procedural law is absolutely necessary. You must also know when to apply them.

Practice writing. When I drove a black & white, report writing was the dominant problem of cops at the margin. But then again, when I was a cop, all reports were handwritten. We didn't have laptops with spell & grammar check. Cops who couldn't write paper didn't last long.

Best of luck & stay safe

[rainman0341]

Thanks for all the advice guys. The academy I'm at is a brand new style. We have been writing reports in our own department style/format. That and we have been doing scenarios from day 3.It's only 4 1/2 months but we have been doing 10 hour days 4 days a week. The whole focus has been getting us prepared for FTO not just passing our LD's. But I a lot to learn still.

I did 8 years as an Infantryman in the Marines so I'm not like some of the "kids" we have. But I have had to relearn things for the civilian side of things, not just kicking in doors!

[micro911]

Always carry extra battery for the radio. I also carried one MRE in my war bag along with a bottle of water. You will never know when you are stuck on perimeter guard duty and people forget about you.

I carried some other extra stuff in my war bag that was a life saver.

[Ralston]

Don't be the guy that doesn't have the right forms when the right forms are needed. Be the guy that has all of the forms so if someone else needs one your worth just became that much more valuable to your team. Be safe, have fun and realize now that you're gonna f up. Just don't f up too much and too often.

[razorscs]

Thanks for all the advice guys. The academy I'm at is a brand new style. We have been writing reports in our own department style/format. That and we have been doing scenarios from day 3.It's only 4 1/2 months but we have been doing 10 hour days 4 days a week. The whole focus has been getting us prepared for FTO not just passing our LD's. But I a lot to learn still.

I did 8 years as an Infantryman in the Marines so I'm not like some of the "kids" we have. But I have had to relearn things for the civilian side of things, not just kicking in doors!

Only 4 1/2 months! How so short?

[Sir Toast]

Be a sponge. Whatever your FTO's tell you, incorporate it into your routine.

You have to adapt to your FTO's style, regardless of what you learned in the adacemy. Go above and beyond in every respect.

BE PROACTIVE! Think PC. Closed business, why are they outside? PC to detain, no?

Do not shy away from paper. New guys have to earn their stripes. Do so by volunteering to do the paper on calls. Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer. The crappier the job, the more you'll be appreciated if you volunteer for it. But don't kiss butt.

My 2 cents.

[4FTTY]

Get an earpiece. listen to the radio 24/7. figure out the syntax your agency uses for putting out stops and practice whenever you're driving.

[rainman0341]

Only 4 1/2 months! How so short?

It's a new style. We are the test dummies. We still have to past all the POST standards for PT/LD's/Firearms/EVOC. But the twist is that everything is tailored to getting us ready for FTO. So far I feel like the ones who have made it this far are going to be ahead of guys who are going to traditional academies. But only time will tell!

[4FTTY]

What Academy?