Going on a ride-a-long. Need advise.

[Recession]

I have a ride-a-long scheduled with the Border Patrol this Saturday. This will be my first ride-a-long with any Law Enforcement Agency.

What should I expect and what is expected of me?

What are the dos and donts?

Should I ask questions or keep my mouth shut?

Do I take notes or just observe?

What happens when I have to pee?

Can I be friendly/casual and joke around or do I stay boring/professional and keep referring to the officer as Sir?

For those LEO who have had to take a civilian on a ride-a-long in the past, what part did you hate the most? i.e. annoyances, pet peeve, etc.?

What makes a ride-a-long enjoyable for YOU?

What do you look for in the candidate during the ride-a-long that makes you think in your mind "He will make a great LEO someday." ?

Do you report back on the candidate to Personnel of your thoughts/experience about them?

I'm just trying to be considerate. I'm going to be with this BP Agent for an entire shift (10 hours+) so I want to make this as hassle free for him/her as possible while at the same time absorbing in as much information as possible.

[safewaysecurity]

Do not dress casually it's generally a rule with most departments for ride-alongs that you should dress well.

[Recession]

Do not dress casually it's generally a rule with most departments for ride-alongs that you should dress well.

I know this is usually the case, but the Agent in charge told me to wear Levis and sneakers!

I think I'm probably in for some cardio.

[FLIGHT762]

Here's an older thread that might answer some questions.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=302085&highlight=ride+along

[dskell]

Here's an older thread that might answer some questions.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ght=ride+along

This is a good thread. ^

I went on a ride along fairly recently and it was an interesting experience.
Each RAL will be different depending on the Deputy/Officer you ride with.

It was clear to me that the Deputy I rode with was looking to me to keep an eye out for him, to watch his back. So at least try to be aware of your surroundings etc.

He also explained to me the do's and dont's when we got in the car. He explained department policy and then what he was ok with me doing when we went on calls. He also addressed what to do if things got crazy, including giving me a key to the shotgun rack and making sure I knew how to use it. After that he said "You want to go home tonight right? Me too. If things get crazy, take care of business."

I asked lots of questions which he told me he was ok with. If the Officer you are riding with ever stops speaking to you suddenly or seems like they aren't paying attention to you when you're speaking to them, they're probably listening to something on the radio. At that point SHUT UP.

It was really useful to have a notepad to write down important info/take notes. I made sure I knew what our radio call sign was in case I had to use the radio. Also got several tips from the Deputy that I wrote down.

When I had to pee, I just told the Deputy and we'd pull over some place. He told me to tell him whenever I had to go.

As the RAL went on the Deputy and I were cracking jokes, being sarcastic etc.

A flashlight came in handy a few times for me so you may want to bring a small pocket sized one.

From what I hear though, all this will vary from one agency to another and from LEO to LEO so you'll have to call it as you see it. Good luck! Soak up all the knowledge you can.

[TrailerparkTrash]

For those LEO who have had to take a civilian on a ride-a-long in the past, what part did you hate the most? i.e. annoyances, pet peeve, etc.?

The ride-a-logs. You asked an honest question, here's an honest answer.

That being said, ride-a-longs are here to stay. So, I'll give you just my opinion on some of your questions.

1) Just do what the officer says. Listen and "observer." Relax, but know where the officer's gun is and just look at how he unsnaps it in case you have to get to it if he's incapacitated. I always showed my ride a longs how to get the shotgun out and rack a round inthe event I was on my backside.

2) Wear a nice collared shirt, (golf shirt). I once had an idiot that wore a black t-shirt and it said, "Mess with the best, die like the rest." He wore a Buck knife in a leather sheath on his belt and had a Peterbuilt hat on. Looked like a moron. I told him to take off the knife and hat and to wear his jacket or he wouldn't get a ride. Nice jeans (i.e. no holes) and tennis shoes are perfectly fine.

3) You'll see how the tone of the officer goes and where the conversation takes you. Whatever you do, don't point things out like you're helping. Nothing is worse than a mouth pointing out "crime" to a cop on a ride-a-long. Most of the time, riders aren't pointing anything out worthwhile. Obviously the exception to this rule is the "obvious." (ie. you see a guy carrying a gun in his hand, walking up to the patrol car and your officer doesn't see it!! ).

4) Relax and enjoy the ride. Remember that 95% of a cop's life on patrol is pure boredom. 5% is pure excitment and adrenaline rush!

[ArtSki]

What station is your ride along at? How you should dress depends on what station you're going to be at. If it's a line station, then get ready to get dirty. Jeans and sneakers will be fine, just make it look good.

[Notorious]

Bring a box of donuts, wear your Oakleys (even if it's night), dress in all black (better if you have black BDU's), and tell everyone you watch COPS everyday so you know what to do.

Okay... if you stopped reading by now... you should be back on the computer within 10 minutes after being kicked out of the station... read on for the serious part:

Some of it depends on why you're doing it.

If you are applying to the agency, it's a bit different than if you are just interested in seeing how your tax money is spent and how cops do their jobs.

Remember the first and most important thing, you are there to OBSERVE.

Listen to the cop. He'll give you all the ground rules and how he operates. No two cop works the same way. He'll tell you what to do if any public contact happens.

Usually, on a traffic stop, he'll do his thing and have you wait until he signals you to come out of the car to observe from a distance. Same with other calls, he'll let you know when it's clear. You are expected to observe and not interact with the public. Do not jump in the situation unless it's going south and the cop needs help. You are not there as a volunteer cop or mediator or negotiator.

He'll likely tell you where he keeps his backup weapon, show you how to get the shotgun, and even how to get his duty weapon out, in case you need to save his life... and yours. On a ride-along I had a long long time ago as a civilian, the officer got a call of a crazy man with an axe in the street who just got done threatening people, as we rolled up, he already had the shotgun rack opened and had me holding onto it in case it needs to be pulled out asap. But the key is, he dictated the tone and told me when it was needed. I didn't just grab it myself and deputize myself.

If you're hungry, thirsty, need to wee-wee, need to make a phone call, want to go home, etc., just tell the cop. Unless he's on the radio or in the middle of something, don't be shy. It's better than having to wait for a long time because now he's in the middle of a traffic accident scene waiting for paramedics and he can't clear for a while.

I've also given ride-alongs as an officer, but only to applicants to the agency. The main difference is that the applicant will behave different and ask questions related to agency operations, culture, and other details that the casual ride-along person might not be interested in. Part of the behavior difference is because their ride-along becomes part of the application process. If they act like idiots, that will get back to the powers that be.

Lastly, have fun. You're there to see something different that 99% of the population only sees on TV or just imagines what it would be like. Most of it will be boring but when something pops, it's like nothing else in the world.

[Big D]

What station are you going for a ride along at? The T shirt and jeans will be fine, cuz you will go out in the brush if you chase any bodies. If you're going on swing shift or mids bring a flashlight. You will probably want to bring a jacket in case it gets cold and your lunch in case you guys don't have a chance to drive into town to buy lunch. Most PAs don't have any contact with the people who do the hiring stuff so you don't have to worry about the agent reporting back about you. Just be polite and friendly and you will be fine.

[Samuelx]

As has been said, each person you ride with will be different - attitudes, likes, dislikes, experiences, opinions, patience, background, etc. IMO nothing wrong with asking for his/her ground rules and/or expectations.

[bubbagump]

In the past I've worn Levi's, Sneakers, and plain Black Hoody and/or T-Shirt.

Listen to the Radio and try not to talk when something important is being called out.

Know your location (EDIT: May be hard to do if your in the boonies).

Be a shadow and do as your told.

You'll know right away if the officer doesn't want you there.

Otherwise, from my experience, the majority of officers are cool. They joke around, they BS, and they don't mind answering dumb questions...

[meangreen46]

I know this is usually the case, but the Agent in charge told me to wear Levis and sneakers!

I think I'm probably in for some cardio.

If the PAIC told you to wear Levis and sneakers, do that. Otherwise, the other guys here have given you great info. I would be very very surprised if the PA you're with will let you get out of the ride and chase bodies through the bush. I guess it depends on where you do the ride along. That would be like a street cop letting you run into a dark alley after a robbery suspect. Have fun and ask lots of questions. Let us know what station you go to.

[Notorious]

If you are an applicant and want to make the night more fun and interesting, here's what you do... google an uniform shop in the Orange County area, go in and buy a set of all green Class B uniform, long sleeve shirt and pants. Get a USBP baseball hat from Newsmax for free with a subscription.

Buy a set of stars for the collar. Don't go for the 4-star right away, that's too pompous. You want to appear humble. But don't settle for just 1 or 2 stars. You want to appear motivated and that you are upwardly mobile. In my experience, wearing 3 stars on the collar with the uniform shows just the right amount of humility balanced with ambition.

Don't buy a whole duty belt setup just yet though. You won't need it on your first night. Just have a belt holster with your gun. Handcuffs and flashlights will help too, but not really necessary. Leave the pepper spray at home, that's illegal.

Don't waste your free phone call from jail on me. I won't answer.

[Maton]

Bring some comfortable shoes, listen to the PA. Remember what happens in the field stays in the field. You'll be surprised how down to earth most PA's are. Remember we do our business a little differently than most cops, we have to handle multiple suspects on average, and our nearest backup is usually minutes away. Most PA's don't "settle" down for lunch, we eat on the run, in the truck, and for gods sakes if you gotta take a leak just say so, it's more common than you think, theres a lot of desert out there to water. Just curious what station is this going to be at?

[ArtSki]

Bring some comfortable shoes, listen to the PA. Remember what happens in the field stays in the field. You'll be surprised how down to earth most PA's are. Remember we do our business a little differently than most cops, we have to handle multiple suspects on average, and our nearest backup is usually minutes away. Most PA's don't "settle" down for lunch, we eat on the run, in the truck, and for gods sakes if you gotta take a leak just say so, it's more common than you think, theres a lot of desert out there to water. Just curious what station is this going to be at?

As far as back up, its usually 20-30 minutes away, sometimes more. Depends on the station and your area.