Who hasn’t considered a career change or been faced with the choice of which job to pursue? I know I have. After deliberating the sacrifices and commitment of joining law enforcement, I learned that it was not only a career choice I would feel good about, but also wasn’t overwhelming. I knew the personal satisfaction I would receive from serving and protecting my community far outweighed the sacrifices.
Before beginning, I was concerned about:
- Physical training and demands
- I didn’t know whether I could complete a 1.5 miles run.
- The timed obstacle course has to be completed in a time ranging from 16 minutes to 21 minutes.
- The course uses roadblocks to test the officer’s ability to react quickly during a pursuit.
- Endurance is rated through the use of stamina tests.
- Balance and Flexibility
- Agility and Speed
- And Much More
Although the threat of a having to diet to lose weight and get in shape nearly derailed my aspirations, I quickly realized that becoming a Police officer provided many benefits. Training would provide me with the tactics needed for self-defense.
- Pistol Armor
- The ability to detect deception and true lies.
- The ability to quickly adapt as situations develop and control crisis situations.
- A Tazer and holster
- Lights on a firearm for a suspect
- A “lights on” type firearm which helps protect the suspect.
An example of the benefits of this type of firearm is the ability to see when a suspect is surrendering in the dark.
Now I had become intrigued and decided to pursue more information to decide whether becoming a police officer was something I really wanted to do. Self-defense is a high priority in the field and when provided with tactics, training and the right tools an officer is able to successfully protect the community.
Many of the weapons are similar to those used by soldiers, such as:
- Lethal and durable pistols
- Bulletproof vests with chest plates
- Another example includes Kevlar or Teflon vests without chest plates
- Advanced technology, including high definition sunglasses and head cams, ready to record a suspect’s actions.
Are you ready to join the Academy?