The last few weeks have been very fun and exciting.

I really don’t know how to explain some of my emotions and feelings it, but I’ll do my best. Writing my thoughts and experiences is about the best way I’ve ever found to recover from some of the stress and mental strains of being a police officer.

The only way to describe things right now is to tell you straight out how I feel, so bear with me if it doesn’t make sense. Hopefully I can make it clear enough for you to understand.

Life right now is great. I’ve never been happier and more satisfied with my professional life and my personal life. For some reason my thought and feelings are so clear and everything seems to make sense. It’s as if things are almost more than clear. My thoughts are actually “thick” my thought and feelings are so thick that feel as if I can “swim” through them. It’s like being under water……or in Jello….or a crazy gel or in the “zone” some athletes describe. I can see my words and feel so passionate about things that I can’t feel any better. I’m at the top of my game. Like Kobe I could drop in 81 points, like Josh Hamilton I could hit 30 home runs without missing the sweet spot, like a song writer writing the perfect ballad.

Does that make sense? (Ok, that being said, I couldn’t care less for Kobe or Josh Hamilton, but that’s another story.)

Over the last few weeks our department has been conducting a “Citizens academy”. A class that allows local citizens, business owners, family of Law Enforcement officers and even politicians to experience a “mini” version of the police academy.

I’ve begged for several years to be a part of this course and finally I’ve been given the chance. It’s a wonderful course and it really helps these people have a greater understanding of the “behind-the-scenes” life as a police officer.

During this class session we’ve got a city councilman and his wife attending the course. What a great experience he’s having! What a wonderful way for us to inform him and win him over to our side! What an unprecedented chance for the police department to gain his confidence in the side of the public safety department.

The class begins with some training with handguns, shotguns and some other tools of the trade. Another session includes a realistic building search where a suspect is hiding, a road rage resulting in a dispute between drivers, then a session teaching “shoot, don’t shoot” where split second decisions result in life or death situations in a critical incident.

Another night we talk about traffic stops and a chance to stop real violators, approaching these drivers, making contact and making a decision of writing a citation or giving a warning. I’ll tell you that almost every scenario results in a warning. They realize the great difficulty in making stepping into the world of a police officer. At the end of the night we fake an obvious traffic violation that is so blatant no other choice can be made other than writing a citation. The last scenario of this night ends with a staged robbery and high speed chase, a staged high risk stop and arrest of the suspect. They are made aware that the robbery and chase are faked, but the stress and emotions cause some of the class members to be so scared that some cannot even exit the police car, let alone give instructions to the suspect and eventually arrest the man, search him and place him into custody.

It was so stressful that one lady in my group froze, panicked and literally was unable to step out of the police car. After some strong encouragement and several reminders that the scenario is completely safe and staged I convinced her to stand behind an open door and crouch nearly out of sight of the suspect. It was overwhelming to her.

Later in the academy they are forced into a court case and given the responsibility of testifying and being cross examined in what appears to be a real court scenario. Again it causes the stress and a dramatic.

As they graduate the class they find it inedible to show tremendous support of the public safety department. We’re told “I could never do this job”, “I couldn’t have imagined the stress and emotions of life as a police officer”, “how can you actually make split second decision that will be scrutinized by a judge and jury who are given days and even weeks to analyze the choices your forced to make.”

The result of the training causes these people to bond and actually form a strong relationship that lasts for years to come.

During this year’s class I was given the opportunity to lead several of the classes. Many of the nights, I was given a topic and asked to speak for an hour at a time. Each time I was so rushed and encouraged to complete my talk in a proper manner. I’d go on for hours if I was allowed the time. It’s great fun to keep the students involved and an awesome sight for me to see them on the edge of their seats begging for more information and more story’s and situations I’ve experienced. ONE HOUR! Who could do that on a from a one line theme”? I doubt many could do it.

I have an overwhelming passion for my job and for my experiences that I feel they connect and beg for more. I have such a love for my job and an excitement for my job that I literally could go on for hours.

Even with more than 10 years as an officer I still have a love and belief in my calling that my emotions are strong. I almost look at it as if my feelings are thicker than water, more concentrated that “Jello” or any other similar substance.

Teaching this class and being involved in the scenarios is a dream come true for me. Teaching and rehashing my life in this job is something I want to do when I retire in 10 years.

Someday I’ll figure out how to do it. Until then I’ll put my feelings and lessons into this email list and blog.

Thank you for reading. I thank you all especially for the feedback and thank you for staying in touch That’s what drives me to write and continue the list.

Russell
www.lifeonthebeat.com