Graduation – THEY DID IT!!

The cadets of the 142nd Central Texas Police Academy are no longer cadets – they are law enforcement officers.

Wednesday evening, 22 new officers were introduced to the public in a moving ceremony to honor the achievements of the class. Bryan Police Chief Tyrone Morrow was the keynote speaker to the over 100 parents, family members and other local law enforcement officers and officials in attendance.

Michael Jones was named the class valedictorian and Kellye Cozart earned salutatorian honors.

Congratulations are also in order for the 20 other new officers: Justin Barham, William Bouse, Clayton Brown, Gerald Burnett, Cody Chandler, Ryan Clements, David Dudenhoeffer, Heather Heatherly, John Ivey III, Chad Jones, Georgia Maher, Christoper Moynihan, Abundio Nunez, Danny Ohana, Ethan Patton, Keenin Ringo, Russell, Rodriguez, Rachel St. Pe’, Chris Sullivan and Brandon Young.

These officers endured some of the most rigorous training imaginable over the last 17 weeks and the excitement and relief on their faces was clearly noticeable. The cadets took the equivalent of 22 college semester hours over the 17-week period.

Most will begin work immediately, learning the processes and procedures of their agencies before they hit the streets.

The Texas Engineering Extension Service wishes all the new officers the best of luck. We feel safer knowing there are more quality individuals protecting the interests of our local community.

An enormous thank you from all of us!

Patrolling Riverside Campus

Texas A&M’s Riverside Campus – home to the Central Texas Police Academy – is laid out like a town. It has named streets, buildings and even a few houses. The cadets of the 142nd CTPA were the police officers for Riverside this week.

The cadets worked in pairs and patrolled the streets of Riverside and police personnel from around the area served as the citizens of Riverside Campus and role-played many situations.

Since the role players were mostly active police officers, they were able to shed a unique light on the situations to make them very realistic.

There were traffic violations, noise complaints, domestic disturbances, and many other situations to which the cadets responded. They wrote tickets, made arrests and had to write reports at the end of their shifts. They even had to report to dispatch, which was also manned by the cadets not on patrol.

The role-players also served as instructors and when each simulation was complete, they talked to the cadets about what they did right and what they did wrong.

Once again, a video to help illustrate.

Active-Shooter Training

Some of the most intense training in the 17 weeks of the 142nd Central Texas Police Academy happened at an old elementary school in Bryan during week 16.

First, a little history lesson: In the 1960s and 1970s, events like the Watts Riots and Symbionese Liberation Army shootout led to the creation of SWAT teams – which most agencies now have in some form. More recent tragedies like the North Hollywood shootout in 1997, the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 and the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings have helped shift protocol again.

Because of these and other incidents, all officers are trained in active-shooter response. Law enforcement first responders are now trained to enter the situation instead of setting up a perimeter to contain the situation and call the SWAT team.

The training: During the training, cadets used weapons that fired “simunition” rounds, which leave a colored mark where they make contact. It’s very much like a paint gun.

The first time through the simulations, the recruits made mistakes – as you would expect for anyone doing anything for the first time.

It’s definitely better that the cadets go through this type of situation in a controlled environment so they get a feel for it before hitting the streets. They get to feel the adrenaline rush as the bullets scream and the loud shots echo through the halls of the abandoned elementary school.

You can get a taste of the adrenalin rush by watching the video below!

WEEK 15: Investigation

This week, the cadets learned basic criminal investigation procedures. The subjects run the gamut from case management to evidence collection.

Basically, they learned how to conduct an investigation, how to respond to a scene and what kind of information they need to collect after they respond.

“It’s important to document everything,” Mr. Santo said. “The manner evidence is collected and how it is documented can be just as important as the evidence itself.”

The students learned interview and interrogation techniques.

“Law enforcement officers will be interviewing people their whole career,” said Santo. “Everything they do is asking questions and they’ll have to learn to ask the right questions and be able to determine how much information they need to get.”

To practice this, students went around the building and interviewed different people in the office to gather information for a theft report.

They learned the difference between interviews and interrogations and what to do when an interview turns into an interrogation.

The instruction provides the basics: cues, keywords, phrases and behaviors.

“We give common examples and talk about those examples,” Santo said. “But like any other type of training, they will get better when they actually experience it and start getting a feel for it. This is basic training they are getting here and some guided practical experience. Most practical experience comes when you get on the job.”

Thursday the cadets practiced investigation, which included how to contain the crime scene, what they need to look for in the way of evidence and what to do with the collected evidence. Cadets also learned how to process and photograph the evidence.

Friday, the cadets learned to locate and lift finger prints and learned booking procedures.

Interesting tidbits: The 17-week 142nd Central Texas Police Academy is winding down. Next week the cadets will incorporate all the skills they have learned thus far and apply them in real-life situations with actors portraying perpetrators, traffic violators and much more. Check back next week for multiple blog posts!

WEEK 14: Class time and a memorial service

Week 14’s curriculum covered multiple topics: juvenile issues, multiculturalism, human relations and civil law.

But the highlight of the week was the cadets' participation in the community’s annual Law Enforcement Memorial Service at the American Pavilion in Veteran’s Park in College Station.

The ceremony honored law enforcement officers who paid the ultimate price to their communities in the last year. In 2007, 181 law enforcement officers in the United States – 22 in Texas – lost their lives in the line of duty.

Check out the video below for a recap of the ceremony …

WEEK 13: Field Sobriety Testing Training

This week, the students went through standardized field sobriety testing training. They learn to administer a series of exams so they can build a probable cause case to arrest someone who’s been driving while intoxicated.

1.) The Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN): Horizontal gaze nystagmus is an involuntary jerking of the eyeball which occurs naturally as the eyes gaze to the side. Under normal circumstances, nystagmus occurs when the eyes are rotated at high peripheral angles. However, when a person is impaired by alcohol, the jerking can occur at lesser angles.

2.) The Walk-and-Turn: The walk-and-turn is a divided-attention test in which the subject is directed to take nine steps, heel-to-toe, along a straight line. After taking the steps the subject must turn on one foot and return in the same manner the opposite direction. There are eight indicators of impairment associated with this test.

3.) The One-Leg Stand: The one-leg stand test is also a divided attention test where the subject is instructed to stand with one leg approximately six inches off the ground and count aloud by thousands (one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, etc.) until told to put the foot down. There are four indicators of impairment for this test.

Police officers look for specific clues and indicators that the subject may be intoxicated. If somebody makes multiple mistakes during one test, the officer likely has probable cause. They also look at how well a person follows directions. All the indicators help the officer build a case for probable cause.

“It is important to build a good case, because there have been instances where cases have been reduced or dismissed,” Mr. Santo said. “It is very important to document their reason for the initial traffic stop and the reason why they administered the tests. By itself, one of the pieces of evidence may not indicate the person is intoxicated, but when all the indicators are put together, there is usually a strong case.”

Interesting tidbits …

Monday and Tuesday the cadets learned basic Spanish. The idea is to give officers key words and phrases that can help them identify a threat. They also learn commands for arrest and direction. In addition, they learn how to ask someone if they need help and what kind of help they need.

Handgun qualifying

Each cadet must “qualify” twice through a series of shooting tests. Each test requires the cadet shoot 60 rounds in timed scenarios from distances varying from three to 25 yards.

A round in the circle of the target is awarded five points. A round in the white portion of the target is awarded four points and a round in the gray portion is awarded three points.

See the video below!

WEEK 12: Firearms training

“In law enforcement we teach the use of firearms as a tool to save the officer’s life – or somebody else’s life,” said Cullen Grisson, TEEX’s resident gun ballistics expert. “Precision marksmanship at long distances is not what police officers are normally asked to do. Usually the gun fights are at very close ranges, traffic stops, pedestrian stops or inside a home – those are the real threats to their safety. Part of it is marksmanship, but a lot of it is the physical and psychological elements involved.”

The firearms training actually started last Friday, after a week of learning about field note taking and report writing. Friday the cadets learned about gun safety, the different types of weapons and why certain weapons are better suited for law enforcement. Basically, it’s a new gun owner’s program.

According to Grissom, some of the cadets will have a gun in their home for the first time.

“Peace officers are expected to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said. “So they will be living with a weapon and we try to prepare them to take the gun into their home and what that means in terms of safety.”

Some of the cadets have had experiences with weapons.

“I actually shot for the Texas A&M Pistol Team in college,” said College Station PD recruit Kellye Cozart. “It is totally and completely different form of shooting and it has absolutely no application for the shooting we are doing here. The stress level is also a lot higher here.”

Bryan PD cadet Georgia Maher learned to shoot once she knew she wanted to become a police officer.

“I’ve been shooting since August of 2007 and since then I shoot quite often at firing ranges,” she said. “I knew this was the line of work I wanted to get into and until August I’ve never had any formal instruction in shooting.” (See Goergia’s patterns on the target to the left.)

Other cadets have very little experience with firearms.

“Sometimes this is the first time some of these folks have ever held or fired a weapon,” Grissom said.

“I haven’t fired a weapon since I was about seven-years-old,” Chad Jones with the College Station PD said. “My dad had a .22 rifle and he let me shoot it one time. This is first time I’ve shot since then. I was nervous and I’ve definitely got some practicing to do.”

They’ll get plenty of practice this week …

“Each student will shoot between 700 and 1,100 rounds with their handgun and a shotgun,” Grissom said. “We take them from basic marksmanship skills all the way up through shooting and moving and using cover, which are the more practical fighting skills that they will hopefully never have to use.”

What’s someone from the fire department doing in the police academy?

When you scan the classroom or see all 23 cadets together, one immediately catches your attention. William Bouse, who’s a 20-year EMS veteran with the Bryan Fire Department.

Bouse, at a spry 47 years, is 27 years older than the youngest cadet in the 142nd Central Texas Police Academy.

“It’s an interesting aspect when some of the instructors are younger than you,” Bouse chuckled.

While working for an electrical firm and serving as a volunteer firefighter, Bouse took a basic and then an intermediate EMT class through the Kinesiology Department at Texas A&M. About the time the latter of the two classes was wrapping up, he took a test with the Bryan Fire Department and was hired as an Emergency Medical Technician.

You might be wondering why a 20-year veteran of the Bryan FIRE Department is going through the police academy. Bouse was recently promoted to arson investigator and in Texas, all arson investigators must be licensed peace officers.

Does he ever get ribbed by his classmates for being the elder statesman of the group?

“We give him a hard time every now and then, but not too often” said 24-year-old recruit Cody Chandler. “Everybody here calls each other by their last name, but instead of calling him just ‘Bouse,’ we call him ‘Mr. Bouse.’ You could call it a healthy respect for his age and he fits in great with the rest of the class.”

“I hope I bring across a feeling that they can come and talk to me about issues,” Bouse said. “Issues that they feel like somebody with more years and experience might be of help.”

Evidently, that is the case … “He is a wealth of knowledge,” Chandler added. “Especially when we’re learning stuff like we’re learning right now.

Thursday and Friday the cadets learned basic first aid and CPR. And that’s right up Mr. Bouse’s alley.

“It’s absolutely important that all first responders have a basic level of first aid and CPR training,” Bouse said. “It’s also important that they can recognize what is life-threatning and what is not, be able to stabilize the scene and be able to pass on some information to the EMS when they arrive.”

Interesting tidbits:

Monday and Tuesday the cadets studied accident investigation. Wednesday they had a guest speaker from the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission and learned basic information about hazardous materials situations.

Bouse is not the only member of a fire department in the police academy. Gerald Burnett with the Bryan Fire Department is also earning his peace officer certification for the exact same reason as Bouse. (Both pictured to the left.)

SPRAY!!

Friday, the cadets got certified to used OC spray! We'll let the video and pictures tell the story ...

Are you sure you're ready to be sprayed?

Washing off afterwords ...

It gets everywhere!

It affected some worse than others.

Patrol Procedures … and the half-way mark!

The cadets of the 142nd Central Texas Police Academy are officially on the downhill side of the mountain. As the ninth week of the 17-week academy draws to an end, the cadets continue to add skills to their repertoire.

Monday and Tuesday was more class time where the students learned procedures they will use during traffic stops and while searching buildings.

Wednesday morning, the cadets practiced how they would approach a stop if there was not a known risk – your basic traffic stop done by a single officer.

That afternoon, they practiced procedures relative to a high-risk situation.

“A high-risk situation is when the officer knows there is a problem,” TEEX instructor Larry Frye said. “It could be a stop of a car that was stolen or been involved in a bank robbery. In these types of cases, the officer will call for back-up to assist.”

For their own safety, the future officers are learning to treat every stop with caution.

“Safety is always the top priority,” said Ryan Clements, a recruit with the College Station PD. “Something could happen at every stop you make and you always have to be ready, even though the last 100 stops you have made have been without incident. Complacency can get you killed.”

Thursday the procedures shifted to searching houses. TEEX has three residential prop house used exactly for this type of training. The houses are old living quarters from the Bryan Air Force Base that once was located at Texas A&M’s Riverside Campus.

“Searching buildings is more difficult,” said self-funded recruit Ethan Patton. “There are more places for people to be and once you get someone secured in the building, you not only have to worry about searching them, but also if there is someone else in the building. You can see what is going on in the vehicle more than in a building.”

After every group of students perform a traffic stop or clear a house, the instructors gather all the students together and there is a frank discussion about what went right and what went wrong.

The instruction is non-stop during the hands-on portions of the training and the theme is always the same. According to Frye, “We want them to make their mistakes here and not make them again.”

Pushing it to the limit … the car that is!

When the call comes from dispatch and an officer needs to get to the scene quickly, hopefully this will not happen …

And that is exactly why the members of the 142^nd Central Texas Police Academy were put through rigorous driving training (see video below) during the eighth week of the 17-week class.

Texas A&M’s Riverside Campus is located on the site of what used to be the Bryan Air Force Base. Tons of concrete from the old runways provided the ideal spot to learn to drive fast, brake hard – and most importantly – do it all safely.

Face it, at some point in a law enforcement officer’s career – probably more often than you’d think – he or she will have to respond to an emergency call or be in a pursuit situation.

The TEEX emergency vehicle driving track helps students to safely respond to incidents by giving them hands-on practice that builds confidence in their equipment and individual performance in emergency driving situations.

Specifically, there are six driving maneuvers – or driving courses – the students must master before the week is over.

All the courses help develop hand-eye coordination and help the student develop a “feel” for the vehicle’s dynamics and control. Additionally, each course helps develop a unique skill set.

It’s not easy! If there were no time constraints placed on finishing the courses, the “Little Old Lady from Pasadena” could get through all the courses with no problems. But there are time constraints, and in some cases speed minimums as well.

For instance, let’s take a look at the Serpentine course. There are five cones placed in a straight line. Each cone is 60 feet apart. The driver has to enter the obstacle at 35 mph and exit through a 12-foot gate at the end of the obstacle going at least 35 mph. (In the video above, from 0:23 to 0:45 is footage of the Serpentine course)

That’s not hard enough for you? The Precision Maneuvering course is a combination of three separate courses that test all of a cadet’s driving skills in a confined area: sharp turning, backing, acceleration, controlled braking … you get the idea. The students have three minutes to finish the series of courses and can only hit six cones. (In the video above, from 0:45 to the end is footage of the Precision Maneuvering course)

Do not try any of this at home.

If you do, in about nine weeks one of these cadets may be issuing you a citation!

Back in the Classroom … Traffic Law

Much of a police officer’s time is spent patrolling … in a car … on the street or highway. Chances are they are going to come across other vehicles and need to know the laws that govern traffic and motorists. That’s where the Texas Transportation Code comes in.

And that’s exactly what the cadets learned this week from Senior Trooper Eddie Carmon from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

“It’s impossible to cover all of traffic law in one week, so we hit the areas that they probably encounter in their day-to-day activities as officers,” Carmon said. “You can spend six weeks trying to cover traffic law and not get it all in. I’ve tried to – with the experience I have with the highway patrol – give them the info they’ll need when they get to their assigned station or agency.”

“No one wants to be stopped and be given a ticket for a violation they didn’t commit,” Carmon added. “With this class, I want the officers to make sure that any time they stop someone, they make sure they know that the person has violated a law and charge them with the proper violation.”

I know what you’re thinking … if Trooper Carmon can’t teach the class all the traffic law in one week, how should an officer expect the general public to know all the traffic laws? You need to remember the Texas Transportation Code covers a wide variety of topics. Look at it! There’s a link in the first paragraph in case you missed it.

“If you are in the motoring public, take it upon yourself to learn the traffic laws that apply to you and where you are driving your vehicle,” Carmon emphatically said. “Just because you don’t know the law, if you have committed an offense, you are accountable for it. When you sign the dotted line to get your driver’s license, you imply that you know the traffic laws and you’re held accountable for that. It wouldn’t hurt a person to every now and then pick up a driver’s handbook and refresh themselves.”

What is the most common violation an officer encounters that deals with the traffic laws?

“The speed limit,” Carmon said quickly and matter-of-factly. “The speed limit totally depends on what road you’re on: city street, farm-to-market road, state highway, interstate highway. People are surprised to know that you can drive 80 mph in some locations of Texas. Learn the speed limits of the areas you drive most often and pay attention to the posted signs. More people were stopped for speeding violations than any other violations.”

Finally out of the classroom … defensive tactics

The above video makes you think twice about not obeying a police officer, huh?

Unfortunately, police officers often find themselves in a situation where talking and reasoning will not resolve a problem. And sometimes it gets physical.

The sixth week of the Central Texas Police Academy helps the cadets deal with these situations by teaching them defensive tactics.

“It’s awesome to be out of the classroom and not sit for eight hours straight,” said recruit Danny Ohana with the Texas A&M Police Department.

After five weeks of continuous and mind-numbing class work (see previous blog posts), the students finally get to relieve some of their pent-up energy.

“The first day of defensive tactics is really all about mindset,” instructor Larry Frye said. “They have to understand that they’re going to get into fights in law enforcement. They’re going to face resistance and they’re going to have to come out on top. My responsibility is to make sure these people all get home at the end of their shift.”

Throughout the week the cadets continuously built upon their defensive tactics repertoire. The training was based off of Pressure Point Control Tactics, or PPCT. PPCT started out as only pressure point tactics, but evolved into a whole range of defensive tactics to include:

- handcuffing
- basic movements
- defensive counterstrikes
- pressure point control
- joint locks and take downs
- baton applications
- shoulder pin - a type of vascular restraint
- weapons retention and disarmament

After they learn the maneuvers, the cadets get a chance to face real-life situations against seasoned police officers who posed as the bad guys. All were wearing protective gear, but more than one bloody nose surfaced from the action.

“It’s very good for a cadet officer to get hit so when they get out on the street they don’t freeze up or it’s not a surprise,” said officer Paul Brown of the College Station Police Department.

Each encounter is constantly monitored and after each one, the instructors review the scenario with the cadets, discussing what went right and what went wrong with each scenario.

“We would rather the students make their mistakes here than when they get out into the real world,” said Mr. Santo.

Many times, emotion controlled the cadets’ actions. The drills are designed to help them get a feel of how their body and mind will respond to the situation.

“They have to learn to control their anger because they are accountable for everything they do, especially in this day and age where everyone has a camera and video capabilities on their cell phone,” Brown said. “You have to be conscious of what you are doing and how you are doing it. It doesn’t mean somebody is not going to get hurt, but your goal is to get them under arrest without causing injury.”

“Police officers are responsible for everything they do,” Brown quickly added. “If you go to kick someone to take them down and you miss and hit someone in the crowd, you are responsible for that. There is a very high level of accountability on the police officer’s part - way more accountability than a regular citizen.”

WEEK 5: A short but important week … getting stronger in more ways than one

Cody Chandler, a self-funded academy member who drives from Huntsville every day, says he can feel – and see – the effects of the physical training the cadets are enduring at the end of just about every day.

He has taken a whopping five minutes off his 1.5 mile run time and added 17 push-up repetitions in the allotted one minute in just four weeks.

“I’m not as fat,” he joked. “But seriously, I feel a lot better physically. I was just showing off to my wife on the webcam the other day.”

Webcam?

“My wife’s been in Iraq for almost a year,” he said.

Chandler and his wife, who he met when both were in the Army and stationed in Georgia, were married three years ago and now have a 15-month-old son. He last saw his wife for a week in September. Chandler himself spent time in Iraq and was part of the invasion of Baghdad.

“It’s been difficult,” Chandler solemnly said. “I’m not good with this emotional stuff, but I’m thankful my family has been there to help me. The police academy has been something to keep me busy.”

And the recruit class has been busy. In a week shortened to three days by Spring Break, Dr. Anne Satterfield has been teaching the cadets the basics of mental health issues and how to identify these issues.

They can range from temporary impairment due to drugs and alcohol to long-term mental health issues.

“Officers wear a lot of hats,” said Satterfield, the Director of Employee Assistance Program at Texas A&M and practicing psychologist. “Sometimes they wear the hat of a social worker and care for people with mental issues.”

Satterfield claims that at any given time, 25% of the population has some sort of mental health issue and needs help. She adds that not all are able to get help, especially since the amount of help available is diminishing.

“There’s increased scrutiny on law enforcement officers,” Satterfield added. “They must be able to identify mental health issues and find the place for the person to get assistance. It may not always be jail.”

Interesting tidbits:

The cadets will not have class Thursday and Friday as the entire Texas A&M System is off for Spring Break … Next week, the cadets will begin hands-on training, beginning with a week of learning defensive tactics.

The cadets received their PT t-shirts this morning. The design was done by the students and they will wear the shirts everyday for physical training. The shirt slogan reads, “non nobis, sed aliis,” which means, “not for ourselves, but for others.”

WEEK 4: The first test … getting more interesting

“It wasn’t that bad at all,” Chris Sullivan with the Hearne Police Department said when asked about the first test.

Donny Ohana, a recruit with the Texas A&M Police Department added “It seemed easy when you first looked at the questions. But when we got the results, we missed more than we thought we would. For the most part, it wasn’t too bad.”

Sullivan and Ohana pretty much echoed the sentiments of the majority of the class.

The test is taken online on a system developed by TEEX’s Technology and Economic Development Division. It consisted of 100 multiple-choice questions and the students had 90 minutes to complete it. All the students get the same questions, but they are in random order as generated by the testing system.

“There’s usually quite a bit of nervousness going into the first exam,” Mr. Santo said. “The students don’t know how the questions are going to be and don’t know the test format. The results usually improve on the rest of the exams because they know how to prepare.”

There’s no rest for the weary in the Central Texas Police Academy. The cadets took the exams Wednesday afternoon, but they also covered some very important topics the remainder of the week.

“The info is non-stop and comes at them pretty fast,” Mr. Santo said.

But according to the recruits, the material is getting more interesting.

“All the stuff we learned in the first three weeks we’re beginning to apply,” Ohana said.

Early in the week, the students learned about force options. In a nutshell, when should an officer use force and what type of force is appropriate.

Force options range from the officer simply being present to the last option, deadly force.

The use of deadly force is a topic that usually hits the cadets with a load of realism.

“Some of the videos we saw were hard to watch,” Ohana said as his mood quickly turned serious. “It showed us that everything is serious out there. You can have 15 good years on the force and one day it could all end.”

“We show the cadets videos of scenarios of when and when not to use deadly force,” Mr. Santo said. “Officers get killed in some of them. They’re not pleasant to watch, but they’re important to see. We don’t want our students to make the same mistakes others have made. When they get out of here and start working, we want them to finish their shift and go home safely each night.”

Interesting tidbits:

More on testing … The number of questions on the exams correlate to the number of hours spent on each subject. If the class spends 40 hours on one subject and 20 hours on another, there will twice as many questions about the first subject … The software used to administer the exams also provides statistics about the exam, allowing for a meaningful and comprehensive review of trouble areas within the class … The tests are designed to mimic the state exam and in the last two years, 99% of Central Texas Police Academy graduates passed the state exam.

Thursday and Friday the cadets learned the ins-and-outs of family violence from Bryan Police Officer Cary Beason.

WEEK 3: Arrest, search and seizure; the code of criminal procedure … and a newly found life

Just over a year and a half ago, 37-year-old Georgia Maher was living in Dallas screening checked baggage for explosives at the D/FW airport.

It was at this time that Maher’s life changed. With the aid of gastric-bypass surgery she lost an incredible 120 pounds and more than the literal weight was lifted off her shoulders.

“I felt like because my life-changing experience, my first life was over,” Maher, a Bryan Police Department sponsored recruit said with a huge smile on her face. “In life number two, I want to be a police officer.”

She is three weeks into taking the first step to living her dream.

“This is all I have ever wanted to do,” Maher continued as her smile grew even bigger. “I have never been physically able to do it until now. As much as it hurts when Mr. Santo is putting us through PT, I love every bit of it. For me it is like a new-found freedom.”

This week, Maher and her classmates studied arrest, search and seizure as well as the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Arrest, search and seizure covers topics like: when you can and can’t arrest someone, probable cause, how long you can hold someone once they are arrested and what is needed to get a search warrant, to name just a few.

Assistant Brazos County District Attorney Brian Baker spent time with the class, explaining the importance of a police officer’s activities.

“He says it is all about report writing and he emphasized that a seemingly insignificant detail can make or break a criminal case,” Maher explained. “He is the one that has to follow up and try to prosecute the cases we bring to him, so he should know.”

“Everything a police officer does is recorded - one way or another,” Mr. Santo said. “Whether it is their daily log or if they make an arrest, every detail is recorded.”

Thursday and Friday, Ed Costello of the Texas A&M University Police Department taught the class the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Maher, along with the rest of the 142nd Central Texas Police Academy have endured three weeks of classroom activity in preparation for their first test, which will be held next Wednesday.

“The test will cover over 100 hours of class instruction,” said Chris Sullivan, a recruit with the Hearne Police Department. “As long as you read every question carefully, I don’t think it will be too hard.”

We’ll be sure to ask him how hard he thought it was next week …

Interesting tidbits:

After the classroom test next Wednesday, the students will retest on all of the physical assessments they performed the first day of class.

“We should see some improvement,” Mr. Santo said. “Especially, we should see some improvement in upper body strength. They are finally getting used to the idea they have to get out and move, be active and put a little effort in it.”

WEEK 2: The Texas Penal Code … and a sense of duty and honor

“The police academy is not as militaristic as a boot camp, but we adopt a lot of those procedures because of the conformity and the sense of fellowship that it builds in the recruit class,” TEEX instructor Cullen Grissom said. “It gives the recruits a great deal of pride. They have chosen to serve others and they need to be proud of their profession.”

Every morning at 7:50 a.m. – weather permitting – the recruits line up in formation in front of a set of flag poles that were purchased and installed by a former CTPA recruit class. Four cadets raise the United States and Texas flags high above the ground and the other cadets salute the flags as a sign of duty and honor to their country.

After the flags are secured into place for the day, the cadets recite the Pledge of Allegiance and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Texas Flag.

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

“Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible."

“It is symbolic of what we are going to do,” College Station PD recruit Kellye Cozart said. “We serve the same purpose as the military. We protect our colors on our home turf and they do it overseas.”

The posting of colors is followed by a uniform inspection – done by Mr. Santo, who is a spitting image of any drill instructor you have seen in a movie.

“The uniform inspection is to teach them how to show up for work when they complete the police academy,” Santo said. “Their uniform must be clean and wrinkle-free. Their boots need to be polished, their leather gear must look good and they have to be clean shaven.”

There are physical penalties for not complying as two cadets learned. One cadet’s facial hair was a little stubbly and another’s cell phone rang during the inspection. Both had to leave the formation and get into push-up position.

After completing inspection, the cadets hustle back to the classroom to begin their final day of instruction on the Texas Penal Code. They have been immersed in it all week.

When asked what they have been doing this week, Cozart said: “Lots of penal code. All day, every day,”

“It is a lot of material but I would not say it is overwhelming,” added Clayton Brown, also a College Station PD recruit. “We will see when we get to the first test. We might think it’s overwhelming then.”

Interesting tidbits:

The Texas Penal Code consists of about 37 chapters and comprises approximately 20 percent of the law book (see photo on left) used by the students. The cadets use the book to learn what is legal and illegal and then will later apply this knowledge to practical situations.

WEEK 1: A lot of class time and adjusting

The entire first week was spent in the classroom and the students are getting adjusted to their new life as a police academy cadet. It is a life that involves more rules and regulations than they may be used to.

“I’d rather not have to shine my boots,” said 20-year-old Daniel Crocker, who is unaffiliated with a department. “But everything else has been fun.”

“Today was the first day we actually had an inspection on our uniforms,” added Rachel St. Pe’, a Texas A&M Police Department recruit. “Today a couple of people were not 100% up to par so they had to do push-ups.”

The adjustment is not only in appearance but in the classroom as well.

“In college I would go to class in a pair of shorts with a cup of coffee and kick my feet up on the desk,” Crocker laughed. “I’m not about to try that here.”

St. Pe’ was quick to chime in, “There is no food or drinks in the classroom – only water. And we have on our duty belts and it gets uncomfortable after a while.”

After Monday’s intro and physical assessment, the class covered topics including fitness and wellness, the history of policing, the U.S. and Texas Constitution, and ethics.

On Friday, officer Mark Langwell of the College Station Police Department held a discussion about police professionalism and ethics. Cadets are taught to evaluate situations to determine the most ethical course of action by looking at the alternatives and possible conclusions.

“One of the things we look at when we recruit people is the kind of life that they’ve led,” Langwell said. “We want to know if they have made good ethical choices in the past. Once you become an officer, your behavior becomes all that more important because your actions speak volumes to the public.”

The first week is over and the time in the classroom may not be the most exciting the recruits will have over the 17-week course. That does not mean it is unimportant.

“A lot of this stuff we will be tested on directly, but everything we have done this week - even just flipping through the manual – is going to be information that we are going to use to build on,” said Russell Rodriguez, also a recruit of the TAMU Police Department. “We are getting a sense of why we are doing something and then we are going to get into the nuts and bolts later on.”

Rodriquez continued, “The information is mostly common sense, but there is just so much of it. The body of knowledge that you are going to be responsible for is going to grow every single day. That’s the difficult part.”

After a weekend of rest – or studying for most – the recruits will return Monday to five-straight days of learning the Texas Penal Code.

Interesting tidbits:

According to Kyle McNew, TEEX program manager and instructor, policing began in Europe where Sir Robert Peel laid the foundation for the organized metropolitan police system in London. Law enforcement in Texas began with Stephen F. Austin’s Rangers, which eventually evolved into the world-famous Texas Rangers.

Lunch ... Texas A&M's Riverside campus is not very close to Bryan or College Station and there are no restaurants near the facility. Most of the cadets bring their lunch and eat in the breakroom.

DAY 1: Learning the Rules, Physical Assessment

At the orientation last week, everyone wore their regular clothes, but Monday everyone wore their standard-issue Central Texas Police Academy collared shirts and khakis. The uniforms were a reminder that the academy was officially underway.

“I’m expecting to learn what it takes to be an officer,” cadet Cody Chandler from Huntsville, Texas, said. “One of the reasons I came here is because I heard this was supposed to be one of the best police academies in the state of Texas.”

Mr. Santo drilled the cadets with the rules, procedures and business aspects of the academy for the majority of the morning and after lunch the cadets faced their first challenge - the physical assessment.

Rhonda Seaton and Lieutenant Rodney Sigler – both of the College Station Police Department – led the afternoon session, which focused on the fitness, wellness and stress management aspects of being an officer.

The session began with a quote from Kevin Gilmartin’s book, Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement Officers: “Physical fitness is not a luxury for a law enforcement officer, but a requirement if they are to become emotional survivors.”

After a short introduction to the topic, the cadets changed into their physical-training gear and were evaluated in five areas: the vertical jump, the 300-meter sprint, push-ups, sit-ups and a 1.5 mile run.

Best results of the afternoon:
Vertical Jump: 23 inches
300-Meter Sprint: 0:47 (two tied)
Push-Ups in One Minute: 64 repetitions
Sit-Ups in One Minute: 46 repetitions
1.5-Mile Run: 11:49

The physical tests will be measured three additional times throughout the remainder of the academy.

“These cadets will spend more time on physical training than they will with any other single topic,” Mr. Santo said. “We’re not trying to turn them into athletes, but it is important to have a certain level of physical fitness to be a police officer. Upper-body strength and a strong grip are the most important.”

Each day the cadets will train from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on a course designed specifically for the needs of the CTPA.

“I heard the physical training aspect of the academy was going to be hard and there was going to be a lot of running,” said cadet Chad Jones, a resident of Bryan being sponsored by the College Station Police Department. “When someone is trying to run from you, you should be able to catch them.”

Orientation … One week to go until the fun begins

“I think we have the best police academy in the state of Texas – hands down,” exclaimed Tom Shehan, director of TEEX’s Public Safety and Security Division. “We take pride in the fact that we put prepared police officers on the streets.”

Shehan was the first person to speak to the 23 recruits who attended the orientation for the 142nd class of the Central Texas Police Academy (CTPA).

But most of the talking was done by TEEX police academy training director Lee Santo, or “Mr. Santo,” as he will be called by the cadets for the duration of the 17-week academy.

After serving four years in the Marine Corps as a squad leader for a mortar platoon, Mr. Santo began his career in law enforcement. He served stints as a deputy sheriff and K-9 handler, a municipal peace officer detective and swat officer, and as a state police officer with the Alcohol and Beverage Commission. He has been instructing for over 15 years and was previously the Police Academy Coordinator and Director of Public Safety at Wharton Junior College.

After Mr. Shehan and Mr. Santo welcomed them, the cadets had the opportunity to introduce themselves to the people with whom they will be spending the majority of the next four months. Some were timid and apprehensive, but all were proud to be there.

“I have grown up around peace officers all my life,” one cadet boasted. “I just don’t see any other way to make a living.”

Some of the cadets are sponsored and paid for by a jurisdiction, some are sponsored but not paid for by the jurisdiction, and some are paying their own way without a sponsorship in hopes of finding a job once they graduate form the academy.

The following is a list of the cadet’s affiliations:
College Station P.D. - 4
Texas A&M University P.D. - 3
Unaffiliated - 3
Bryan P.D. - 2
Bryan F.D. - 2
Brazos County Sheriff’s Office - 2
Grimes County Sheriff’s Office - 1
Washington County Sheriff’s Office - 1
Madison County Sheriff’s Office - 1
Tulia P.D. - 1
Hearne P.D. - 1
Navasota P.D. - 1
Texas Parks and Wildlife - 1

In addition, the following list will give you a feel for the diverse group of people who will begin the 142nd CTPA.

Oldest - 47
Youngest - 20 (2)
Ages 20-24 - 11
Ages 25-29 - 3
Ages 30-39 - 8
Ages 40+ - 1
Married - 8
Single - 13
Engaged - 2
Have children - 9 (one cadet has seven!!)
Family history of police work - 6
Military background - 4

The academy officially begins Monday, February 11, at 8:00 a.m. We will see you then. Let the fun begin!

Welcome!!

Welcome to the blog that will chronicle a 17-week class of the 142nd Central Texas Police Academy in College Station, Texas. College Station is most widely known as the home of Texas A&M University, but it is also home to the Texas Engineering Extension Service, or TEEX.

A LITTLE ABOUT TEEX:

TEEX delivers a wide range of technical and skills training programs aimed at employed workers and those entering the labor force. During its fiscal year 2007, TEEX provided training and technical assistance to more than 204,000 people from all 50 states, five U.S. territories, the District of Columbia and 54 countries via more than 8,300 deliveries conducted across the nation and around the world.

SOME COOL STUFF WE DO:

TEEX trains law enforcement and security personnel. This division is home to the Central Texas Police Academy and the largest private-sector-taught Unexploded Ordnance course. We blow the doors off the competition – literally! (See the video below)

TEEX provides fire training. The 120-acre Brayton Fire Training Field is world-renowned for its large-scale, hands-on fire training props.

TEEX has unmatched homeland security training. We use real-world exercises to teach companies, communities, states and our nation to prepare for and handle WMD and terrorist attacks, as well as other disaster situations.

TEEX trains public works personnel in a variety of disciplines. TEEX reaches and serves most skill groups and departments found in government, and also tailors training specifically for the needs of industrial and private sector customers.

TEEX is home to the largest OSHA training center in the country. Last year, TEEX trained more students in workplace safety than the federal OSHA Training Institute, as well as the next two OSHA Regional Education Centers combined.

Anchored by the 52-acre Disaster City®, TEEX’s urban search and rescue training prepares rescue teams for the unthinkable. TEEX is also the sponsoring agency for Texas Task Force 1, a state and federal US&R team.

TEEX serves as a catalyst for economic development in the state of Texas. Businesses of all sizes benefit from TEEX’s focus on the industrial supply chain, emergency planning and manufacturing assistance.