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.”