Spent most of today getting various new and up-close views of the HQ gymnasium floor following throws, arm-locks, hand-cuffs and generally much pain and discomfort.
They call this Officer Safety Training.
It's excellent fun, don't get me wrong (and crucial to the job too) but boy am I going to feel that for the next few days.
Now I'm 6'3" but we ended up doing techniques so effective that I was being quite easily felled by 5'3" lasses. The bigger they come, I guess...
Monday, August 21, 2006
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
And I thought "safety training" would involve something like "Now, don't leave the handle of a saucepan sticking out from the hob, and don't run with scissors." ;)
Thinking about it, "Don't leave scissors sticking out from the hob, and don't run with saucepans" seems to make just as much sense :)
Sorry, got a bit side-tracked there :) I know the sort of thing you mean when it's fun at the time but then the next day you get up and all of a sudden standing seems an awful lot of work ;)
You may have already said (in which case I'm sorry for having forgotten), but how long does the training go on for?
No worries. You'll notice how I never mention what Police Force or station I'm working at though - I'm very wary of the full implications of blogs these days.
Roughly...
It's 3 weeks basic introductory lectures at HQ - the whole intake together... Then about 12 weeks split into smaller groups in the 'divisions' (sectors) we'll be working in. Following that, about 15 weeks out on patrol with a tutor constable going to 'calls', then sometime around Easter... I go solo. To say that scares the shit out of me is an understatement... But hey, that's what I joined up for.
Then, about two years on 'probation', ie managers etc keep close tabs on you as you continue learning, until you are fully qualified.
So a long way yet. :)
That's a fair amount of training :) So hopefully you'll at least feel more prepared by Easter. Will probably have itchy feet by Christmas ;)
I can understand not wanting to say where you are specifically, particularly with a job like that.
So what happens to your "job title", or rank, or... What exactly is it? Over all that time?
(Not that it would mean much to me, it's just interesting :)
No worries, it's interesting that people are, well, interested!
After the end of the two-year probation the main thing is the significant pay rise, other than that it's the end of the formal on-the-job training and initial beat-patrol period, and following that you're then free to apply for various jobs within the police force, CID, Traffic etc...
At the moment I'm basically a constable, and fully sworn-in to. Surprisingly I actually have the full legal powers that come with the office already, I just have absolutely no idea how to use them yet!
For anyone who's considering joining the force, I'd say now is a very good time indeed. The force is continuing to evolve for the better, the pay is good and you're average copper now has a degree would you believe! We ain't talking 'Life on Mars' anymore (though that is a GREAT series).
So if bad guys will tackle you now, they really need to think twice eh?
Post a Comment