and it makes me sad to see how few posts there are about it. For those who keep up with the show regularly, what do you think? I wasn't aware of the types of things you have to go through to make it in this profession. I guess its a fantasy of mine to be part of law enforcement, but I'm not sure I could hack it. Oh well, at least I can live vicariously through these recruits.
shareI really love this show too. I was always well aware of what went on at academies, but this show definitley gives more insight into what it could be like. I am testing for different police agencies right now. I think I will be scared if I make it to the academy!
shareVery few Departments have A "boot camp" style academy. Most are more geared toward a academic/college enviorment. It just depends on which agency you intend to work for. I've been to 2 seperate academies in 2 differnet states and niether were as intense as the LCSD. However I got alot out of both. Plus after going through Paris Island I have no desire to subject my self to that ever again.....But it does make for some good TV watching the show is great.
shareI've enjoyed the show so far.
I've been hired on to another agency and my academy starts next month. This show started at about the time I was hired so it's kind of been an inside look that otherwise I would not have had.
From what I've found around the net what we are seeing each week is probably more hardcore than many if not most other agencies. I guess in an area like LA they have so many applicants that they can weed through many with that kind of training. Of course only someone who has experienced a few first hand would really know.
I went through the LASD Academy in 2002. Many of my partners and I liked the first few episodes. I can tell you the yelling and craziness is absolutely realistic. Deputy Miley and the other instructors are that way and even more intense when the cameras are off.
I feel the show got a little weak after about the halfway point. This is probably due mostly to making it good reality television rather that just showing reality.
After speaking to Academy staff and recruits from classes who witnessed everything firsthand, it sounds like it probably hurt the Department more than it helped. We had a couple of recruits show up at my facility and they were pretty full of themselves.
One instructor told me the recruits would often line up waiting to be the next one interviewed rather than studying or just sitting quietly like the rest of us had to do. In the end, that kind of stuff just hurts the overall integrity of the class.
My understanding is they will rebroadcast the show on UPN and, if it does well, they'll film another one.
I'm watching it now on my24(formerly UPN) here near Milwaukee.
The loser is always at fault.
One guy in Germany stated that in his country they cut out all that military stuff for their police forces such as yelling at the recruits and tried other more humane methods of turning recruits into competent police officers. I guess the Germans got tired of all that militarism because even though it created a fine fighting force of World War II and World War I, all that much of the anarchic military stuff in basic training really turn off a lot of people plus it cause Germany to be divided for nearly 50 years.
Many drill instructors both in the police and military complain about kids not showing intiative or standing up for themselves. How do you expect kids to display those qualities when for much of their early life, they did what people told them to do and if they stood up for themselves and show initiative, they got knock down both phyiscally and mentally? The only kids that can show initiative and stand up for themselves are gang members. In the police, military, and Corporate America, the managers spend too much of their time knocking people down and keepting them down. Furthermore, in basic training you have to do what the instructors tell you to do and if you speak up on what you preceive is wrong, you will get written up. It is nearly impossible for recruits to have self-confidence or show initiative when they are at the bottom of the topem pole. They got the absolute power to make or break you. Too many times kids get broken down in school, at religious institutions, and at home, and when it is time for them to go out into the world, they are helpless because those insitutions did not nor wanted to turn the kids into critical thinking, self-confidence people.
At the same time, there are too many people that deserve to have their mouths shut and do what they are told to do plus their overbearing self-confidence borders on arrogant and contempt for other people. One of the recruits in the Academy kept back talking to the drill instructors, and the drill instructor who was a Torrance Police cop got into the recruit face and read the riot act about the guy flipping his mouth off once too many times and that was the reason why the recruit was getting into trouble and was going to be dropped from the Academy.
I don't know how they get the recruits to show they have leadership skills when many of the them never had the opportunity and a mentor to help them nurture and develop such skills. To me, they should help develop leadership skills after the guys graduate from basic training. The recruits are just trying to survive basic training to graduate.
Its apparent you have never been in a "bootcamp" or military basic training program of any type. They aren't there to teach them (recruits) initiative or to stand up for themselves. They (drill instructors)are there to teach discipline and how to work under stress. Its the parents job to instill the other things. As for these people who have went through these types of programs being "helpless because those insitutions did not nor wanted to turn the kids into critical thinking, self-confidence people." I don't know where you are getting that from. The time I spent in the US Marines I saw more young people display problem solving and leadership skills that you don't see in people twice their age. As for gang members....I've never seen a bigger group of cowards with no honor who couldn't think they way out of a paper bag. They might be tough in a group but you seperate them and put the screws to them they crack like the scared little punks they truly are. In my 7 years in law enforcement Ive maybe saw one truly smart, quick thinking gang banger who is currently sitting in Lewistown federal prison. You observations are baseless because you have never been through boot camp or basic. You can reply to this after you have experienced something more then a college classroom.
shareI have been in the military, and I have seen too many people leave because of lack of leadership by officer and sergeants in helping their people become self-confidence, self-starter individuals. Furthermore, many of these officers and sergeants leave the services and continut to display the same poor leadership traits when they work at their civilian jobs.
Police work is totally different from being in the military in that you have to show initiative right from the start. In the TV show, The Rookies on A&E Channels, some of the Field Training Officers complain about the rookies just standing around and not doing anything at the crime scene. It seems to me that show how people are brainwash from childhood not to do anything until someone tells them to do so.
Amazing, you stated that it is the job of the parents to teach kids other things. That's ironic because most of the time, law enforcement complain about parents not teaching their kids discipline. You been on the job; so, you probably have seen kids being victimized by members of their own family where they are unable or unwilling to take the initiative to get away from situation. It will take those kids years to do something on their own because of the fear of being slap down both phyiscally and mentally. I bet you seen members of your own agency or other agencies where the cops can't or won't take the intiative because of getting slap down by their bosses, political leaders, and by CEOs of Corporate America for trying to do their jobs. Give a few more years, and you will see the stupiest, dumbest cops promoted to high level police positions while the best and brightest cops are still at the bottom of the totem pole, or they leave law enforcement for good.
Street gang members in this country are still pretty smart and know how to take the intiative in running complex criminal operations; otherwise, they would have disappear from the American landscape a long time ago. They know the law a lot better then the civil population and cops. Or is it that you cops are just too stupid and dumb to handle a bunch of so called punks? Of course if some law biding citizen starts spouting off his/her rights against a cop who steps out of line, you guys get mad because you don't want an informed, educated population that knows about the laws and constitutional rights in this country.
In New Jersey, they are having crisis of witnesses coming forward to testified against criminals because of witness intimidation. They know they have the Constitutional right to confront their accusers in court. You cops have not done a thing to push for a systmatic witness protection system at the state level. By the time, you are ready to retired from the job, gangs in this country will still be around.
You probably never come up against real hard core gang members like the Japanses mob, the Chinese mob, the Mexican mob, the Colomubia mob, Russian mob, Siclian mob, and MS-13. From what I heard, the MS-13 pays a bounty for each American cop that is killed by them. Sicilian, Mexican, and Columbian mob have been killing cops for years and in their cultures, killing a cop doesn't carry a bad stigma compare to this country. All these mention groups are not scared of American prisons. They view them as vacation retreats compare to the treatment they get in their own countries' prisons. You can reply to my comments after you deal with these groups.
Wrong again Jack. I'm in the heart of MS country so try again. I have seen first hand their handy work. I have lined them all up on the curb and taken my snap shots of there "Ink". Documented their sets, ID'd them all by their ridiculous street names and handed them off to ICE who had their detainers preprinted with a one way ticket out of this country. As for them knowing the law. UMMMM no they don't know squat about the law only how to break it. Yes they get some decent sized operations (example:a nice little stolen GPS racket going more money and less risk then drugs) going but you catch one of these PUNKS that you admire so much and they are begging to roll on their buddies. Now lets see Russian mob chinese triads yakuza....you've seen to many movies buddy. They aren't driving down the street wearing signs like "HEY IM A GANGSTER". Gangs are here to stay and since the founding of this country they have been here. Until they allow summary street level executions they will keep popping up. What am I missing. Mexican mob...yeah seen them too. Not impressed. The ones who stain my skivvies are the good old fashioned American outlaw bikers. Those other retards dont hold a candle to them as far as runnig a criminal enterprise, But even they are routinely infiltrated and brought down. I like the fact gangs are here to stay. That means job security for me. As for there little bounties on US cops. Bring it. Because for every one of ours they put in the ground we will line up 10 of theirs.
Your little witness protection idea....since when is it the cops job to start these programs. Write a letter to your legislators. Why do all you people think the cops are the ones who write the laws. Are you gonna pay for this program? Are you gonna hire the staff needed. Are you gonna pull the resources needed to do this outta mid air? As for the witnesses themselves. Lets take Brenda Paz for example. Witness against MS-13. She kept associating with all here scum bag criminal buddies AFTER she was palced in witness protection. She then got her self murdered by those very same buddies.
Your real good at picking out what you percieve as problems but you don't offer up much in the way of solutions. Every organization in this country is ripe with poor management. That is not exclusive to the military. My time spent as an FTI I will tell you first hand. Former military will 9 times outta 10 be the first ones to step up. The college kids are usually the ones with the deer in the headlights look.
You claim to be former military which I am skeptical on but will give you the benefit of the doubt. But you don't know *beep* about police work. Heres the best way for you to make an informed opinion. Go to your local substation and ask for an application.
Why you so jaded on cops to begin with? you get one to many tickets in your jag leaving your upper middle class white gated community?
I know that Chinese and Japanese mob members don't wear signs stating that they are gangsters. They are too smart for that. As for witness protection programs, politicans will listen more to police officers more than they do to ordinary citizens. You guys have plenty of political clout that can make or break a politican's career. The Los Angeles Police Department launch campaigns against politicans who they felt were "anti-police" because those politicans did not tolerate police corruption and constant violations of civil rights.
When Dan Lungren was running for Governor of California, the police unions were sitting on the sidelines bidding their time to see who they will support. When Lungren made a stupid remark about police unions, the unions threw their support with Lungren oppenents and Lungren lost big time.
If you want to execute gangs on the street, I suggest you put in an application with the Singapore judical system. Furthermore, why don't you execute members of the CIA? They help create the street gangs by bring in heroin into this country during the Vietname War. You might as well execute Oliver North, one of your former marines, for helping bring in cocaine during the 1980s and using the proceeds to fund the Contras.
If I did offer solutions, the higher management will constantly keep putting it off, and management does not like to hear from the rank and file. It is part of the American management culture for a long, long time.
Afro-Americans, other minorities, labor unions, progressives, liberals and progressive movements have long been jaded on law enforcement because the police have been use as a private police force by Corporate America and by rich people. This also occurs in Central and South America as well. The American police have never been impartial in applying justice equally in this country compare to that of RCMP and the Singapore Police.
Myself I am jaded with the police because they are unable or unwilling to deal with white collar, corporate crimes because they are always saying they don't have the time, resources, and manpower to do the job. Maybe if the various police forces had joint task forces to tackle white collar, corporate crime like they do with street gangs, then they would have no excuses Other reason why police don't take on white collar, corporate crime is that they fear reprisals from the business leaders who will call their politican friends and the politicans will tell you to back off and almost most of the time you will do so. You guys have no moral courage when it comes to standing up to politicans at all levels of government plus telling the corporations and rich people to take a hike. As a matter of fact, both the corporations and many police organizations put these politicans in office. In Singapore, the police and the district attorneys are allow to go after rich and powerful people and corporations which is one reason why the Singapore government is one of the least corruptable governments on this planet.
I don't like it when the police are hitting innocent people without provocation like what happen in Los Angelese last year and at the Republican Party Convention. There was a peaceful demonstration for immigration rights at MacArthur Park. A group of youth kids were throwing rocks, bottles and other items at the police some distance from the demonstration Instead of isolating, containing, and arresting the group, the police push them into the demonstration and start knocking women, children, and even reporters who did nothing to provoke the police.
At the Republican Covention Center earlier this year, two people from the TV show Democracy Now were arrested by the police on phoney, baloney charges. Ame Goodman, the founder of Democracy Now, wanted to speak to the police commander regarding her collegues; however, instead of helping her, they arrest her. Many times, it is the police that start the riots not the demonstrators themselves like what happend at the 1999 WTO Protest that took place on the streets of Seattle and in Los Angeles against the anti-war protestors in the late 1960s.
It seems to me that you and many of your fellow officers are so jaded against any kind of constructive criticism even from people in your own organization. Many of you don't lived in gate communities; however, it doesn't prevent you from having a bunker siege like mentality or the more common thing of "us versus them." Many of you also have a jaded view about the Bill of Rights and the Constittuion where people having a right to remain silent, have a lawyer present during questioning, plus refusing you to search their homes and/or vechiles without proper probable cause ; however, when there is a complaint filed against you (whether it is true or not), you want to remain silent, have a lawyer when you are question, and having your home/vehicle search without proper probable cause. Some minorities cops have complain about being pulled over because of illegal probable cause.
Ok. At first I thought I sensed an once of intelligence from you. However that has been trumped by the fact you seem to buy in to way to many conspiracy theories. That being the case I have learned from my many years dealing with the public is you can't have an intelligent argument with the people who think the one world government in league with big foot is out to brain wash everyone using subliminal messages in Mr Rogers broadcasts. I'm sorry I just don't buy any of your gov/polictico schemes. Your talking about people who couldn't organize a bake sale let alone conspire to keep everyone down. Just wrap your head in tin foil and everything will be OK.
shareI thought you be open-minded with some of my arguments why I am jaded against the police; however, once again, I have learned from my many years dealing with people like you that you are one of those narrow-minded persons who has no intelligence to see and understand the other person's side unless it happens to you. Only then will you get your head out of the sand and realize what the other person is trying to tell you. Maybe you will learn the hard way out on the streets when some cops violate your rights without proper due process which causes you to lose your job and/or send you to prison. Or maybe you will learn the hard way when some guy in the corporate suite takes your money and then you find out you can't take any legal recourse because the guy lobby for laws that prevent ordinary citizens from having access to to court.
shareTake your Thorazine and lithium.
shareYou are one on Thorazine and lithium due to your personality and due to the negative aspects of your job. If you not taking them, you are probably using alcohol to relieve all your sufferings from the job and to reinforce your insecure personality.
shareYou really have trouble hitting that mark don't you. I'm very fulfilled by my job and do well to separate it from a great home life...I do however admittedly enjoy a nice glass of Glenlivet or Balvenie from time to time and I am a sucker for a good Merlot, but all things in moderation. I guess I am insecure since I don't think Starbucks walmart and target actually control the police departments in a plan to use no mocha decaff 2% latte's to keep all minorities under control and maintain power over the masses. Did you know the moon landing was real? I thought you were stable til you threw out the conspiracy theories. Please reply... you give me something to do in my otherwise dark and depressing existence that you say I am living.
shareYou are the one that is missing the mark time and time again. To you, anyone with a totally different thought, viewpoint, perspective, etc., is nothing more than a "conspiracy theory" person who also a mental case. As stated earlier, I thought you were a more open-minded person; however, due to your remarks, I am not surprised nor disappointed.
shareNope...your just nuts. Different view point is one thing but your nuts....buy some tin foil to wrap around your head cause your nuts.
LCSDMAL is exactly right, I have been in the military and now have been in law enforcement for fifteen years. I have dealt with plenty of gang members that are nothing but a bunch of whiny little girls. I also ways tell my family members if you ever get cornered by a bunch of gang members take out the one with the biggest mouth and the rest of them will run for the hills. I have sat down and done the interviews where they roll over on each other so fast it makes your head spin. So once you've done the interviews and dealt with these people on a daily basis then come and tell the rest of how it is.
shareDon't expect the people to cooperate with you if you don't have witness protection programs and why don't you use your influence to get the legislators to establish these programs. You must be a gangster youreself if you likes gangs to stay around because gives you job security. You cops are not so good at offering any kind of solutions at all and when you do it, it backfires at the expense of community. Don't tell me about military people stepping up for police work because after awhile in police work, high school kids and/or many ex-military or military reservists hate and/or scared of patroling dangerous work and tried to get out of patrol work ASAP. What make you think that high school kids and/or military do not have the deer in the headlights look? How many military guys got that look when expose to enemy fire in Iraq and Afghanistan? You don't know if a person will free up in combat and/or police work?
Don't tell me that you can line up 10 gangsters for every one of you they put in the ground because if you start doing that, you would be wipe out a long time ago, because you do not the endless manpower to replace your losses compare to the criminal underworld and no matter how many times, you deport criminals, many of them sneak back into the USA.
I skeptical if you are military yourself and for your information, many of your cops still don't know anything about police work despite the fact that they have years of police experience. They should have been kick off the force a long time ago.
Why are you so jaded about honest law biding citizens? Did you get too many complains from people because you violated their civil rights during routine traffic stops and got disciplinary action taken against you? Of course, you don't have no idea or history about law enforcement being used by corporations against the people of America and too many cops live in gated communities or in other affluent areas.
Don't expect the people to cooperate with you if you don't have witness protection programs and why don't you use your influence to get the legislators to establish these programs. To pay for the programs, tax the rich people and corporations because they got all the money. You must be a gangster youreself if you likes gangs to stay around because they gives you job security. Or you like to have gangs around because you would be bore to death with your job if this country had a very low crime rate. As a matter of fact, many police department were like street gangs themselves. Furthermore I recall, organzied crime was in existence; however, the police in America did not do an effective job against them for much of the 20th century and many cops like organized crime because they got economic security from the bribes they got.
You cops are not so good at offering any kind of solutions at all and when you do it, it backfires at the expense of community. Don't tell me about military people stepping up for police work because after awhile in police work, high school kids and/or many ex-military or military reservists hate and/or scared of patroling in the dangerous areas and tried to get out of patrol work ASAP. What make you think that high school kids and/or military do not have the deer in the headlights look? How many military guys got that look when expose to enemy fire in Iraq and Afghanistan? You don't know if a person will free up in combat and/or police work.
Many ex-military and/or reservists join the police because like the military, they need that power rush that comes with the military rank and/or police badge which is why many of them commit suicide after leaving the police and/or the military because they don't have the power of life and death over people. Once you lose your military and/or police job, you are just a regular person just like the rest of the population, and all of a sudden, people can back talk to you, assualt, or put you in a grave and many of you military/cops don't like it which is why many of you don't live too long after retirement (18 months at the most).
Don't tell me that you can line up 10 gangsters for every one of you they put in the ground because if you start doing that, you would be wipe out a long time ago, because you do not the endless manpower to replace your losses compare to the criminal underworld and no matter how many times, you deport criminals, many of them sneak back into the USA.
I skeptical if you are military yourself and for your information, many of your cops still don't know anything about police work despite the fact that they have years of police experience. They should have been kick off the force a long time ago.
Why are you so jaded about honest law biding citizens? Did you get too many complains from people because you violated their civil rights during routine traffic stops and got disciplinary action taken against you? Of course, you don't have no idea or history about law enforcement being used by corporations against the people of America, and too many cops live in gated communities or in other affluent areas, so like many politicans and rich people, you cops have no idea of what goes on in the rest of the community because of your self-isolation and don't care about the population you supposely are to protect and serve.