"For your safety and mine do not move. Do you understand me?"

It's been really crazy this past little while. The first two weeks were really over whelming. My big mistake was the first weekend into the new job we moved. Getting everything packed up lifting things and moving things on top of all the physical stuff was exhausting.

Ogden does things a little different because they are a different city to work for. They say one year of experience in "O" town is the same as three years somewhere else. Its just really busy and you get to see everything really quick. So before we go to the actual POST police academy we go to a little mini academy put on by Ogden City.

The very first day we got sworn in, issued our gun, badge, and all our equipment. The week has been a little mixed. Sometimes I feel I'm in a college class and other times its really interesting. The past year Ogden's violent crimes has sky rocketed. Most places have an officer involved shooting once a year if that. Last year in Ogden they had six. The officers that were involved in the shooting have been some of the guys training us. It's been pretty crazy listening to their stories and sometimes being able to see the actually gun fight from the dash-cam of their patrol car.

I think it was after seeing the video that everything kinda sunk in for me. I knew it was a dangerous job and that I could get hurt but it seemed more real now.

We've gone through a lot of stuff. Everything from how to do felony stops, searches arrests, gun certification, baton certification, arresting procedures, and different holds and throws. Its a lot of information to absorb.

We also had to get certified in OC (also known as mace or pepper spray) and tasers. The OC wasn't that bad but I also didn't get a straight shot to the eyes. We just stood against a wall and they sprayed it to the side of us so we really just got misted. It made us blink a little and disrupted our breathing but that was it. Nothing like the eyes swelling shut and having to decontaminate with running cold water for 15 minutes.

The taser was something completely different. When someone gets tased two little harpoons shoot into the person and they get shocked for 5 seconds. For us they didn't want us getting punctured so they taped the prongs to us and we all got zapped for one second instead of five. HOLY S&*! it KILLED!!!!!! The one second felt like five. Every muscle clenches up and feels like it is on fire. The worst pain that I have felt in a long time. I can't imagine getting the whole five second ride. My head felt like it was gonna explode. I hope I never have to go through it again.

The next day or two we are going to simulate making a felony stop and getting everyone out of the car and properly arrested and searched etc. Then Monday will be my first day of POST. I'm a little nervous but the quicker I start the quicker I can finish and start on the Officer Training program (FTO).

Peace out yo,
Tommy Boy