Page 15 - Argyle Police Officer Field Training Tips

Always go in to work well rested, this is not the kind of work you want to show up to with your mind on
other things.

Communicate with the other officers from your agency, you never know when you saw something that
might be useful to their case or they something that could be useful to yours. Maintain a good
relationship with other agencies too. This will help you all work together and be more successful.

It is important to be decisive. When you arrive, analyze the situation, and make a decision.

There is always a next time. You will not always catch the suspect. That is just how it goes sometimes,
get over it and prepare for the next time.

Do not be afraid to ask for help. If you need it ask, you sergeant would much rather help you get it right
the first time than to have to come back and fix it the next day.

Enjoy what you do, after all you worked extremely hard to get here. Remember that very few people in
the world are qualified to do this and you are among them.

Always tell the truth. Whenever you’re speaking to your sergeant, IA, chief, etc. always be honest.
Chances are they already know the answer to the question they are asking anyway and lying will get you
fired.

Purchase some kind of pre-paid legal defense. You will need it sooner or later and without it, you’ll face
some heavy legal bills.

Take care of your police job and limit your part time jobs. Remember, that the only reason you are able
to do those part time jobs is because of your fulltime job. If you take on too much, there will be
consequences. Too many officers come into their police job tired from working off-duty or part time jobs
and it shows in their performance and judgement.

Train in all areas of the job. This study the laws you enforce, ordinances, policies, and modern police
practices. You’ll have to do some of this on your own time, but it will be worth it.

Some people will love you for what you represent, and some will not. That is just part of it, do your best
to make a good impression, especially with kids. Kids still look up to you and they are the future police.

Start slow and pace yourself. There’s no reason to rush your career.

Remember, everyone is someone’s brother, son, father, etc. So, treat everyone with respect.

Remember why you became a police officer.

Command presence-This is the first step of use of force, keep yourself in good shape and maintain your
uniform in good order. Be calm and confident. Remember, you are a professional and there to take care
of business.
One really hard hit looks better than several soft hits, so make your use of force swift and solid.

Pg. 14 POLICE FIELD TRAINING CONCEPTS