Training Continues

Lordy, Lordy! This has been a whirlwind last couple weeks. I am exhausted! All is going well, and I am adjusting to this shift thing - slowly, but surely.

Yesterday, I had to go to a class called "Precision Immobilization Technique," PIT for short. The rest of the officers either went through it when they went through the academy, or when we adopted the policy a couple years ago if they worked for the City. Not me. It's been nearly 23 years since I graduated from the police academy, and A LOT of things have changed. Emergency vehicle operations being one of them. My agency is one of the few left in metro Atlanta with a liberal - by today's standards - chase policy. If they run, we will chase them. Most departments nowadays will not. So we have adopted the PIT policy as a safer way to end chases.

My class yesterday covered the PIT maneuver, Rolling Roadblocks, and using Stop Sticks. I was the only student, so I received 5-on-1 instruction. It was intense, and yet, a little fun. Being the only student meant that I had to do these things back-to-back with no break. My neck hurts today, and since I forgot to put on a sports bra, and with all the bumping ('til I got it right), my boobs HURT! This was compounded by the fact that I had to work my shift afterwards, and the ballistic vest I wear smooshes me. (Very painful, but better than the alternative.)

Bodie, my friend and career counsellor, rode with me for the instruction. "Yummy" drove the perp car. I managed keep up with him, and to spin him out the required number of times. So I completed the class, then worked my shift. I have been completely worthless today.

Tomorrow is part two of this PIT thing. I'm hoping it won't be quite as intense. I won't be the only student, as the entire department is required to take it.

The "yummy" story is this: One of the guys I work with is HOT! I don't know what it is, and most of the other girls at work don't see it. I don't even remember how it came up, but Bodie and I were having a conversation one day. I think he was pondering who is single and available, and I made the off-hand comment that I think Jimmy is "yummy." Well, he told Jimmy I said that, and he told him in front of several of the other guys. "Yummy" is now Jimmy's state-band nickname. Needless to say, I will never live it down. Comments in the squad room (in front of Jimmy) go something like, "Boy, this is good pizza,Darya. Do you want a bite of 'yummy'..... pizza?" And then, the other night several of us were standing around after we checked an alarm, The guys were discussing a trip to Starbucks. Jimmy asked each of them if they wanted to meet over there. When he got to me, he said, "What about you, Yummy?" All I could say was, "I don't have a choice," and try REAL hard not to die on the spot.

EVERYONE likes to give me a hard time about the "yummy"-thing, and what can I do but laugh? Between that, and my past marriage to Captain Smith, they had me laughing all yesterday afternoon. The commentary and innuendos can be a scream. And I know that part of what they are looking for, with me being female, is how I can take the ribbing. But I also think that they might not treat just any female that way. Since they know me, they know I take things well, and they can't help themselves. It's okay with me. It makes me feel accepted.

Meanwhile, my routine stuff is going well enough. I had a really bad night on Saturday. I messed up a traffic stop - from start to finish. Fortunately, it had a good outcome, but I had to take a ding on my DOR (Daily Observation Report) from my FTO for officer safety. He has been very patient. Tough when he needs to be, but very encouraging. He was concerned about the bad DOR being left where other officers could see it, which could cause them to not want me on their calls. If you leave anything where people have access, they will snoop. But when he wrote my DOR last night, he said, "Put this in the shift box where everyone can see it." Since it was much improved over the night before. Everyone makes mistakes, especially while in training, and that is why he is there. I really appreciate the way he treats me. He is next on the list to make Sergeant, and I think he will be a good one.

Everyone else in the department has been very encouraging and supportive. The people I'm closest to have said that it is because they have all known me for so long. I just hope I don't let them down!