My name is Reid, I work for Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and was asked to do a guest blog and wasn’t sure what I should say. I became interested in being a police officer when I was a kid, I always liked watching the old movies with the cowboys and the sheriff, I have since learned that you can’t do most of the stuff that is in those movies.
Now that I have grown up and know a little more I think this is one of the most incredible jobs, where else do you get so much responsibility and so much freedom? So far my favorite parts of the academy are the Arrest Control and Firearm days. We have been able to shoot over 1,500 rounds of ammo; shooting on the tactical range is the most fun for me. I have done a lot of shooting where you sit or stand still, but getting to shoot while moving at steel targets is awesome! We have had countless hours of arrest control, I have learned some Judo in the past, but this is more aggressive, we are not paid to lose. I have had more fun getting this training than I could have imagined.
If there is one thing that I want anyone trying to get hired by a department to know is that you have to stick with the applications, keep trying, it usually takes several tries. I had the support of my family, when I wouldn’t get through a testing process they were there to tell me to keep trying. So don’t give up, you can make it as long as becoming a cop is something you really want and you work for it. Overall my experience at the Jefferson County Regional Academy has been an amazing journey. I look forward to learning more, not just in the academy but after I graduate.