What have you learned in the academy that is not the same as in the 'real world'?

Thanks, Rich

Bump. The streets have a different set of rules and each agency has general orders and SOP's to follow. But I think I understand your question and where you are going with it, so bear with us...

Bump to all the fine responses so far.You will be trained ,by the academy,to the best of their ability.Some of the problems with this is that generally the instructors in the academy have been there for ages.Police work is constantly in the condition of flux(change) as are the rules ,regulatioins,court decisions etc.which go along with it.You,however,are expected to and shoul retain much of what you learned,up to this point in your career.While in your Field Training phase pay strict attention to EVERYTHING your F.T.O. says and does.There is a good reason he/she is in this position.What you learn on the streets may save yours or somebody elses life.As the years go by you should push yourself to learn and develope additional means to do this.Always volunteer for schools and seminars as they present themselves.

MH557 says ...

Well to flip it around, there are numerous things I learned on the streets you can't be taught in a classroom.

1. Smells. Like the smell of death (all kinds there- decomp, burnt flesh, sticky sweet/coppery smell of blood), cat urine, years worth of garbage in a hoarder's house, simultaneous vomit and $hit from the drunk in your back seat, the almost universal stench of a detention center (body odor, feces/urine, lysol and fear), etc....

2. Never pass up the chance to use the bathroom or to eat something. You never know when you'll get a chance to do either again for the rest of the shift...

3. Use your eyes as well as your hands when pat searching a drunk. Better to see their pants are wet from urine before you grab a handful of it....

4. Never let your guard down. Ever. Or learn to duck really fast. A broken nose/eye socket is no fun....

5. Keep your audio recordings. Especially the ones where you thought the comp was happy with you. Those will be the ones to file a complaint...

6. Don't fall prey to superstitions. If someone says "Boy, it sure is quiet," don't panic because someone said the "Q" word. Just smile and prepare for the storm...'cuz its coming! lol

I'm sure everyone could add to this, but since this probably isn't what the OP had in mind, I'll cease the thread hijack now...

Well, this is an interesting list and I see what you're getting at. What I was meaning was stuff that was taught in the academy one way, but was not so in the street. 

36TR says ...

Everything I was taught in the academy applied to the real world, but everything in the real world was not taught in the academy. That's why my Department (as most do) has a Field Training program.

Bump  this.

rescue101 says ...

SGT405 says ...

36TR says ...

Everything I was taught in the academy applied to the real world, but everything in the real world was not taught in the academy. That's why my Department (as most do) has a Field Training program.

 

Bump  this.

I see what you and 36TR mean is to be trained, but theres different ways of doing the same thing? And to expect the unexpected since you never know

Kind of. Not necessarily different ways of doing the same thing, just different things taught between the Academy and the Department. There are different ways of doing the same thing, though. I may handle a situation differently than csiguy, MH557, SSU459 or SGT405 based on my experience and/or training. That's not to say my way is better. I have learned new ways of handling things from junior Officers as well as senior Officers. But there would also be similarities in some of the ways we would handle particular calls.  (And yes: ALWAYS EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED)

For clarification: My Academy was 14 weeks long. They could only teach you so much, and in some subject matters, could only get so far into that particular subject (ie: touched on the basics of Domestic Disturbances and how the law pertains to it). Each Department and Community have variances on how particular calls are handled and (in the case of Domestic Issues) outside agencies that are available for that community.

Our FTO Program (Field Training; or Police Training as it's now called) is 18 additional weeks after the Academy. That entails more detailed training, including local Ordinances, Policies/Procedures/Protocols, local reports as well as areas not taught in depth in the Academy.

Even after that, the learning is a continual thing. Laws change (Domestic Violence Laws and procedures have changed a bunch of times in my 19 years). Procedures may change with the change in chain of command (New Chief). New equipment calls for new training. Case Law (Court Cases) can also have an effect on how procedures may change.

Hope this helps.

MH557 says ...

Well to flip it around, there are numerous things I learned on the streets you can't be taught in a classroom.

1. Smells. Like the smell of death (all kinds there- decomp, burnt flesh, sticky sweet/coppery smell of blood), cat urine, years worth of garbage in a hoarder's house, simultaneous vomit and $hit from the drunk in your back seat, the almost universal stench of a detention center (body odor, feces/urine, lysol and fear), etc....

2. Never pass up the chance to use the bathroom or to eat something. You never know when you'll get a chance to do either again for the rest of the shift...

3. Use your eyes as well as your hands when pat searching a drunk. Better to see their pants are wet from urine before you grab a handful of it....

4. Never let your guard down. Ever. Or learn to duck really fast. A broken nose/eye socket is no fun....

5. Keep your audio recordings. Especially the ones where you thought the comp was happy with you. Those will be the ones to file a complaint...

6. Don't fall prey to superstitions. If someone says "Boy, it sure is quiet," don't panic because someone said the "Q" word. Just smile and prepare for the storm...'cuz its coming! lol

I'm sure everyone could add to this, but since this probably isn't what the OP had in mind, I'll cease the thread hijack now...

What he said........and in addition to point 1, the sounds a body makes after being dead for a while and being peeled away from the material it is stuck to (if at all). I love this job!

We tell our newbies to go  to the academy and learn then when you get done forget it all and we will re-teach you. We are a small dept. and the academy teaches for the big ones. So a lot of what they teach does not work for us. We have to think on our feet and use our verbal skills ALOT. Back up could be a long ways away and not many of us so we rely on our brains, common sense and guts.  

36TR says ...

MH557 says ...

6. Don't fall prey to superstitions. If someone says "Boy, it sure is quiet," don't panic because someone said the "Q" word. Just smile and prepare for the storm...'cuz its coming! lol

Oh, that only happens about 99.9% of the time!!

Especially in the light of a full moon and on HOT days.

gudercop says ...

We tell our newbies to go  to the academy and learn then when you get done forget it all and we will re-teach you. We are a small dept. and the academy teaches for the big ones. So a lot of what they teach does not work for us. We have to think on our feet and use our verbal skills ALOT. Back up could be a long ways away and not many of us so we rely on our brains, common sense and guts.  

I suspect it's not so much forget it all and we will reteach you but learning how a smaller dept. does things.  You won't have 3 or 4 backup officers on a felony car stop and you won't be calling a burglary detective  or CSI for a burglary but will be  'doing it all yourself'.  Academies teach theory and even in practicals (practice senerio's) give you a very little feel for real life.  It doesn't matter how many domestic disturbances or felony car stops you practice in the academy, you will find your real world ones are probably a lot difference that your practice one, at least mine were, but at least you have a base to build on.

MH557, thanks for the post.  I really enjoyed it since I was eating dinner and reading it LOL.  The academy is basic training.  Your education won't start until you hit the streets.