Tips

I have tips for ride-alongs that have been suggested by Dr. Richard Weinblatt, who has managed ride-along programs, and Jason Grabill, an expert. First, do paperwork. A liability waiver and departmental policy must be signed. You will also give permission to run your name, driver's license number, social security number and date of birth, which leads to the second tip. Clear up any warrants you may have or you will ride-along with the officer only so far as the county jail.



Dress professionally, but comfortably just in case you have to run. Wear no shorts, jeans, or T-shirts. Wear no questionable or law enforcement logos or graphics. Wear a collared or button down shirt, khaki pants, and comfortable shoes. Wear layered clothing as the temperature inside the car will be cold.



Don't touch the radio unless directed to call for help. To do this, press the button on the microphone and wait for the repeater to kick in. Talk clearly and succinctly, then let go of the button. Know the difference between the radio and public address mikes. Do not touch the computer.



On meal breaks, let the officers pick the eateries. Eat prior to going on duty just in case you have a high-volume shift. Choose wisely. The officer should not have to make a high speed run for the bathroom.



The issue of accepting free or discounted food shouldn't be discussed in view of the public. If a discount isn't extended to you as a civilian, don't demand the bill adjusted. If you're able to cover the officers' bill, do so. If management insists on cutting the bill, leave a tip that equals or exceeds the full price.



You should talk less and listen more. Avoid profanity and unprofessional speech. This is especially important if you're an applicant as a ride-along can serve a layer of unofficial screening for the department. In the next entry, I will probably continue my presentation of tips and hopefully, tell you of how well my call-in to Zone 2 went.

Introduction

My name is Troy Rene BOSTICK and I'm an English major out of Atlanta, Georgia. My favorite genre of music is rock with Creed and Seether being my favorite bands. Holes is my favorite book. It was read to me in the fifth grade and was the first novel I enjoyed.

For my team presentation, I'm interested in public relations / corporate writing, technical writing, and writing for the Internet. These choices reflect my desire to become a police officer or pursue a closely-related career. Traditionally, police officers and closely-related professionals write reports. However, due to an emphasis on community-oriented policing and the desire for citizens to know what their governments are doing to protect them, the police are increasingly using websites, blogs, and even Twitter accounts to pass along information. Facebook accounts are used as recruiting tools. Large departments often have community-oriented policing sections and small departments often have public information officers to maintain such pages.

Police officers and closely-related professionals tend not to have degrees in English. Therefore, I feel supremely confident that I could be a great asset in one of these specialized roles. However, I would be foolishly optimistic to think I could make such an arrogant statement and not prove my worth to potential employers. This brings me to the purpose of my blog. To demonstrate my seriousness in pursuing a career in government work and to prove I've properly examined the career, I plan to ride along with four metro Atlanta police departments. They are two urban police departments, City of Atlanta and City of Dunwoody, and two university police departments, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State. Future blogs will discuss the procedures for applying to these ride-along programs and if I'm successful, entries on my experiences. The next entry will probably contain general information on ride-alongs and an examination of ride along blog entries currently in the blogosphere.

Test Fire

This is a test fire of this blog.