“What was your perception of law enforcement
prior to this program?”
I didn’t like cops. I didn’t care about them, and I didn’t want their help....
That police officers were mean and were inappropriate at times.......
Abused the badge and the authority...
Cops were a little moody,
and I was really afraid of them....
Eating donuts. Harassing teenagers.
Starting trouble....
That they just wanted to bust our butts....
Easy job, no real dangers....
I thought it was a job where you could just chill and write a lot of reports....
I thought that they were stubborn
and didn’t care what the people had to say....
Cops are annoying sometimes....
“(Why) has your perception of law enforcement changed
as a result of the program?”
Now I know now that police officers are more sensitive and open minded....
I learned what they go through, how they have tactics,
and they have to deal with situations one after the other....
I have a new respect for them....
My outlook has changed because I notice cops are just doing what they have to do and not just trying to get you in trouble....
I now understand more of a police officers point of view....
I was wrong about cops. They have to do their job.
The key “LESSONS LEARNED” that categorically come up
from students across the county include:
Cops are people, too....
That police officers are just normal people...
Cops want to go home to their families at the end of the day...
That being a cop is a tough and risky job,
and they have to protect themselves....
Anything could happen, even at a routine traffic stop....
That cops put their lives at risk every day they work....
The danger police officers face everyday...
That a police officer’s job is not easy....
That they have to act a certain way toward people to protect themselves....
A better understanding of the profession and the job they have to do....
The toughness of the Academy and what these cops did to actually become a cop
The amount of hard work and training....
Police officers are people who care for everyone...
That they are only here to help us....How to act around cops....
To always treat police officers with respect and to not judge them. That cops are good people.” |
