Sheboygan Police Department Citizen's Academy Ride Along

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Yesterday I got to do my scheduled Ride Along with a police officer in the Sheboygan Police Department. Getting to hang out with a cop for a shift is one of the highlights of the course. It's one thing to learn about the different aspects of the job of the local police, but another thing entirely to get to be part of it for a day. I was especially excited because I got to ride along with a friend of mine. Officer Spencer Wilson has been a cop in Sheboygan for 11 years. He is a primarily a patrol officer, but he is also on the Dive Rescue and SWAT Team. He is also one of the cops who gets to train and evaluate newly hired officers. There are a few rules while on the Ride Alongs. While we do get to spend the shift with the officer, we aren't police officers ourselves. We don't get to carry a gun (even if we have Concealed Carry licenses. We also aren't allowed to go anywhere the general public isn't allowed. For the most part that means we don't get to enter private homes or apartments. There were jokes in Roll Call about letting me carry, and one of the officers who was with us at the range did vouch for me and my ability to shoot. On the other hand, we do get to be there for everything else! We started the shift responding to a "fender bender" car accident. Fortunately no one was injured, but the driver of one car did "kiss" an airbag. Officer Wilson took the statements of everyone involved, reported over the radio and called for the tow truck company requested by the driver. 3 cars were involved, but only one was rendered undriveable. Starting off with a call so quickly didn't mean a busy and exciting shift though. We spent most the shift assisting another officer in a Bail Jumper search. We went to 5 homes taking statements and looking for the bail jumper. In the end he wasn't located so there is a warrant out for his arrest. Ironically I spent the last two ours of the shift in the E/R with a woman who overdosed. Yeah, like this First Responder and former Paramedic needs to spend a shift with the Police Department to experience an Emergency Room. lol I also got to see how a lot of procedural things are done. He had some drug evidence to process so I got to see how that is accomplished. Most of a police officer's job is writing the reports for each action taken. Which was all interesting, but not very exciting. He also pulled a few speeders over (54 in a 35mph zone? C'mon fella!!! lol) and responded to a fight in a juvenile halfway house. In all, not the most exciting ride along, but the best part was, I got to spend a day with my friend Spencer.