Walters State

[Tgavwat]

I'm a former officer (I worked the road for 6 months before starting the academy) in Virginia and I quit the academy there due to me not being ready but a fair amount of time has passed. Can anyone tell me what Walters State in East TN is like? A couple of questions are, how hard is the PT, what is DT like, and how strict is it?

[NolaT]

How were you not ready, leading to you quitting the academy, after being selected?

[Tgavwat]

I just wasn't ready for it mentally or physically. Also being a dumb 20 year old didn't help. Was going to fail DT made it to week 11 out of 20.

[CCCSD]

You were NEVER an “Officer”.

[Tgavwat]

I worked the road for 6 months before the academy, so I do call that being an officer.

[NolaT]

Some states, Louisiana included, allow depts to hire and use LEOs for up to one year before they must be POST certified.

So they're actually working the street with absolutely Zero training or certification,.....

This totally saves small depts the risk of wasting academy money on officers that won't pass the FTO stage, but the liability seems high.

[DD312]

I'm a former officer (I worked the road for 6 months before starting the academy) in Virginia and I quit the academy there due to me not being ready but a fair amount of time has passed. Can anyone tell me what Walters State in East TN is like? A couple of questions are, how hard is the PT, what is DT like, and how strict is it?

You will most likely have to appear before the POST Commission and explain why you did not complete the academy in Virginia and justify why you should be allowed to enter Walters State. With the few "pay to play" academies Tennessee has, they tend to look down on "academy shopping."

[careerchange#2]

Not specific to your question about that program but in general as a BI and as a recruit mentor:

How long has it been since your last academy?

What have you done since then to better prepare yourself for the next academy?

If someone on a hiring board were to ask you this question how would you answer: "So you worked the road for 6 months but couldn't bring yourself to complete and succeed in a 5 month controlled training environment. Do you consider yourself a liability for those 6 months on the road? How will you be successful now?"

Young and dumb 20 year old.....what exactly does that mean?

Also, just personal, but I wouldn't refer to yourself as a prior officer. I would be technical and state that you were employed by the police department as a non-certified patrol officer. It may sound like semantics but sounds much better and we (BI's) aren't surprised when we start digging.

Also, to your questions.....what do you want out the program? You ask about how hard it is and strict it is. Are you hoping is difficult and rigid or an easy ride?

[Tgavwat]

I had no issue with PT and I was top 3 in academics out of 23 other students so in the basic parts of the academy I had no issue. When I got to DT I quickly realized I wasn't mentally ready to deal with the stress. But it's odd, whenever I would get calls I wouldn't be very nervous, only when I got in the academy did I start getting nervous.
I quit and I regret it very much seeing as I was so close to finishing. When I say dumb 20-year old I was immature. I'm asking what the PT standards are like compared to the one I went to before, I quit back in September and intend to use the next year or perhaps two years to better myself. These couple of months not being in law enforcement and working other jobs makes me realize just how much I love it and miss it.

[Tgavwat]

And to answer the question about what I seek out of the program. I seek a program that can mentally and physically prepare me for the career.

[NolaT]

I'll follow up:

"What has changed in your life to make you a better prepared academy recruit now, vs before?"

"What about the prior academy program did you feel wasn't properly preparing you to succeed?"