Personal Narrative: My Time In The Savannah Regional Police Academy

Four or Five years ago if you were to tell me that I would be confidently applying to the University of Miami I would have laughed. Through high school I did not give much effort and like most of my peers, thought that furthering my education was my only option. Nearing the end of my senior year I started realizing that no noteworthy university would even consider accepting someone like me. As the days ticked away, I applied to a nearby college with an incredibly high acceptance rate and found myself opening an acceptance letter a few weeks later.

For the past 2 years I have been part of the San Francisco Police Activities League as a Cadet. As a Cadet I’ve had many opportunities that I never thought I would have. We, Cadets, help the San Francisco Police Department with any assistance they need in big Bay Area events or fundraising. I’ve gotten the chance to also meet the Chief of Police, Greg Suhr, and now Retired Deputy Chief, Lyn Tomioka. Never in my life did I think I would have the wonderful and honorable opportunity to meet 2 excellent people and many more amazing Officers. In the 2 years, I was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by Chief Suhr for the work I’ve done as a PAL Cadet.

“The Sheriff´s office has issued a mandatory evacuation order for your area.” A phone call like that will get you out of bed in a hurry, and it’s something you don’t get used too. I grew up in Ramona, California, a small rural town with not much to offer. Mountains, farm animals, hillbillies and fires… all a part of Ramona.

Today was the ending of the trail. Today was intense for my family, Officer Paul Galluzzo’s family, and especially me. Today was the day the world got to know if their was going to be justice for me or if Paul Galluzzo was gonna get off with police misconduct . I got up to take a shower and put on my clothes.

A man once said, “Without hard work and discipline it is difficult to be a top professional”, I didn't realize how accurate this saying was. This year, I was appointed to be the JROTC Unarmed Drill Team Commander, which consisted of leading subordinates in a freestyle and a distinct routine using military movements. Our upcoming competition was hosted by an Air Force unit, which meant that we had to adapt to a different sequence of commands, being we're an Army JROTC unit. With hard work of intense hours of practice, we looked sharp, fearless, and unified.

I currently have an Associate degree in Criminal Justice and have attended Professional Military Education (PME) courses in Security Forces Apprentice and Security Forces Leadership courses. Moreover, I was selected to attend the MWD Handler and Kennel Master/Trainer courses at Lackland Air Force Base (AFB) Texas. I have also attended the Non Commissioned Officer Academy Management Course at Petersen AFB, Colorado that enhanced leadership capabilities. Lastly, I was selected to attend Yuma Joint Forces Regional K9 Training with U.S. Marine/Navy in Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona in preparation for combat mission in

My decision to become a Criminal Justice major was not a simple one. My high school cross country coach was also a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer who told me that I had a very “police-like” attitude, which ignited a spark in my brain. Initially I thought it would be pretty cool to chase people down, shoot guns, and have my picture plastered on the front page of every newspaper for taking down the biggest drug cartel in the United States although my mind was still set on majoring in Athletic Training.

My second week at the court house was long but eye opening. I learned so much about the criminal justice system. I leaned that each procedure and each role a person play is crucial to someone life. On Tuesday, the day was short but still alarming. I came in and shadow one of the clerks as she was preparing for court. As the clerk was setting up for court I remember trying to recognize which department is what on each traffic ticket. I felt confuse, but the clerk show who was trooper, SUNY New Paltz police, and state police/ She remind that I will eventually learn who is who and how to set up for court. I felt better about what she said and I was ready for court. I notice that court will be short today because we did not have many cases. I began

“And this woman's case stands she broke the law and she committed the worst crime which is a death” Is there any objections”

On February 24, 2017, I responded to 2809 W Royal Oaks Drive in reference to an intoxicated subject. Beaufort County Dispatch advised me a male was intoxicated attempting to drive a vehicle. I arrived in the area and observed a gray 2014 Chev Camero, bearing a South Carolina license plate; MMJ124 parked in the roadway. The individual was standing behind the vehicle, and appeared to be unstable by not keeping his balance while standing.

On 06-09-2016 at 1103 hours I was contacted at the front desk of the Police Department in reference to stealing.

When I was little some of my closest family members were educators, so naturally I wanted to become a teacher when I grew up. Although, as I grew older I changed my mind about what I wanted as my profession a lot. I went from wanting to become a teacher to wanting to pursuing a career in the fashion industry as a fashion designer, and then I wanted to become a FBI Agent. I probably changed my mind a million times, before I realized that I wanted to become a teacher. I arrived at this decision in high school, more specifically during the first semester of eleventh grade.

When I was 18 years old I packed my bags and made my way to The Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy for 10 weeks. I was following in the footsteps of my father and his father who had attended the same academy in their youth; my parents were so proud! At 18 I was a hotheaded, smug, careless teen who, despite my law enforcement lineage, had no inkling of exactly what I was getting myself into; at the time, however, I did not realize that. I walked in that first day with such confidence and pride. Because I grew up in a law enforcement background, I expected to blow everybody away with how knowledgeable I was, but I quickly learned that I was sorely mistaken.

It was an opportunity I could not pass up. The words over the intercom for the availability was a job that I planned to pursue. As I stepped into the activities office, I see flyers on the boards, people huddled around the desk. It was an awkward feeling for me, something that I never planned to do as a freshman in high school. I stepped up to the desk, somehow bringing up the courage to ask about the requirements for the position. I was handed a packet that consisted of three papers; the first page was the requirements, the second being the job positions, and the third being the recommendations. Reading all the requirements, I turned the page back to the second. I then circled the the option of “Freshman Secretary”.

One of the biggest impacts on my life has been my experience interning with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources under the Information Technology department. This was my first time being exposed to a business environment that was completely real. In this department, we had a team of like-minded individuals that all would operate with and without each other given the different circumstances or problems at hand. I learned from many different people what cooperation is capable of. Getting into a business environment will teach you a great many things about how different people respond to different things. One of the biggest aspects of computer sciences is your ability to communicate with the many people around you. Being able to deal