So…Travis and I did a thing.
We went on a ride-along with the Claremore Police Department. As a graduate of the Claremore Citizens Police Academy, I automatically got to go, and I took Travis along…for the ride. Hee-hee, see what I did there? Also, we broke all the rules and took a camera along, so stay tuned for the video! (Thanks to Chief Brown for making an exception for us!)
Click HERE to watch the video!
We were paired up with Officer Kendal Bradshaw, an eight-year officer with the department. I’m pretty sure if you see Officer Bradshaw in person, you’d automatically thing, “Wow, that guy looks like a cop.” In full uniform, it’s even more evident. We met up at the station at 2p for the 2p – 10p shift. Honestly, we didn’t think we’d make it the full eight hours. We ended staying even longer than that, and we had a ball!
First off, let me say that being a police officer is not something I could ever do. There are so many details to observe, so much equipment to carry around (around 25 lbs just with the uniform gear), and the constant adrenaline to deal with. Anyone could be a bad guy, you know? Or gal.
Cops on the street in Claremore spend the majority of the shift driving around, patrolling the streets. They’re always on the lookout for driving violations, of course. We ended up observing three traffic stops with Officer Bradshaw (if you’re wondering: brake light, registration, and running a stop sign). We also witnessed an arrest, handled a hit and run, and checked out a few burglar alarms. We had a few other calls, too. Apparently it was a slow night, but the time flew by.
The interesting thing to me was the fact that the next call could change everything. One minute you’re driving down JM Davis, the next you’re in a stand-off hostage situation. You just never know what the next call will be.
Officer Bradshaw was a great sport about us tagging along, and we asked him hundreds of questions about protocol and he explained everything to us. It was fascinating! Throughout the shift, we also met up with Officers Vang, Rice, and Pegorsch. All of the guys were friendly and professional. They’re truly a testament to the caliber of the Claremore Police Department.
Sign up for the Citizens Police Academy! Applications will be accepted starting December 1. Contact Deputy Chief Steve Cox at scox@claremorecity.com for more info. After you finish that, you can have your own ride-along! But you can’t take a camera…sorry!
-by MCM Staffer Ashley,
who didn’t see one single donut
the whole night
