My family may question whether I ve ever had an adult life, but that s not the point. When I first started out as a rookie, I was every supervisor s nightmare the rookie from hell. As time went by and I became the supervisor, I had to tolerate life s paybacks by having other rookies from hell for whom I had to take responsibility. For those of you who aren t directly involved in law enforcement, you have to understand that rookies are a necessity to every department. Without them, old duffers like me would have to prowl the streets forever.
Rookies are the source of many humorous times in law enforcement.
Rookies have been known to shoot televisions, mirrors, patrol cars and, sometimes, themselves, while practicing their fast draw with a loaded weapon. Rookies believe that coffee should be in I.V. form and that Allsup s burritos are a separate food group. While old cops do their best to blend in to a crowd, a rookie will wear a police jacket, police ball cap, police patch underwear, and three or four weapons when he or she goes to church or on a family outing. A rookie is the focus of all the cop toy manufacturers because they tend to be easy prey. I still have a pair of thumbcuffs from the 1970s that look like they would be practical if I decided to take a house cat into custody.