If You Can't Take the Heat...

Physical and mental abuse are hallmarks of state police academy training, at least in the northeastern states.  Yes, we're in the 21st century, but some of the bad guys are still tough and mean in an 18th century way.   When you're a trooper or a rural cop, you need to be able to handle whatever is thrown your way.  Your nearest friend could be miles out and three minutes' fighting seems like a lifetime.  (That's not to say you can be soft if you're in urban policing.  That takes toughness, too, and you probably get in a lot more tussles.  But it's usually not one-on-one.)

No, I don't think police academy swirlies are necessary, but if you can't take the academy, maybe you need another job.

Comments

[Erik]

So what does this teach young cops about what is appropriate behavior?

If it's OK to swirlie your friend, how big a leap is it to smack around a citizen that's giving you lip?

If I google "police beating" I get more than 2 million results.

Before you know it you end up here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zp6ILYvzb4

[Luke]

Recruits in any police academy should take a ton of abuse, including a good beating or two and fairly steady harassment from their instructors. That harassment should be demeaning and should test the limits of the recruits' self-discipline. That harassment should not involve swirlies. That's just gross.

There are so many Google results for "police beating" because there are so many people on the web who are not properly socialized and therefore have problems associated with authority figures. Also, because cops occasionally beat people.

[Erik]

It seems many departments don't really need training.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070306/ap_on_re_us/untrained_police_4

Speaking of which how trained are outer cape summer cops before they're armed and turned loose on the citizens of Eastham, Wellfleet and Truro?

[carpundit]

Much, much better than they used to be.

[Luke]

But not as talented.