Tactical Living

Ashlie: (00:17) Welcome back to another episode of Tactical Living by LEO Warriors. I'm your host, Ashlie Walton. Clint: (00:23) And I'm your cohost Clint Walton. Ashlie: (00:26) In today's episode, we're going to talk about how a lot of officers have come and gone in your department Clint, but how the grass isn't always greener on the other side. So just sit back, relax and enjoy today's content. Ashlie: (00:42) Clint, your department in particular, I know especially after the recession, there's been a lot of financial turmoil. There's been a lot of officers that you've seen come and go as a result of that and I wonder if you could just take the listener through a little bit of what you've experienced during the process. Clint: (01:03) The biggest thing that I've experienced throughout this time is that we're just such a young department. Our department's been established and around for so many years and now I see all these new faces, all these young guys. There are the veterans. The senior officers are pretty much nonexistent and we're a busy department so it's kind of scary in some ways. But that goes down to the retention aspect of any police department. I've seen guys come and go and then some even come back because they actually see that the grass isn't greener on the other side. Ashlie: (01:48) I have to say we have personal experience with this because after the bankruptcy and after that chatter going on in your department, you also decided to seek out other agencies to see if the grass really was greener on the other side. You went through the process of applying with BNSF. We went through the entire process and I say we, because we had the detective here at our home and we've even talked about that before. You were even offered the job but you turn it down. Clint: (02:24) Yeah. After realizing that they're a great department…it just it wasn't for me. I didn't want to start all over and I think I finally had that realization of if I go somewhere else, it doesn't mean all the problems are going to be gone. There's always going to be insecurities. There's always going to be people you like, people you dislike, and the politics surrounding any police department can drive anybody. You could go somewhere for higher pay, better benefits, but does that really mean you're going to be happier there? And that's what I think a lot of guys think that will make them happier, but not all the time because a lot of times those guys aren't sure what they really want or they don't know what the true truth is behind why they're leaving. I know like 15 guys processing out with us right now to go to different departments and these aren't just new guys. These are guys with 12-15 years on. Ashlie: (03:43) We were talking about this a couple of days ago, how there are 17 people coming out of the academy right now and how you might even be pulled out of your detail because you're an FTO to help with training them. Clint: (03:56) Yeah. And that's going to take away from our team because there's not going to be anyone to cover necessarily what I do in my area. It's not a permanent problem, but it's something that for that timeframe, they're going to have to adapt to whatever it may be to help alleviate it. I mean, you go back three OR four years ago, we pretty much got rid of all of our details because of staffing levels. Now because of the retention rate, just going away again with use of budget that these guys are seeing that they're leaving for, but they don't even know the truths behind that. And I encourage any of you, if you're worried about budget concerns, actually talk to people who know and don't just go off of rumors because it's cancerous. It really is. It just will demoralize any department or any place of work. Ashlie: (05:10) So for those officers that you know of that are in the process right now of switching departments, is there any other reasoning behind that apart from what the gossip is inside of the department? Clint: (05:24) Well, there's always the disgruntled nature behind administration behind choices for details. Everything in the police department will have the politics. If you're not one of the in crowd, you're not going to get that spot. Which is not true. I mean, I used to think that until I actually started busting my ass to get to the position where I'm currently at, which I rightfully earned. I think it's easier to pass blame onto other people instead of accepting it yourself. And not in all cases but in some of the cases I believe that's what's happening now. Could there be better communication with administration to the patrol level? Absolutely. There always could be better communication, but at the same time that communication can also start spot fires that you just don't want to have to put out because it's that telephone game. One person hears it and one guy called off sick, so that person relays that message and it's not the correct information. Ashlie: (06:43) That goes back to the point that you made about having the willingness to take it upon yourself to seek out that information on your own. It's not always comfortable to go to the administration or to ask these types of questions, especially as an officer if you don't have a ranking and you're not necessarily in that scene on a day to day basis. It's not comfortable to do that. And I know how uncomfortable that is because I've seen you go through the motions of going up the ranks to get the information that you need for yourself. I just wonder Clint, from being in that situation yourself and even being in the process and having a position available to you with a different agency completely and then turning it down and seeing so many people who are in the same predicament and going through that same struggle, what advice would you give them on that type of decision? Clint: (07:38) Honestly, what it comes down to is trusting your gut instinct. I trusted my gut instinct in reference to that job and I wouldn't have it any other way. I've looked back at it from time to time and it always comes back to a no. There was too many cons in relation to that and especially for like BNSF who I was applying for. They have so many benefits and great incentives to work for. Most people wouldn't turn it down because it's a highly sought after job. For me it just wasn't calling to me. I enjoy what I do, where I do it and that's why I stay where I'm at and instead of removing myself from that instance to try helping those insecurities. I adapt to those insecurities and adjust to them to actually make myself work through them. Ashlie: (08:44) If an officer is deciding not to go through with the process of lateral transfer or seeking out a different agency and they're going to give their department one more shot, what advice would you give to them? Clint: (08:59) Really look deep within your own self about what it is that is truly the problem. If it's within yourself, see what you can do to fix it. If it's out of your hands and it's through, say, budget concerns or through communication or misinformation, seek the real answers behind it. Are there possibilities something can go wrong? Absolutely. But you'll never know if you don't stick with it and go through it. Ashlie: (09:34) I think that's really great advice. And I know as you listen, even if you're not a police officer or a first responder, we've all been there. We've all been in a situation where something within our place of work makes us unhappy. And it starts to create that doubt. And what it boils down to a lot of the time is turning inside and asking yourself, okay, what do I really want? And once you understand that, then you are able to put a why behind the how. Because if you don't have a reason why, there's no way for you to create that plan or whatever that strategy is to be able to drive you forward in the how. The how will always follow. And we don't always see that because we're too caught up in not having that ability to discover that why first. And I think once you're able to do that and you understand that a lot of times the answer that you seek is truly inside of you. If you're able to pause for a moment and just sit with it, then you're really able to enjoy your Tactical Living.

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Ashlie: (00:18)
Welcome back to another episode of Tactical Living by LEO Warriors. I'm your host, Ashlie Walton.

Clint:

And under co-host Clint Walton.

Ashlie:

In today's episode, we're going to talk about our state's Governor Newsom and how he recently signed a bill that allows citizens to refuse to help police officers when they request assistance during an arrest. So just sit back, relax and enjoy today's content. Clint, when I had first mentioned this topic to you, when it became a hot button issue, you didn't even know that this was a law.

Clint: (00:52)
Yeah, I've never heard of anything of the such before.

Ashlie: (00:56)
So as you sit there, I'll read to you what it says. The law requires any abled bodied person 18 years of age or older in the state to help an officer who is requesting assistance during an arrest and failure to do this is actually a misdemeanor and carries a $1,000 fine. I know where Clint and I live there was a recent incident involving a female deputy where she tried to make an arrest and the situation was out of her hands. She lost control of the situation. And although members of the community weren't there, and I shouldn't say weren't there because obviously they were if there's video footage of it, but the community didn't go there to assist her more so for the fact that she had backup right behind her. But had she not had backup, I can't even imagine what would've happened to her or whether or not she would even be here today if she didn't have those backup officers. And we've seen countless videos on social media that portray all the times when good Samaritans do step in and they do help to assist police officers when the criminals get the upper hand. So Clint, as a police officer, can you just take the listener through what your thoughts are on the situation?  

Clint: (02:23)
Well, just in that specific video, there's no reason why someone wouldn't have gone and helped her other than just fear. And I could understand for someone who's normal is not dealing with those instances on a normal basis. They would being intimidated to go assist somebody else. But this day and age is turned into the day and time of let's record, everything that's going on instead of helping one another. And like you said, I know of countless stories of citizens going to assist officers. We've seen the videos and I've seen it in real life. I've witnessed the heroism come from people that don't wear a badge. But it's those times where you had 30 people standing above you and you're struggling to control a guy and all of them are just pointing a laughing and you have to watch all 30 of those people and worry that they're either going to jump in and fight against you or just sit there and record you and wait for you to do something wrong.

Speaker 2: (04:00)
As we're talking about this, I can't help but think of the fact that I have five brothers and I'm the only girl. So by the very nature of that, I know that there are a lot of values that were instilled in me inadvertently through the teachings of my own father. And a lot of that stems into how to be a man and what makes it right to be a man when the time deems necessary. And when I read several articles explaining Newsom's reasoning behind this, which is nothing short of cowardly, he explains it as taking the law out of what currently stands because it belongs in a history book instead of a law book. And I couldn't disagree with that more. And I say that from a place of truly believing that we need to have humanity still exist in the world today, especially where we have such a disconnect as it pertains to our association with this facade. That's reality when it comes to interacting behind the screen versus the variants that exist when we're face to face with another human being.

Ashlie: (05:39)
I think you're a coward. I don't see how there's any bone of a man in your body, and I also feel like he is so fortunate to have never come face to face in a situation that was so critical to where he would ever understand what that situation is actually like. What are your thoughts on that?

Clint: (06:04)
Most of our politicians…none of the situations that we ever deal with do they ever have to experience or pay witness to. There's barriers in place. There's protections in place. They live in the upper class where they have security. They have all that stuff set forth to buffer them from it so of course they never will for the most part fall victim to something of such…But it's those small instances that do. They're going to wish they had that protection or they witness that officer who needs help and want to assist by jumping in. Fortunately, there haven't been a lot of instances where it's been needed, but that goes into the whole homeless population story of ‘well, if you want to support just giving free things to the homeless people all the time, instead of actually finding solutions to help end homelessness.’ It's ‘let them live on your front yard for a week and see how that truly works for you’ and or the gun violence. I mean, like I said, most of them aren't going to have that experience within their careers or within their lifetimes, but it's something that they're sheltered from, they're not exposed to it, they're not exposed to what most of us out there are exposed to.

Ashlie: (07:56)
I believe that a lot of this stems from the fact that the presidential race is underway and I don't know if as you listen, if you're aware of this…Perhaps not, especially if you don't live in California, but Newsom’s ex-wife is actually married into the Trump family. I just wonder how many layers have to be uncovered before we actually get down to the brass tax of what the real problem is. And I say that from a place of knowing how liberal California is and how anti-support most Californians are when it comes to understanding the dynamics of community policing. Everything that is involved, the true reality of it and not just what they see on television. And I almost felt like it was a stab in that direction where it just turns into another agenda, another political item just to try to really get under the skin of what's going on in the presidential race.

Clint: (09:05)
And that's exactly right. When it comes to the whole aspect of just the community policing, like you talked about, you know, people always blame the officers for not being able to do something, but in reality it's the government officials who make it to where our hands are tied and so many instances and it's because it doesn't affect them. It doesn't affect them personally. It just affects the people who had the loudest mouths and the biggest checkbooks.

Ashlie: (09:40)
I believe that sheltering that you talked about really plays a lot into being able to just stick your nose up in the air in an office one day and just make decisions like this because you're not actually down there on ground zero. I would love to see him go on a ride along in the community. I would love to see him go on a ride along in your community just to see exactly what it is that you encounter on a day to day basis. I know having experienced that myself, I don't even go to your city as a member of the community for any reason of business whatsoever.

Clint: (10:16)
And it's funny that you say that because I remember one time when we drove through the city to grab something from one of my buddies. I stopped at a local restaurant because we were hungry. We walked in and she just says to me, ‘I don't feel safe here. I don't like it here. Can we just go?’ So we left and went to the next city over and actually ate.

Ashlie: (10:40)
Yeah. There was actually two different restaurants that we got out of the truck and went into and I said, no way. There is no way. There was transients sleeping inside of the restaurant, trash everywhere. These gangster looking people probably just living their lives. And I was just being cynical because of the appearance of things. But in knowing the stories that I know about the community that you serve, and then playing those characters in my head just created this story of a high level of discomfort. I'm just like, there's no way I would stick something in my mouth if it was prepared in this restaurant and like, get me out of this city

Ashlie: (11:20)
I just wonder how much more of this can we withstand. I feel like there's this growing level of liberal, especially ever since president Trump became president, in the state that we live in. Clint and I talk about it all the time. This is not our forever state. This is our motherland. This is where we were born, but we will not live in California for the rest of our lives. And that might sound absurd to people that don't live in California because this is the dreamland, right? This is the golden state where everybody wants to live. But what they don't see is that gold is literally fire in more than one sense. It's on fire all the time. There's this constant chatter going on around you, be it in the line at the grocery store, reading the headline in the newspaper. Clint, what you see on a day to day basis when you work and it's exhausting.

Ashlie: (12:16)
It's exhausting because there's nothing but everybody pointing the fingers and most importantly for you and your profession as a police officer, this constant disconnect that politicians are allowing between community policing and the citizens. And I think it's just a shame. I just want to say shame on you governor Newsom and unfortunately the reality is it's not until you experience the truths and you firsthand witness something like this that you truly will allow it to click in for yourself. And the way that Karma works is it's very likely that that will happen. The laws will change in a way that you've instilled and then one day it will come back to bite you in the ass and it's too bad. I wish that wouldn't happen to anybody, but I think when you start to stir the pot in such a way, it's inevitable.

Clint: (13:11)
Yeah, there's definitely a pendulum that swings back and forth in support against no matter what it is going on, but right now, for the last eight or nine years, that pendulums could been going so far backwards that I don't know if we'll ever as a state be able to recover from it.

Ashlie: (13:33)
That goes really deep. We can get into that on another episode of how so many people just want to disassociate California from America altogether. I've heard people talk about putting a wall between California in the United States and then we would have our border wall. We wouldn't have to do anything which essentially is true because we have so many illegal immigrants in California. Again, that will be a topic for another show. I just hope as you sit there you understand how important it is to have that relationship with the community and not to allow dictators, especially as they be politicians, to disassociate your relationship between the community and the work that you do if you are a first responder. Because I know as a member of a community just how important that relationship is and it's much more important than reading the headlines and just seeing the opinions of particular individuals. I know that there's an entire community of supporters that are proponents on the other side of the line and that's what we keep holding onto and really what we side with because it exposes the truths.

Ashlie: (14:44)
We see the real and raw pieces of what happens out there on the streets. I can’t say what the repercussions of something like passing this bill would be because it's one of those situations where it just seems that as soon as you do something like this, something really bad happens. And then that's what allows people to reconsider their decisions. And I don't want that. I don't want to see that happen to anybody, especially a first responder. And I hope as you sit there, that you just take away the fact that it's okay for you to have your own opinions. Even if you swim in a pool where you're the black sheep, which is really what we're used to being in the state of California. And when you know that it's okay to speak your truths and to not allow your authenticity to be controlled based on you wanting to be approved by somebody else, then you're really able to enjoy your Tactical Living.

Balance. Optimize. Tactics. 

Hit that subscribe button so that you don’t miss a day of the added value that I am dedicated to sharing with you weekly. 

Let’s Connect! 

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Email: [email protected] 

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Website: www.leowarriors.com

Free Training: www.leowarrior.com

Ashlie: (00:18) Welcome back to another episode of Tactical Living by LEO Warriors. I'm your host, Ashlie Walton.

Clint:

And under co-host Clint Walton.

Ashlie:

In today's episode, we're going to talk about our state's Governor Newsom and how he recently signed a bill that allows citizens to refuse to help police officers when they request assistance during an arrest. So just sit back, relax and enjoy today's content. Clint, when I had first mentioned this topic to you, when it became a hot button issue, you didn't even know that this was a law.

Clint: (00:52) Yeah, I've never heard of anything of the such before. Ashlie: (00:56) So as you sit there, I'll read to you what it says. The law requires any abled bodied person 18 years of age or older in the state to help an officer who is requesting assistance during an arrest and failure to do this is actually a misdemeanor and carries a $1,000 fine. I know where Clint and I live there was a recent incident involving a female deputy where she tried to make an arrest and the situation was out of her hands. She lost control of the situation. And although members of the community weren't there, and I shouldn't say weren't there because obviously they were if there's video footage of it, but the community didn't go there to assist her more so for the fact that she had backup right behind her. But had she not had backup, I can't even imagine what would've happened to her or whether or not she would even be here today if she didn't have those backup officers. And we've seen countless videos on social media that portray all the times when good Samaritans do step in and they do help to assist police officers when the criminals get the upper hand. So Clint, as a police officer, can you just take the listener through what your thoughts are on the situation? Clint: (02:23) Well, just in that specific video, there's no reason why someone wouldn't have gone and helped her other than just fear. And I could understand for someone who's normal is not dealing with those instances on a normal basis. They would being intimidated to go assist somebody else. But this day and age is turned into the day and time of let's record, everything that's going on instead of helping one another. And like you said, I know of countless stories of citizens going to assist officers. We've seen the videos and I've seen it in real life. I've witnessed the heroism come from people that don't wear a badge. But it's those times where you had 30 people standing above you and you're struggling to control a guy and all of them are just pointing a laughing and you have to watch all 30 of those people and worry that they're either going to jump in and fight against you or just sit there and record you and wait for you to do something wrong. Speaker 2: (04:00) As we're talking about this, I can't help but think of the fact that I have five brothers and I'm the only girl. So by the very nature of that, I know that there are a lot of values that were instilled in me inadvertently through the teachings of my own father. And a lot of that stems into how to be a man and what makes it right to be a man when the time deems necessary. And when I read several articles explaining Newsom's reasoning behind this, which is nothing short of cowardly, he explains it as taking the law out of what currently stands because it belongs in a history book instead of a law book. And I couldn't disagree with that more. And I say that from a place of truly believing that we need to have humanity still exist in the world today, especially where we have such a disconnect as it pertains to our association with this facade. That's reality when it comes to interacting behind the screen versus the variants that exist when we're face to face with another human being. Ashlie: (05:39) I think you're a coward. I don't see how there's any bone of a man in your body, and I also feel like he is so fortunate to have never come face to face in a situation that was so critical to where he would ever understand what that situation is actually like. What are your thoughts on that? Clint: (06:04) Most of our politicians…none of the situations that we ever deal with do they ever have to experience or pay witness to. There's barriers in place. There's protections in place. They live in the upper class where they have security. They have all that stuff set forth to buffer them from it so of course they never will for the most part fall victim to something of such…But it's those small instances that do. They're going to wish they had that protection or they witness that officer who needs help and want to assist by jumping in. Fortunately, there haven't been a lot of instances where it's been needed, but that goes into the whole homeless population story of 'well, if you want to support just giving free things to the homeless people all the time, instead of actually finding solutions to help end homelessness.' It's 'let them live on your front yard for a week and see how that truly works for you' and or the gun violence. I mean, like I said, most of them aren't going to have that experience within their careers or within their lifetimes, but it's something that they're sheltered from, they're not exposed to it, they're not exposed to what most of us out there are exposed to. Ashlie: (07:56) I believe that a lot of this stems from the fact that the presidential race is underway and I don't know if as you listen, if you're aware of this…Perhaps not, especially if you don't live in California, but Newsom's ex-wife is actually married into the Trump family. I just wonder how many layers have to be uncovered before we actually get down to the brass tax of what the real problem is. And I say that from a place of knowing how liberal California is and how anti-support most Californians are when it comes to understanding the dynamics of community policing. Everything that is involved, the true reality of it and not just what they see on television. And I almost felt like it was a stab in that direction where it just turns into another agenda, another political item just to try to really get under the skin of what's going on in the presidential race. Clint: (09:05) And that's exactly right. When it comes to the whole aspect of just the community policing, like you talked about, you know, people always blame the officers for not being able to do something, but in reality it's the government officials who make it to where our hands are tied and so many instances and it's because it doesn't affect them. It doesn't affect them personally. It just affects the people who had the loudest mouths and the biggest checkbooks. Ashlie: (09:40) I believe that sheltering that you talked about really plays a lot into being able to just stick your nose up in the air in an office one day and just make decisions like this because you're not actually down there on ground zero. I would love to see him go on a ride along in the community. I would love to see him go on a ride along in your community just to see exactly what it is that you encounter on a day to day basis. I know having experienced that myself, I don't even go to your city as a member of the community for any reason of business whatsoever. Clint: (10:16) And it's funny that you say that because I remember one time when we drove through the city to grab something from one of my buddies. I stopped at a local restaurant because we were hungry. We walked in and she just says to me, 'I don't feel safe here. I don't like it here. Can we just go?' So we left and went to the next city over and actually ate. Ashlie: (10:40) Yeah. There was actually two different restaurants that we got out of the truck and went into and I said, no way. There is no way. There was transients sleeping inside of the restaurant, trash everywhere. These gangster looking people probably just living their lives. And I was just being cynical because of the appearance of things. But in knowing the stories that I know about the community that you serve, and then playing those characters in my head just created this story of a high level of discomfort. I'm just like, there's no way I would stick something in my mouth if it was prepared in this restaurant and like, get me out of this city Ashlie: (11:20) I just wonder how much more of this can we withstand. I feel like there's this growing level of liberal, especially ever since president Trump became president, in the state that we live in. Clint and I talk about it all the time. This is not our forever state. This is our motherland. This is where we were born, but we will not live in California for the rest of our lives. And that might sound absurd to people that don't live in California because this is the dreamland, right? This is the golden state where everybody wants to live. But what they don't see is that gold is literally fire in more than one sense. It's on fire all the time. There's this constant chatter going on around you, be it in the line at the grocery store, reading the headline in the newspaper. Clint, what you see on a day to day basis when you work and it's exhausting. Ashlie: (12:16) It's exhausting because there's nothing but everybody pointing the fingers and most importantly for you and your profession as a police officer, this constant disconnect that politicians are allowing between community policing and the citizens. And I think it's just a shame. I just want to say shame on you governor Newsom and unfortunately the reality is it's not until you experience the truths and you firsthand witness something like this that you truly will allow it to click in for yourself. And the way that Karma works is it's very likely that that will happen. The laws will change in a way that you've instilled and then one day it will come back to bite you in the ass and it's too bad. I wish that wouldn't happen to anybody, but I think when you start to stir the pot in such a way, it's inevitable. Clint: (13:11) Yeah, there's definitely a pendulum that swings back and forth in support against no matter what it is going on, but right now, for the last eight or nine years, that pendulums could been going so far backwards that I don't know if we'll ever as a state be able to recover from it. Ashlie: (13:33) That goes really deep. We can get into that on another episode of how so many people just want to disassociate California from America altogether. I've heard people talk about putting a wall between California in the United States and then we would have our border wall. We wouldn't have to do anything which essentially is true because we have so many illegal immigrants in California. Again, that will be a topic for another show. I just hope as you sit there you understand how important it is to have that relationship with the community and not to allow dictators, especially as they be politicians, to disassociate your relationship between the community and the work that you do if you are a first responder. Because I know as a member of a community just how important that relationship is and it's much more important than reading the headlines and just seeing the opinions of particular individuals. I know that there's an entire community of supporters that are proponents on the other side of the line and that's what we keep holding onto and really what we side with because it exposes the truths. Ashlie: (14:44) We see the real and raw pieces of what happens out there on the streets. I can't say what the repercussions of something like passing this bill would be because it's one of those situations where it just seems that as soon as you do something like this, something really bad happens. And then that's what allows people to reconsider their decisions. And I don't want that. I don't want to see that happen to anybody, especially a first responder. And I hope as you sit there, that you just take away the fact that it's okay for you to have your own opinions. Even if you swim in a pool where you're the black sheep, which is really what we're used to being in the state of California. And when you know that it's okay to speak your truths and to not allow your authenticity to be controlled based on you wanting to be approved by somebody else, then you're really able to enjoy your Tactical Living.

Balance. Optimize. Tactics.

Hit that subscribe button so that you don't miss a day of the added value that I am dedicated to sharing with you weekly.

Let's Connect!

Facebook

Instagram

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn

Website: www.leowarriors.com

Free Training: www.leowarrior.com

Ashlie: (00:18)
Welcome back to another episode of Tactical Living by LEO Warriors. I'm your host, Ashlie Walton.

Clint: (00:23)
And I'm your co-host Clint Walton.

Ashlie: (00:26)
In today's episode, we're going to talk about surviving the police academy. So just sit back, relax and enjoy today's content. This topic came up for me because there are so many times, at least while we're together, where people will ask you what the process is like Clint, to become a police officer. And they have endless questions about the academy. So if you could just talk the listener through a little bit about the process and maybe some survival techniques for actually accomplishing the academy.

Clint: (01:03)
You know, of course every academy has its differences and its likes. But what it comes down to is, the academy's not easy. And before you even get into this profession, you want to make sure this is something that you really want to do. And that's one thing I tell people all the time.

Ashlie: (01:27)
So what are some ways that you would recommend for somebody to kind of screen themselves that way?

Clint: (01:33)
Are you prepared to take a life? That's the biggest one. I always ask people who come on ride along’s with me. Are you ready to kill a person? And of course, in defensive of yourself or someone else. But are you prepared for that? Most people don't even think about that. They just think of the notoriety or they think about, well I get to go out and give people tickets. But what it comes down to, yeah, that's kind of a byproduct of what we do. And the likelihood that you're going to shoot somebody is not the highest, but it's still there. Are you willing to pull the trigger to make sure you go home safe at night? Really think deep on that because if you're not, then this probably isn't the profession for you. Because you probably will be put in a situation where you're going have to make that decision in a split second. So after saying that and someone really deciding that this is something they want to do, they want to help the community that they live in, that they want to work in, whatever it may be. You know, you go through the academy.

Clint: (02:57)
The mindset when you're in academy is huge for anything. You can't have that mindset of ‘this is too hard. I can't do it.’ As soon as you say ‘I can't do something,’ you’ve already given up. So in saying that, you have to have this mindset that you know you're going to do this and remember what empowered you to sign up for this job. Being a police officer isn't just a job, it's a calling. People don't really look at it that way, but it's something that most of us who do this job have been called to do it. And we desire to help other people. We desire to better this world in one way or another. And when you remember that, you remember what a huge impact you can make. You can power through anything. You know, running. That was always a hard one for me because I'm not a runner by far. I hate running. But that's something that I struggled with.

Ashlie: (04:09)
And it's funny as you say that because I look over at this post it note that we have posted here in our studio and it says ‘there is no how without a why.’ And it's so pivotal with anything that you set out to do in life. To always set your vision…set that goal on the ultimate purpose. You have to have a why, I believe, that's strong enough to allow you to persevere, especially if you're going to become a police officer.

Clint: (04:42)
Absolutely. You know, in the academy I got to a point where I was at my lowest that I was thinking about going back to the prisons. I'm was so fortunate to have you in my life. To empower me, to push me through, to get to the point that I really knew I could do it and what I could be. And that for me was, like I said, the exercise aspect. I ran before the academy but ut I did not know how much we ran an academy. We're running eight minute miles. I think our shortest run was three miles. Our longest was 10 probably four days out of the five of the week. It was a lot of running, but I powered through. I pushed myself to get to the point of where it just became another day. I stopped focusing on that negative and looked at the bigger picture behind things and I was really able to succeed in ended up where I am today. You know when it comes to the scholastic side of the academy, there's a lot of classroom work. You know, you're sitting inside of a classroom, day in, day out listening to other officers, other people within the law enforcement community that are teaching you the ins and outs of the job.

Clint: (06:20)
You have to pay attention to that. You have to listen to what they're really telling you. If you're caught up in your own head with whatever it may be with something that's going on at home or whatever else it is, you're going to miss out on things.

Clint: (06:40)
Time management. I can't even say how important that turns out to be when you come home with 16 four-page memos that you have to write over a two day period and they have to be all turned in on that, that second day. If you don't, you get in a lot of trouble and or you could lose your job. And so it's learning how to balance that with your home life and everything else that's going on and not procrastinating to the point of where you don't get it done or where you're spending all-nighters trying to do it.

Ashlie: (07:24)
Yeah, and I just want to add that your academy was six months long and you talk about balancing your work life with your personal life, but there was legitimately no personal life during that entire time during the academy. We had just gotten married and then the Monday after we got married was when you started the academy. And really, it was like us marrying this, this life of being in law enforcement together because during the weekends, I would help you with things like shining your boots, doing a lot of meal prep, like helping you in any way that I could, you know. Getting your uniforms ready, making sure there wasn't a single thread that was loose on anything. And I think that's important to point out is that you have to show genuine commitment for at least those six months and just know that that's just the start of entering into this profession as a police officer

Clint: (08:25)
You're exactly right because it is a lifestyle. It's not just a career choice. It is a lifestyle. You have to get used to working graveyards, all weekends, missing holidays…not getting to see your family when you want to necessarily or whatever else it may be because you're working or you had that late shooting call that made you stay up all night and you have court the next morning and you had to be back at work three hours later. It happens. That the fatigue. Everything that you do on a daily basis as a police officer is so draining if you're not able to figure out that balance with it. In the academy, like you said there is really not any balance because you're inundated with work. They do that to teach you how to learn that balance for when you're down 12 reports and it's your Friday and you want to go home on time.

Clint: (09:39)
It's to kind of put a fire under your butt so you know how to get that stuff done more efficiently, the right way and how to go home to your family on time with being prompt with what you do. The academy is just a preparation for where the real work really comes into play. You know, every day at work it's so regular for me. I don't even think about it anymore. But there's so many hardships that we go through on a daily basis just based on the early hours, the late nights, the different shift schedules, the overtime, the court appearances…whatever it may be. Pretty much you lose a whole day off if you're off on a day you have to go to court. For me, I had to drive an hour or so to work. If you're in court all day, it is what it is. That's what this profession is. The academy preps you for this profession. There's rules and regulations that you have to pass and you have to pass those tests and everything, but those are just a precursor into the big show so to speak.

Ashlie: (11:03)
That's really excellent advice Clint. I think the main thing is really having the mindset before you even start the academy, incorporating that physical fitness before you even start the academy and one thing we didn't touch on was also having those discussions with your family, your friends, the people that are closest around you. because if you are fortunate enough to make it to the background process, those detectives are going to be contacting almost everybody in your circle and I think that it's important to make sure that those discussions are open and that it doesn't come as striking to anybody in your immediate circle that you are going through the process of becoming an officer and that you also take that into consideration, that it's important to have those healthy relationships. It's important to make sure that the things that you're disclosing during your interview process is truthful because there's not a single thing genuinely that won't be uncovered.

Ashlie: (12:14)
Whether it happens during that process or during your academy, like things will always come to the surface and by knowing that somebody else has done it before, you're not the purse first person to be going through this process. I think that helps to bring a little bit of relief because that should allow somebody to know that they can seek out a mentor during the process and they probably should if that's a possibility. And I know Clint would be completely open to mentoring you if you as you listen or somebody you know is wanting to go through the process of becoming a police officer. If you have any questions you can reach us at LEOWarriors on Instagram, LEOWarriors1 Facebook and either one of us will be more than happy to answer any questions or help in any way that we can.

Ashlie: (13:08)
And I think it's such an honor to be married to you Clint. And knowing how important it is and how you said that this is a calling for you and I completely agree with that. It's not, it's not who you are, but you being a police officer is a great deal of what makes up the attributes of just your everyday actions because there is no split side to it. What you see is what you get, whether you're wearing the uniform or not. And as you sit there listening, if that's something that you have interest in, if you feel like you have that calling, something keeps pinging at you in a way that keeps dragging you closer and closer to it. Just follow it. Just go to it. Stop avoiding it. Lean into it, and at the very least see what happens. And when you're able to do that, regardless of what it is that keeps pushing you closer and closer to just taking that next step and you actually leap and dive into it, and instead of giving yourself all the bullshit excuses about why you shouldn't, then you'll find that you're really able to enjoy your Tactical Living.

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Ashlie: (00:18) Welcome back to another episode of Tactical Living by LEO Warriors. I'm your host, Ashlie Walton. Clint: (00:23) And I'm your co-host Clint Walton. Ashlie: (00:26) In today's episode, we're going to talk about surviving the police academy. So just sit back, relax and enjoy today's content. This topic came up for me because there are so many times, at least while we're together, where people will ask you what the process is like Clint, to become a police officer. And they have endless questions about the academy. So if you could just talk the listener through a little bit about the process and maybe some survival techniques for actually accomplishing the academy. Clint: (01:03) You know, of course every academy has its differences and its likes. But what it comes down to is, the academy's not easy. And before you even get into this profession, you want to make sure this is something that you really want to do. And that's one thing I tell people all the time. Ashlie: (01:27) So what are some ways that you would recommend for somebody to kind of screen themselves that way? Clint: (01:33) Are you prepared to take a life? That's the biggest one. I always ask people who come on ride along's with me. Are you ready to kill a person? And of course, in defensive of yourself or someone else. But are you prepared for that? Most people don't even think about that. They just think of the notoriety or they think about, well I get to go out and give people tickets. But what it comes down to, yeah, that's kind of a byproduct of what we do. And the likelihood that you're going to shoot somebody is not the highest, but it's still there. Are you willing to pull the trigger to make sure you go home safe at night? Really think deep on that because if you're not, then this probably isn't the profession for you. Because you probably will be put in a situation where you're going have to make that decision in a split second. So after saying that and someone really deciding that this is something they want to do, they want to help the community that they live in, that they want to work in, whatever it may be. You know, you go through the academy. Clint: (02:57) The mindset when you're in academy is huge for anything. You can't have that mindset of 'this is too hard. I can't do it.' As soon as you say 'I can't do something,' you've already given up. So in saying that, you have to have this mindset that you know you're going to do this and remember what empowered you to sign up for this job. Being a police officer isn't just a job, it's a calling. People don't really look at it that way, but it's something that most of us who do this job have been called to do it. And we desire to help other people. We desire to better this world in one way or another. And when you remember that, you remember what a huge impact you can make. You can power through anything. You know, running. That was always a hard one for me because I'm not a runner by far. I hate running. But that's something that I struggled with. Ashlie: (04:09) And it's funny as you say that because I look over at this post it note that we have posted here in our studio and it says 'there is no how without a why.' And it's so pivotal with anything that you set out to do in life. To always set your vision…set that goal on the ultimate purpose. You have to have a why, I believe, that's strong enough to allow you to persevere, especially if you're going to become a police officer. Clint: (04:42) Absolutely. You know, in the academy I got to a point where I was at my lowest that I was thinking about going back to the prisons. I'm was so fortunate to have you in my life. To empower me, to push me through, to get to the point that I really knew I could do it and what I could be. And that for me was, like I said, the exercise aspect. I ran before the academy but ut I did not know how much we ran an academy. We're running eight minute miles. I think our shortest run was three miles. Our longest was 10 probably four days out of the five of the week. It was a lot of running, but I powered through. I pushed myself to get to the point of where it just became another day. I stopped focusing on that negative and looked at the bigger picture behind things and I was really able to succeed in ended up where I am today. You know when it comes to the scholastic side of the academy, there's a lot of classroom work. You know, you're sitting inside of a classroom, day in, day out listening to other officers, other people within the law enforcement community that are teaching you the ins and outs of the job. Clint: (06:20) You have to pay attention to that. You have to listen to what they're really telling you. If you're caught up in your own head with whatever it may be with something that's going on at home or whatever else it is, you're going to miss out on things. Clint: (06:40) Time management. I can't even say how important that turns out to be when you come home with 16 four-page memos that you have to write over a two day period and they have to be all turned in on that, that second day. If you don't, you get in a lot of trouble and or you could lose your job. And so it's learning how to balance that with your home life and everything else that's going on and not procrastinating to the point of where you don't get it done or where you're spending all-nighters trying to do it. Ashlie: (07:24) Yeah, and I just want to add that your academy was six months long and you talk about balancing your work life with your personal life, but there was legitimately no personal life during that entire time during the academy. We had just gotten married and then the Monday after we got married was when you started the academy. And really, it was like us marrying this, this life of being in law enforcement together because during the weekends, I would help you with things like shining your boots, doing a lot of meal prep, like helping you in any way that I could, you know. Getting your uniforms ready, making sure there wasn't a single thread that was loose on anything. And I think that's important to point out is that you have to show genuine commitment for at least those six months and just know that that's just the start of entering into this profession as a police officer Clint: (08:25) You're exactly right because it is a lifestyle. It's not just a career choice. It is a lifestyle. You have to get used to working graveyards, all weekends, missing holidays…not getting to see your family when you want to necessarily or whatever else it may be because you're working or you had that late shooting call that made you stay up all night and you have court the next morning and you had to be back at work three hours later. It happens. That the fatigue. Everything that you do on a daily basis as a police officer is so draining if you're not able to figure out that balance with it. In the academy, like you said there is really not any balance because you're inundated with work. They do that to teach you how to learn that balance for when you're down 12 reports and it's your Friday and you want to go home on time. Clint: (09:39) It's to kind of put a fire under your butt so you know how to get that stuff done more efficiently, the right way and how to go home to your family on time with being prompt with what you do. The academy is just a preparation for where the real work really comes into play. You know, every day at work it's so regular for me. I don't even think about it anymore. But there's so many hardships that we go through on a daily basis just based on the early hours, the late nights, the different shift schedules, the overtime, the court appearances…whatever it may be. Pretty much you lose a whole day off if you're off on a day you have to go to court. For me, I had to drive an hour or so to work. If you're in court all day, it is what it is. That's what this profession is. The academy preps you for this profession. There's rules and regulations that you have to pass and you have to pass those tests and everything, but those are just a precursor into the big show so to speak. Ashlie: (11:03) That's really excellent advice Clint. I think the main thing is really having the mindset before you even start the academy, incorporating that physical fitness before you even start the academy and one thing we didn't touch on was also having those discussions with your family, your friends, the people that are closest around you. because if you are fortunate enough to make it to the background process, those detectives are going to be contacting almost everybody in your circle and I think that it's important to make sure that those discussions are open and that it doesn't come as striking to anybody in your immediate circle that you are going through the process of becoming an officer and that you also take that into consideration, that it's important to have those healthy relationships. It's important to make sure that the things that you're disclosing during your interview process is truthful because there's not a single thing genuinely that won't be uncovered. Ashlie: (12:14) Whether it happens during that process or during your academy, like things will always come to the surface and by knowing that somebody else has done it before, you're not the purse first person to be going through this process. I think that helps to bring a little bit of relief because that should allow somebody to know that they can seek out a mentor during the process and they probably should if that's a possibility. And I know Clint would be completely open to mentoring you if you as you listen or somebody you know is wanting to go through the process of becoming a police officer. If you have any questions you can reach us at LEOWarriors on Instagram, LEOWarriors1 Facebook and either one of us will be more than happy to answer any questions or help in any way that we can. Ashlie: (13:08) And I think it's such an honor to be married to you Clint. And knowing how important it is and how you said that this is a calling for you and I completely agree with that. It's not, it's not who you are, but you being a police officer is a great deal of what makes up the attributes of just your everyday actions because there is no split side to it. What you see is what you get, whether you're wearing the uniform or not. And as you sit there listening, if that's something that you have interest in, if you feel like you have that calling, something keeps pinging at you in a way that keeps dragging you closer and closer to it. Just follow it. Just go to it. Stop avoiding it. Lean into it, and at the very least see what happens. And when you're able to do that, regardless of what it is that keeps pushing you closer and closer to just taking that next step and you actually leap and dive into it, and instead of giving yourself all the bullshit excuses about why you shouldn't, then you'll find that you're really able to enjoy your Tactical Living.

Balance. Optimize. Tactics.

Hit that subscribe button so that you don't miss a day of the added value that I am dedicated to sharing with you weekly.

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Ashlie: (00:17)
Welcome back to another episode of Tactical Living by LEO Warriors. I'm your host, Ashlie Walton.

Clint:

And I'm your co-host Clint Walton. 

Ashlie:

In today's episode, we're going to talk about how sometimes the people that you work with unexpectedly wind up being your best friends. So just sit back, relax and enjoy today's content. Clint, you've been pretty fortunate to build some really sustainable relationships with the people that you've worked with throughout the years. And I have to say that I too have become pretty close with a lot of the people that you work with. And I want to talk a little bit about how much we genuinely cherish those friendships and how, I don't think there's anything wrong with building friendships with the people that you work with.

Clint: (01:09)
You know, for me, I've always been one to really want to separate, you know, home life and work life. But you can't. It's near impossible to do that in our line of work. You know, everyone we work with is a brother, a sister, a family member per se. But over the years, I've worked with a select few number of guys that I've just grown very fond of and they've become some of my really close friends. We still hang out on a regular basis. I mean, pretty soon we're going to be going to Universal Studios with one of my partners and his girlfriend. We went last year with him and it was a lot of fun. With him specifically, I worked with him for a couple of years and you know, we rode two man units for the special detail that we're in and he's a very stern individual. And what I mean by that is everyone always asks him why he's mad all the time. We just, of course say it's his resting bitch face, but it's something where he's really not. He's really a jolly guy and he's always that friend that you can kind of lean on if you needed it. And a lot of people see him that way.

Clint: (02:42)
Him and I don't always agree on our approaches in instances. And one of my other friends, actually, him and I had a safe word. We pretty much to tell each other to fuck off. We would say, ‘hey big guy, come here.’ And so to this day when I see them, I go, ‘what's up big guy?’ And he says the same to me. And that's us kind of just telling each other to fuck off in a friendly way.

Ashlie: (03:12)
And Clint, you had said that we tried to separate your work life from our personal life and in retrospect that stemmed from a situation that we dealt with really early on in your career as a police officer by trying to hang out with another couple to where both of them were police officers and it turned out in a really unexpected and healthy way. So as you listen, Clint, if you could just take the listener through the story of what happened.

Clint: (03:47)
So this guy, him and I went to the academy together and we just hit it off. We were close. His girlfriend at the time was a deputy and we just all got along very well. Over the course of the academy as those who went through it know, you form a certain type of bond with the people you actually went to the academy with. And him and I just clicked. So we decided to go out to Sushi with him and his girlfriend and we really liked hanging out with him. We were going to plan on more kind of double dates or just going out and doing things together over time. When we went to our station and got on to patrol, we were both in the same phases. We were going through the whole FTO program and we were both in phase three and then all of a sudden one day he was gone.

Clint: (04:54)
We hadn't worked together for most of our training, just how it worked out. So I started asking around what happened. Come to find out, he assaulted his girlfriend and did things that I won't even go into further details on. That was vary uncalled for, unprofessional and illegal. He was going to face his own criminal battle now. And like I said, his girlfriend was a deputy. She didn't show up for work and her friends were worried about her. I never would have thought that this guy would have done something to that nature and I was completely shocked. And when I told Ashlie, I know she was completely shocked as well.

Ashlie: (05:50)
Just so that we don't want to get into too much detail because a lot of it of course was never made public but did have something to do with domestic violence. Once you have a charge of domestic violence as a police officer…

Clint: (06:06)
You're done. You can't work anymore because if you're charged with felony domestic violence, you'll get arrested for that felony and you can no longer carry your firearm. And as we learned what occurred, I actually called him and found out what happened and he kind of skated around it and didn't really tell me the details in it. But he still kind of brought up wanting to hang out again. But I'm now to this point, I'm like, I don't want to hang out with you anymore. I'm doing good in my career. I want to make sure that I keep my career going. So to this day, I haven't talked to him but maybe one or two times after that incident specifically.

Ashlie: (07:00)
Yeah. And that was early on in your career and of course any red flag is one red flag to many. And that started to set the stage for us to completely disassociate any kind of interaction that we had with people that would invite us to go out as it pertained to anyone that you worked with.

Clint: (07:22)
Yeah. And I think another factor involved with it is, you know, when cops get together they normally get together to go out to drink. And that's just not our scene either. And for you listening, if that is your scene and you enjoy going out and having a few beers with a buddy, more power to you. That's just not what I like to do or what we like to do together. But in looking at these friendships that I've formed with my partners and one specifically…he has gone fishing with me numerous times and him and I have been really close for years. I really look at the value I get from each of them. I mean, my old sergeant…him and I are really close as well. He just always trying to give me advice, tries to help through any situation and share his knowledge that he's taken on through the years.

Ashlie: (08:32)
How would you say, Clint, that having those relationships with the people that you work with plays a role in your relationship together being a partner and when you're at work?

Clint: (08:44)
It's kind of funny. It's, there's that old mindset of when you're out at work, you talk about home. When you're at home, you talk about work. And I think that's the reason why I've always wanted to kind of exclude myself from that. Because I don't like talking about work at home. But when we're together on duty, I know how they're going to react. They know how I'm going react and I can trust one of them. And when we're off, I know it's the same thing. If we go into an environment where we could lower our guards a little bit because we are sharing the burden of scanning everything all the time. We know how to be on such high alert it seems like, but we're able to disconnect and just have fun as well. One of the guys I am specifically talking about, he loves being a police officer. So much to where he talks about it a lot. But that's him. That's what he enjoys. That's what he lives for and that's okay. But when we go somewhere with him and his girlfriend or we just hang out with him, it's not a ‘whose dick is bigger show.’ It's just us hanging out and having fun. No strings attached and we know we don't have to worry about one another and we don't have to share stories nonstop all the time.

Ashlie: (10:19)
Yeah, and I think another thing to point out is that in having these friendships with people who also understand and live this lifestyle behind the badge, they know what it's like. They know how it is to have such few opportunities to even have those times to connect outside of the workplace. They understand the scheduling struggle. They understand the fatigue. They understand all of the dynamics that go into living in a home with a first responder or being a first responder and there's no judgment and it's this completely open platform of understanding and acceptance. You use the word trust and that's really key when it comes to anybody that we introduce into our inner circle.

Ashlie: (11:12)
The truth as you listen is that our tribe isn't very big and it's that way on purpose because we are so detail oriented when it comes to how much slack we're willing to give to other people before we let them in that close. Close enough to certainly invite someone into our home. Close enough to take someone out in the middle of the ocean, for example. It's not easy to do that with just anybody. When you understand the reality of how people are in the real world, the things that they carry, the things do behind closed doors, their habits, their negative lifestyle. And this is no judgment. If that's you as you sit there or if you know somebody who's into any of those things that maybe you yourself don't like, it's okay to be choosy with what you do and do not want around you.

Ashlie: (12:14)
And generally speaking, when you're around a first responder, they've all gone through such vigorous background checks. They know what's at stake if they turn the table and they get into a bad path. So it's not very likely that you would come across a partner and then get to know them very well and then later find out, wow, I wouldn't have wanted to be around that person if I knew that about them. And that's why there is this sense of comfort when you have a friendship that's built stemming from the people that you work with in your line of work. Even for me, as the spouse of a police officer, I'm very vigilant, be it a male or a female. Be it your partners are their spouses or friends or siblings. It's very important for me to know who's around us. And the other side of that is it's such a privilege for me to get to know the people that you work so closely with on a day to day basis because I know that they do have your back and I know that you have theirs.

Ashlie: (13:24)
And when it comes time to truly meeting somebody in a dire situation, especially in a very highly active city like the one that you work in, it brings me a lot of peace and comfort to know that you're genuinely working around such amazing people. And then to get to know somebody at work versus getting to know them outside of the workplace. Sure you bring some work with you when you go and do things independently and outside of the community that you serve. But some of that persona, some of that, that armor that you guys carry all of the time is let down. And then it allows you to truly see who they are and then incorporating pieces of that into your work life. You know, having that camaraderie with one another and having that sense of humor that just helps as another driving force to build that bond and to build that brother and sisterhood.

Ashlie: (14:22)
And I don't think it really matters what profession you're in because the dynamics of that are pretty universal. When you're able to incorporate a friendship into a working relationship with your colleagues, it all around just makes the functionality smoother and it allows the teamwork, which every employee that works with somebody else has some level of teamwork working so much more unison. It's okay for you to be a little bit more harsh, let's say if one isn't picking up enough slack or you know, just having that open communication that starts to blossom. Whereas if you're not that close with somebody that you work with, it makes it difficult. And even some animosity might start to build up when somebody isn't picking up the slack per se. And I think when you're open to be able to building those relationships and extending them outside of the workplace, and then have those friendships and carry them with you and to see how they transform over time, then you're really able to enjoy your Tactical Living.

Balance. Optimize. Tactics. 

Hit that subscribe button so that you don’t miss a day of the added value that I am dedicated to sharing with you weekly. 

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Ashlie: (00:17) Welcome back to another episode of Tactical Living by LEO Warriors. I'm your host, Ashlie Walton.

Clint:

And I'm your co-host Clint Walton.

Ashlie:

In today's episode, we're going to talk about how sometimes the people that you work with unexpectedly wind up being your best friends. So just sit back, relax and enjoy today's content. Clint, you've been pretty fortunate to build some really sustainable relationships with the people that you've worked with throughout the years. And I have to say that I too have become pretty close with a lot of the people that you work with. And I want to talk a little bit about how much we genuinely cherish those friendships and how, I don't think there's anything wrong with building friendships with the people that you work with. Clint: (01:09) You know, for me, I've always been one to really want to separate, you know, home life and work life. But you can't. It's near impossible to do that in our line of work. You know, everyone we work with is a brother, a sister, a family member per se. But over the years, I've worked with a select few number of guys that I've just grown very fond of and they've become some of my really close friends. We still hang out on a regular basis. I mean, pretty soon we're going to be going to Universal Studios with one of my partners and his girlfriend. We went last year with him and it was a lot of fun. With him specifically, I worked with him for a couple of years and you know, we rode two man units for the special detail that we're in and he's a very stern individual. And what I mean by that is everyone always asks him why he's mad all the time. We just, of course say it's his resting bitch face, but it's something where he's really not. He's really a jolly guy and he's always that friend that you can kind of lean on if you needed it. And a lot of people see him that way. Clint: (02:42) Him and I don't always agree on our approaches in instances. And one of my other friends, actually, him and I had a safe word. We pretty much to tell each other to fuck off. We would say, 'hey big guy, come here.' And so to this day when I see them, I go, 'what's up big guy?' And he says the same to me. And that's us kind of just telling each other to fuck off in a friendly way. Ashlie: (03:12) And Clint, you had said that we tried to separate your work life from our personal life and in retrospect that stemmed from a situation that we dealt with really early on in your career as a police officer by trying to hang out with another couple to where both of them were police officers and it turned out in a really unexpected and healthy way. So as you listen, Clint, if you could just take the listener through the story of what happened. Clint: (03:47) So this guy, him and I went to the academy together and we just hit it off. We were close. His girlfriend at the time was a deputy and we just all got along very well. Over the course of the academy as those who went through it know, you form a certain type of bond with the people you actually went to the academy with. And him and I just clicked. So we decided to go out to Sushi with him and his girlfriend and we really liked hanging out with him. We were going to plan on more kind of double dates or just going out and doing things together over time. When we went to our station and got on to patrol, we were both in the same phases. We were going through the whole FTO program and we were both in phase three and then all of a sudden one day he was gone. Clint: (04:54) We hadn't worked together for most of our training, just how it worked out. So I started asking around what happened. Come to find out, he assaulted his girlfriend and did things that I won't even go into further details on. That was vary uncalled for, unprofessional and illegal. He was going to face his own criminal battle now. And like I said, his girlfriend was a deputy. She didn't show up for work and her friends were worried about her. I never would have thought that this guy would have done something to that nature and I was completely shocked. And when I told Ashlie, I know she was completely shocked as well. Ashlie: (05:50) Just so that we don't want to get into too much detail because a lot of it of course was never made public but did have something to do with domestic violence. Once you have a charge of domestic violence as a police officer… Clint: (06:06) You're done. You can't work anymore because if you're charged with felony domestic violence, you'll get arrested for that felony and you can no longer carry your firearm. And as we learned what occurred, I actually called him and found out what happened and he kind of skated around it and didn't really tell me the details in it. But he still kind of brought up wanting to hang out again. But I'm now to this point, I'm like, I don't want to hang out with you anymore. I'm doing good in my career. I want to make sure that I keep my career going. So to this day, I haven't talked to him but maybe one or two times after that incident specifically. Ashlie: (07:00) Yeah. And that was early on in your career and of course any red flag is one red flag to many. And that started to set the stage for us to completely disassociate any kind of interaction that we had with people that would invite us to go out as it pertained to anyone that you worked with. Clint: (07:22) Yeah. And I think another factor involved with it is, you know, when cops get together they normally get together to go out to drink. And that's just not our scene either. And for you listening, if that is your scene and you enjoy going out and having a few beers with a buddy, more power to you. That's just not what I like to do or what we like to do together. But in looking at these friendships that I've formed with my partners and one specifically…he has gone fishing with me numerous times and him and I have been really close for years. I really look at the value I get from each of them. I mean, my old sergeant…him and I are really close as well. He just always trying to give me advice, tries to help through any situation and share his knowledge that he's taken on through the years. Ashlie: (08:32) How would you say, Clint, that having those relationships with the people that you work with plays a role in your relationship together being a partner and when you're at work? Clint: (08:44) It's kind of funny. It's, there's that old mindset of when you're out at work, you talk about home. When you're at home, you talk about work. And I think that's the reason why I've always wanted to kind of exclude myself from that. Because I don't like talking about work at home. But when we're together on duty, I know how they're going to react. They know how I'm going react and I can trust one of them. And when we're off, I know it's the same thing. If we go into an environment where we could lower our guards a little bit because we are sharing the burden of scanning everything all the time. We know how to be on such high alert it seems like, but we're able to disconnect and just have fun as well. One of the guys I am specifically talking about, he loves being a police officer. So much to where he talks about it a lot. But that's him. That's what he enjoys. That's what he lives for and that's okay. But when we go somewhere with him and his girlfriend or we just hang out with him, it's not a 'whose dick is bigger show.' It's just us hanging out and having fun. No strings attached and we know we don't have to worry about one another and we don't have to share stories nonstop all the time. Ashlie: (10:19) Yeah, and I think another thing to point out is that in having these friendships with people who also understand and live this lifestyle behind the badge, they know what it's like. They know how it is to have such few opportunities to even have those times to connect outside of the workplace. They understand the scheduling struggle. They understand the fatigue. They understand all of the dynamics that go into living in a home with a first responder or being a first responder and there's no judgment and it's this completely open platform of understanding and acceptance. You use the word trust and that's really key when it comes to anybody that we introduce into our inner circle. Ashlie: (11:12) The truth as you listen is that our tribe isn't very big and it's that way on purpose because we are so detail oriented when it comes to how much slack we're willing to give to other people before we let them in that close. Close enough to certainly invite someone into our home. Close enough to take someone out in the middle of the ocean, for example. It's not easy to do that with just anybody. When you understand the reality of how people are in the real world, the things that they carry, the things do behind closed doors, their habits, their negative lifestyle. And this is no judgment. If that's you as you sit there or if you know somebody who's into any of those things that maybe you yourself don't like, it's okay to be choosy with what you do and do not want around you. Ashlie: (12:14) And generally speaking, when you're around a first responder, they've all gone through such vigorous background checks. They know what's at stake if they turn the table and they get into a bad path. So it's not very likely that you would come across a partner and then get to know them very well and then later find out, wow, I wouldn't have wanted to be around that person if I knew that about them. And that's why there is this sense of comfort when you have a friendship that's built stemming from the people that you work with in your line of work. Even for me, as the spouse of a police officer, I'm very vigilant, be it a male or a female. Be it your partners are their spouses or friends or siblings. It's very important for me to know who's around us. And the other side of that is it's such a privilege for me to get to know the people that you work so closely with on a day to day basis because I know that they do have your back and I know that you have theirs. Ashlie: (13:24) And when it comes time to truly meeting somebody in a dire situation, especially in a very highly active city like the one that you work in, it brings me a lot of peace and comfort to know that you're genuinely working around such amazing people. And then to get to know somebody at work versus getting to know them outside of the workplace. Sure you bring some work with you when you go and do things independently and outside of the community that you serve. But some of that persona, some of that, that armor that you guys carry all of the time is let down. And then it allows you to truly see who they are and then incorporating pieces of that into your work life. You know, having that camaraderie with one another and having that sense of humor that just helps as another driving force to build that bond and to build that brother and sisterhood. Ashlie: (14:22) And I don't think it really matters what profession you're in because the dynamics of that are pretty universal. When you're able to incorporate a friendship into a working relationship with your colleagues, it all around just makes the functionality smoother and it allows the teamwork, which every employee that works with somebody else has some level of teamwork working so much more unison. It's okay for you to be a little bit more harsh, let's say if one isn't picking up enough slack or you know, just having that open communication that starts to blossom. Whereas if you're not that close with somebody that you work with, it makes it difficult. And even some animosity might start to build up when somebody isn't picking up the slack per se. And I think when you're open to be able to building those relationships and extending them outside of the workplace, and then have those friendships and carry them with you and to see how they transform over time, then you're really able to enjoy your Tactical Living.

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Ashlie: (00:19)
Welcome back to another episode of Tactical Living by LEO Warriors. I'm your host, Ashlie Walton

Clint:

And I'm your co-host Clint Walton.

Ashlie:

In today's episode, we're going to talk about a lot of the back pain that police officers experience and some of the remedies that Clint has found throughout the years that have really helped him. So just sit back, relax and enjoy today's content. As an officer's wife, I can recall many times when Clint’s come home and his back starts to hurt and it's never been like a one and done. It's usually the symptoms will start and then his back pain would last for upwards of like two weeks at a time. Clint nor myself are proponents of medication, narcotics in particular. So we've had to be a little crafty when it comes to investigating some of the ways that we can use home remedies or research online some home equipment to be able to really ease the back pain.

Ashlie: (01:32)
And I remember we've even tried things like inversion tables, which for some people work great. Clint hated that. The truth is that Clint’s a pretty big guy. He's pretty tall and I don't think that those were well-constructed four relatively tall, bigger people in general. And I'm pretty sure that's why it just, it didn't work well for him. It seemed to cause pain in other places as opposed to just alleviating the back pain.

Clint: (02:05)
I know a lot of people say those things work wonders, but yeah, I felt like my head was going to explode every time I got on that thing.

Ashlie: (02:13)
Yeah, there's definitely a technique when it comes to like proper placement and, and how you align your body with your head and your positioning. And there are many components that go into that. I would say you gave it a good shot for about six months and we ended up selling it at a yard sale that we had before we moved.

Ashlie: (02:35)
Clint is going to go over a lot of the things that have really helped him throughout the years and some of the reasons why they've helped. But I want to point out that one of the biggest things that I believe has helped in alleviating his back pain has really been losing weight and increasing his physical fitness. And that comes from a place of me understanding how in the recent year or so when you've really taken your health into serious consideration, that you haven't complained about having back pain apart from maybe one time. And that was a pinched nerve that I think happened because of improperly lifting when we were working out one day.

Clint: (03:19)
Yeah. And it wasn't even my typical spot that I hurt in. You know, over the years, ne of the things is that I knew when I came home from work and my back was starting to hurt was Icy Hot patches. I would put that on my lower back and just lay there for hours and it would sooth the pain, but it didn't you know, it didn't fix anything. You know, wearing our belts on a daily basis. All the weight that we carry getting in and out of the units or just getting up and down. It's sometimes I feel like I'm a pregnant lady trying to just get out of a car because my back's hurting and I know of a lot of partners who have the same problem. I mean, it's a common thing for police officers. Another really good tool is I've always used the lumbar supports.

Clint: (04:15)
That's something that I found just alleviates the pressure on my spine when I'm driving. You know, I remember before I ever had back issues, I would try the lumbar support out and just see how it felt and it was so uncomfortable. But now, I can't drive without it. It's important. I pair that with a seat cushion that I bought off Amazon that I take everywhere with me. When we're taking long flights to one of the countries that we're traveling to or sitting at the kitchen table for any extended amount of time…I'm sitting on that pad and it completely takes all the pressure off of my tailbone and doesn't compress my spine. So that alleviates all that pressure that comes up with it. You know, the biggest factor is most definitely losing weight and getting more fit surrounding my body.

Clint: (05:13)
That I can't say enough how impactful that has been. You know, now that I've been working out a lot more, I started getting the tension or the upper back pain just from working out more and the things that really helped with that are the Shiatsu Russell roller balls. I don't know if you've ever seen those but there like a fish hook and it has a ball on the end. You just can reach around your back and really dig in on those knots. And that's always been a tool that I've absolutely loved to use. And it's funny, I think there was a story where I gave one of my partners a whole lot of shit over having of those, talking about it was a device not used for massaging but used for extra-curricular activities by females and…it is what it is. But he, he didn't think that and he loved it. And now that I use it, I love it too because it really can dig deep in through your tissue and muscles to get those knots out.

Ashlie: (06:27)
Where can I buy one of these?

Clint: (06:31)
Ouch. You know, the foam rollers. Where they're like yoga rollers. You lay that on the ground and really lay yourself out on top of it and let out your air as you roll back and forth on it all the way up and down your spine and it really cracks your back. But also it massages the muscles and shifts your spine to kind of push it up. It feels like, I don't know medically if it does that or not.

Ashlie: (07:00)
Yeah, doing it on a regular basis is definitely decompressing a lot of the tension that's building up. Very comparable to what happens when you get a massage. And if you've never laid on a foam roller before, especially doing it for the first time or even when you're doing it in one of your most dire elements of pain, it is not a comfortable experience. So that's why I would recommend incorporating it as more of a maintenance and doing it on a regular basis as opposed to just doing it in those times when you're starting to feel the discomfort. I think it helps regardless of whether you're a first responder or you're into physical fitness or your ass even starts to hurt. It's a simple tool. It's very inexpensive and it works great.

Clint: (07:48)
You know, my favorite remedy for my back pain is when I asked you to massage my back. You know, it's great. It really digs in deep and my lower back is something that, it's always been hard for me to get the areas that I really need to and you help with having someone get into those deep areas to help alleviate that pain. Now, there's been times where I felt like I've thrown out my back and all I could do is just rest. And there are those times. There will be those times. And that's kind of one of those things you have to know when not to over-do it because your back especially is something that affects your nerves. And your legs and I know in the past I've had mine go out and my legs felt weak afterwards.

Ashlie: (08:48)
And I really liked that you brought up the point of having your spouse just give you a massage. It reminds me of when we were dating and we put forth so much effort into the person that we're trying to attract by doing things like giving them massages and then over time, especially as you sit there, if you've been married long enough, some of those things can easily start to slip away and you're not very cognizant of putting forth the effort to do those things anymore. But whether you're having back pain or not, the amount of physical touch that is required, even just doing a massage, I mean taking the intimacy out of it, although a massage between spouses is very intimate, but without having any expectations and taking sex out of the equation and just having that physical contact with one another, it's just one more step and building the relationship.

Ashlie: (09:47)
And if you can sit on the couch and watch TV together, then I can guarantee you that you guys could take turns giving one another massages. But especially if one of you is seeking the help and you know really the aid because you're in pain. It's important to still have that in a relationship and if you haven't given your spouse a massage in a long time, I know how weird reintroducing those types of things can be, especially in a marriage when you've been together for so long. And I found with working with my clients, one of the easy ways to get over a hurdle like that is by simply saying like, ‘this is going to be uncomfortable for me to talk to you about but we haven't given one another a massage in who knows how long. Although it's strange to talk about it, I was just thinking about how important it is to have that physical connection with one another.’ And who wouldn't want a massage?

Ashlie: (10:48)
‘So is it okay if maybe tonight when the kids go to sleep or when we have some time to ourselves’ and even not…If your kids are laying on the floor watching TV and you guys are there as a family, like why can't you still give one another and massage. Like sit in front of the other one and take turns giving massages. Make it a family event. Everybody can make a train out of giving each other massages on their shoulders. I remember being younger. One pivotal bonding moment between my mom and I… She would pay me $5 to scratch her back for 20 minutes and she would lay on the floor. That was the only time in my entire life that my mom would ever lay on the floor. And that was her moment of just pampering and just enjoying having her back scratched.

Ashlie: (11:37)
And I didn't realize it at the time, but in retrospect, it was really such a sweet bonding moment between us because I mean, I did that for as long as I could remember. And then as I got older, we would by nature just walk up behind her and then just start scratching her back because that was us showing affection because we knew that she liked it. And I think that by having those moments and just knowing if you're a first responder, especially if you're suffering from back pain, so many officers become medically retired because of issues that are stemmed from back pain. And the earlier that you can start to incorporate simple things that you can do every day. Like go on Amazon, purchase a $15 roller ball and that will probably last you for 10 years. Those things are literally indestructible…and start using that as maintenance.

Ashlie: (12:35)
And if you're accustomed to hopping on the couch when you get home, put the roller ball right next to you so that you remember to incorporate it into your everyday. It's something so small and convenient that you could even take it to the station with you and put it in your locker to use before you start the day at all. Like, loosen things up and get ready, just like you would stretch before you work out. And I think that by having these simple tools incorporated into your life before you take the big step, which I believe is very big in seeking out narcotics as a way to remedy it and understanding that that's simply putting a Band-Aid on things. And of course we're not medical professionals and there are people that are far extended past the point of being able to just use simple remedies. But by having that maintenance and realizing that there's things that you can do before it gets to that point, then you're really able to enjoy your Tactical Living.

Balance. Optimize. Tactics. 

Hit that subscribe button so that you don’t miss a day of the added value that I am dedicated to sharing with you weekly. 

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Ashlie: (00:19) Welcome back to another episode of Tactical Living by LEO Warriors. I'm your host, Ashlie Walton

Clint:

And I'm your co-host Clint Walton.

Ashlie:

In today's episode, we're going to talk about a lot of the back pain that police officers experience and some of the remedies that Clint has found throughout the years that have really helped him. So just sit back, relax and enjoy today's content. As an officer's wife, I can recall many times when Clint's come home and his back starts to hurt and it's never been like a one and done. It's usually the symptoms will start and then his back pain would last for upwards of like two weeks at a time. Clint nor myself are proponents of medication, narcotics in particular. So we've had to be a little crafty when it comes to investigating some of the ways that we can use home remedies or research online some home equipment to be able to really ease the back pain. Ashlie: (01:32) And I remember we've even tried things like inversion tables, which for some people work great. Clint hated that. The truth is that Clint's a pretty big guy. He's pretty tall and I don't think that those were well-constructed four relatively tall, bigger people in general. And I'm pretty sure that's why it just, it didn't work well for him. It seemed to cause pain in other places as opposed to just alleviating the back pain. Clint: (02:05) I know a lot of people say those things work wonders, but yeah, I felt like my head was going to explode every time I got on that thing. Ashlie: (02:13) Yeah, there's definitely a technique when it comes to like proper placement and, and how you align your body with your head and your positioning. And there are many components that go into that. I would say you gave it a good shot for about six months and we ended up selling it at a yard sale that we had before we moved. Ashlie: (02:35) Clint is going to go over a lot of the things that have really helped him throughout the years and some of the reasons why they've helped. But I want to point out that one of the biggest things that I believe has helped in alleviating his back pain has really been losing weight and increasing his physical fitness. And that comes from a place of me understanding how in the recent year or so when you've really taken your health into serious consideration, that you haven't complained about having back pain apart from maybe one time. And that was a pinched nerve that I think happened because of improperly lifting when we were working out one day. Clint: (03:19) Yeah. And it wasn't even my typical spot that I hurt in. You know, over the years, ne of the things is that I knew when I came home from work and my back was starting to hurt was Icy Hot patches. I would put that on my lower back and just lay there for hours and it would sooth the pain, but it didn't you know, it didn't fix anything. You know, wearing our belts on a daily basis. All the weight that we carry getting in and out of the units or just getting up and down. It's sometimes I feel like I'm a pregnant lady trying to just get out of a car because my back's hurting and I know of a lot of partners who have the same problem. I mean, it's a common thing for police officers. Another really good tool is I've always used the lumbar supports. Clint: (04:15) That's something that I found just alleviates the pressure on my spine when I'm driving. You know, I remember before I ever had back issues, I would try the lumbar support out and just see how it felt and it was so uncomfortable. But now, I can't drive without it. It's important. I pair that with a seat cushion that I bought off Amazon that I take everywhere with me. When we're taking long flights to one of the countries that we're traveling to or sitting at the kitchen table for any extended amount of time…I'm sitting on that pad and it completely takes all the pressure off of my tailbone and doesn't compress my spine. So that alleviates all that pressure that comes up with it. You know, the biggest factor is most definitely losing weight and getting more fit surrounding my body. Clint: (05:13) That I can't say enough how impactful that has been. You know, now that I've been working out a lot more, I started getting the tension or the upper back pain just from working out more and the things that really helped with that are the Shiatsu Russell roller balls. I don't know if you've ever seen those but there like a fish hook and it has a ball on the end. You just can reach around your back and really dig in on those knots. And that's always been a tool that I've absolutely loved to use. And it's funny, I think there was a story where I gave one of my partners a whole lot of shit over having of those, talking about it was a device not used for massaging but used for extra-curricular activities by females and…it is what it is. But he, he didn't think that and he loved it. And now that I use it, I love it too because it really can dig deep in through your tissue and muscles to get those knots out. Ashlie: (06:27) Where can I buy one of these? Clint: (06:31) Ouch. You know, the foam rollers. Where they're like yoga rollers. You lay that on the ground and really lay yourself out on top of it and let out your air as you roll back and forth on it all the way up and down your spine and it really cracks your back. But also it massages the muscles and shifts your spine to kind of push it up. It feels like, I don't know medically if it does that or not. Ashlie: (07:00) Yeah, doing it on a regular basis is definitely decompressing a lot of the tension that's building up. Very comparable to what happens when you get a massage. And if you've never laid on a foam roller before, especially doing it for the first time or even when you're doing it in one of your most dire elements of pain, it is not a comfortable experience. So that's why I would recommend incorporating it as more of a maintenance and doing it on a regular basis as opposed to just doing it in those times when you're starting to feel the discomfort. I think it helps regardless of whether you're a first responder or you're into physical fitness or your ass even starts to hurt. It's a simple tool. It's very inexpensive and it works great. Clint: (07:48) You know, my favorite remedy for my back pain is when I asked you to massage my back. You know, it's great. It really digs in deep and my lower back is something that, it's always been hard for me to get the areas that I really need to and you help with having someone get into those deep areas to help alleviate that pain. Now, there's been times where I felt like I've thrown out my back and all I could do is just rest. And there are those times. There will be those times. And that's kind of one of those things you have to know when not to over-do it because your back especially is something that affects your nerves. And your legs and I know in the past I've had mine go out and my legs felt weak afterwards. Ashlie: (08:48) And I really liked that you brought up the point of having your spouse just give you a massage. It reminds me of when we were dating and we put forth so much effort into the person that we're trying to attract by doing things like giving them massages and then over time, especially as you sit there, if you've been married long enough, some of those things can easily start to slip away and you're not very cognizant of putting forth the effort to do those things anymore. But whether you're having back pain or not, the amount of physical touch that is required, even just doing a massage, I mean taking the intimacy out of it, although a massage between spouses is very intimate, but without having any expectations and taking sex out of the equation and just having that physical contact with one another, it's just one more step and building the relationship. Ashlie: (09:47) And if you can sit on the couch and watch TV together, then I can guarantee you that you guys could take turns giving one another massages. But especially if one of you is seeking the help and you know really the aid because you're in pain. It's important to still have that in a relationship and if you haven't given your spouse a massage in a long time, I know how weird reintroducing those types of things can be, especially in a marriage when you've been together for so long. And I found with working with my clients, one of the easy ways to get over a hurdle like that is by simply saying like, 'this is going to be uncomfortable for me to talk to you about but we haven't given one another a massage in who knows how long. Although it's strange to talk about it, I was just thinking about how important it is to have that physical connection with one another.' And who wouldn't want a massage? Ashlie: (10:48) 'So is it okay if maybe tonight when the kids go to sleep or when we have some time to ourselves' and even not…If your kids are laying on the floor watching TV and you guys are there as a family, like why can't you still give one another and massage. Like sit in front of the other one and take turns giving massages. Make it a family event. Everybody can make a train out of giving each other massages on their shoulders. I remember being younger. One pivotal bonding moment between my mom and I… She would pay me $5 to scratch her back for 20 minutes and she would lay on the floor. That was the only time in my entire life that my mom would ever lay on the floor. And that was her moment of just pampering and just enjoying having her back scratched. Ashlie: (11:37) And I didn't realize it at the time, but in retrospect, it was really such a sweet bonding moment between us because I mean, I did that for as long as I could remember. And then as I got older, we would by nature just walk up behind her and then just start scratching her back because that was us showing affection because we knew that she liked it. And I think that by having those moments and just knowing if you're a first responder, especially if you're suffering from back pain, so many officers become medically retired because of issues that are stemmed from back pain. And the earlier that you can start to incorporate simple things that you can do every day. Like go on Amazon, purchase a $15 roller ball and that will probably last you for 10 years. Those things are literally indestructible…and start using that as maintenance. Ashlie: (12:35) And if you're accustomed to hopping on the couch when you get home, put the roller ball right next to you so that you remember to incorporate it into your everyday. It's something so small and convenient that you could even take it to the station with you and put it in your locker to use before you start the day at all. Like, loosen things up and get ready, just like you would stretch before you work out. And I think that by having these simple tools incorporated into your life before you take the big step, which I believe is very big in seeking out narcotics as a way to remedy it and understanding that that's simply putting a Band-Aid on things. And of course we're not medical professionals and there are people that are far extended past the point of being able to just use simple remedies. But by having that maintenance and realizing that there's things that you can do before it gets to that point, then you're really able to enjoy your Tactical Living.

Balance. Optimize. Tactics.

Hit that subscribe button so that you don't miss a day of the added value that I am dedicated to sharing with you weekly.

Let's Connect!

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Ashlie: (00:17)
Welcome back to another episode of Tactical Living by LEO Warriors. I'm your host, Ashlie Walton.

Clint: (00:23)
And I'm your co-host Clint Walton.

Ashlie: (00:25)
In today's episode, we're going to talk about just how much cash first responders spend out of their pocket and how much we wish they didn't have to. So just sit back, relax and enjoy today's content.

Ashlie: (00:42)
If you're listening and you're a first responder or you're in a relationship with a first responder, you might know just how rare it is to get times together to do the simple things in life such as going to the grocery store. I say that because Clint and I got to go to Target today where we split kind of the household essentials mixed with some of the grocery shopping combined in one trip. While we were there, he ran into the mom of one of his high school friends. Clint started to share with her how he does a lot of work in the mounted unit at his department. He loves it. He loves riding a horse. He loves the time commitments because he gets to work a lot of overtime when he rides mounted.

Ashlie: (01:33)
But the only downside to that is just how much cash is spent out of his pocket by doing something that's a hobby but that is also work related. Clint, talk to me about a little bit of the expenses that the mounted unit goes through personally and how much of the actual assets are applied towards work when you guys are riding mounted.

Clint: (02:04)
You know for us in our department, our mounted unit is completely voluntary where if we have a horse and we want to get involved in it, then we can. Other agencies actually provide everything they would need surrounding the mounted unit, which is not very many, but those that do are great. They have great tools and asset. But I think that also deters from the relationship that you have with your partner or the horse. For us, I mean figuring in the feed, the shooing, the saddle, the vet, the vet bill is nuts… where money really racks up, but also the clothes. I mean I have to buy new pairs of jeans all the time. They just get so dirty you just don't want to wear them again. And also the cowboy hats. There's just the list goes on and on and on. And this is all money that we have to spend out of pocket in reference to it. I think I have five different uniform shirts cause they couldn't make up their mind on which one they necessarily wanted us to wear once they finally agreed on one. It's the one with that we can wear on a normal day to day basis.

Clint: (03:34)
But that's, it's something that we all love to do. We enjoy doing it. So for us it's worth it. You know, we do have a few bonuses in reference to being on the mounted unit like when we work the special events, like the raves or the fairs or anything like that. It's all paid overtime for us. But they're very long nights. I mean you figure 12-13 hours actually in the saddle… it wears on your body. The, the monetary value that comes from just being a police officer in general is high for our agency as well. I know there's other agencies that provide a lot of the tools and equipment, but for us we have to buy a big majority of our equipment.

Ashlie: (04:31)
Apart from the mounted unit, I know we've had these discussions in great depth when tax season comes around, but for the listener, what are some of the things that you can think of that as a police officer you have to fund out of your own pocket that you used as a necessity or as an asset in your day to day work?

Clint: (04:53)
You know, for us, before certain instances that occurred in our city, we had to provide our own plate carriers to protect us for from rifle rounds or higher caliber weapons as well as our rifle. We had to provide our own on our duty belt. They provide us a leather, Sam Brown and other, you know, our duty weapon, our Taser, things that we can't necessarily buy on our own. But if we wanted to carry an expandable baton and we had to purchase that ourselves and the money just adds up. We do get a uniform allowance, but that is like a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands of dollars that we've spent over the years towards my uniforms, towards the equipment, towards every necessity that is there. And not necessarily a necessity, but some are conveniences as well, and I know it stacks up time and time again, but for safety, that's probably the most important concern and that's why we've purchased those items.

Ashlie: (06:11)
Absolutely. And I know that from talking to a lot of people online, there are even agencies that still exist today where it is not mandatory to wear your bulletproof vest. Sometimes they're not issued and sometimes these officers have to pay out of pocket for them. And having said that, there's also some foundations that have been created to help to aid because that should go without question, just like your duty weapon is to have a bulletproof vest to wear every day for your safety.

Clint: (06:46)
Yeah. And I'm fortunate that our department does provide us with the updated bulletproof vest every five years or so and, and you know, that's a very expensive cost. If we want to upgraded, we can pay to have it upgraded. But the cost in a bulletproof vest, you're looking $600 to $1,000 easy and they need to be replaced about every five years.

Ashlie: (07:17)
Yeah. And it's, it's just crazy to me how there, I mean, you're fortunate to work in a department where you get paid, well certainly not as well as some other agencies, but for Clint, they judge their pay increases based on like a medium, right? They take an average.

Clint: (07:37)
Yeah. It's based off of, I'm going to say 10 different departments within the Southern California area and they put us right in the middle of their average pay.

Ashlie: (07:51)
But there are a lot of departments where these officers are getting paid just cents above minimum wage. And it blows my mind that to, to be in a profession where it's so high risk and you're having to fund so much out of your pocket based on convenience. Sure, but based on safety concerns, most importantly that the salary is, it's just nothing when it comes down to what you actually take home as an officer, there's so many additional fees when you take into account… the union dues, the insurance, you know, if you have any additional pension plans and things like that. That the dollar amount that you see deposited into the bank account is far less than what that, that rate per hour is. And I just wish that there was, uh, a better calculation when it comes to the reimbursements and just how much money out of pocket first responders have to spend for the duty equipment that they use every single day to make life easier for them and then to make their job safer.

Ashlie: (09:00)
It's just too bad because in corporate jobs, for example, or even a job at McDonald's, like the employees have the assets for everything that they would need in order to do their job proficiently and to be most effective. And any good employer, any good boss would want their employees to have every asset that they need to feel comfortable, to feel safe and to be most effective and productive when they're at work. That helps to build the relationship. And this is coming from an entrepreneur coming from somebody with a business background and degree. It's still important to have that in a relationship with the employer and the employee. And when you're a first responder, there's this distance because many times you'll work for the state, the city or the county. And it's not like you, you can go to the higher ups at your station and complain about having to pay for something because it doesn't usually work that way.

Clint: (10:03)
Well, we could complain all we want. You just would never give it to us.

Ashlie: (10:08)
And I think it's so cool that there are a lot of organizations that do help to fund those that really can't afford it because most first responders have families that they're also trying to support while serving the community that they work for. And it's not easy to decide whether or not you're going buy your son cleats for soccer or if you're going to buy yourself, you know, uh, a new, a new belt because your back is starting to hurt from having to get in and out of the car so many times throughout the day.

Clint: (10:49)
There's so many tools out there that go from especially talking about the, the belt that we wear and how we can reduce the back pain surrounding that. And there's new and updated versions of things like back plates or suspenders or there's chest, chest carrying devices where you carry your, instead of wearing a belt, you carry it all on your, your shoulders. Some departments allowed others don’t, but most of the time the officers have to buy it themselves cause that's a considered like a luxury item. It's like, you know, you go on an airplane and you pay for your ticket and then they give you peanuts and some water. But if you want to buy the meal you can buy more or the TV, you can pay even more money for that.

Ashlie: (11:41)
And it's funny because coming from a medical background, I think of how circumcisions are considered cosmetic and so you have to pay cash to have a circumcision done in most instances. Like it's just ass backwards. In my opinion though, what it boils down to is that when you're a first responder, the willingness to do the job that you've taken an oath to do far outweighs all of the other crap, all of the other things that you have to deal with. So much so that a majority of first responders, especially police officers, they sign on until they retire and it goes without saying that they know that this is what they're committed to doing for the rest of their career and they know what the financial obligations going to be and it's nice to be able to vent about it, right? It's nice to be able to have it, to have an outlet and people that can understand and relate to the fact that there are a lot of expenses and it drives me crazy when I hear people from the community make comments like, oh, will I pay your salary?

Clint: (12:53)
And that makes me laugh because the community I work for doesn't have a lot of taxpayers within it. And I love it when they say that to me because I can completely counter that. And they go, well, I pay a sales tax…well, with with your welfare.

Ashlie: (13:16)
And so what it boils down to as you're listening, it's not just first responders. I think that there are a lot of professions where individuals will choose to support a lot of things independently. I can think of teachers, for example, because it helps to further expand on their career and ultimately serve the higher purpose of what it is that they signed on for in the first place. And when you have that mindset and you know that if you are having to shell out money out of your own pocket, but it's for the greater good of what it is that you're living your purpose in every single day, then you're really able to enjoy your Tactical Living.

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