IU's own police academy

Twenty-one IU Police Department cadets, dressed in full garb, attentively listen to David Toumey, the Monroe Country Coroner, as he describes each of the slides on his Power Point presentation. Cadets squint to make out details of the gruesome images before them: a blood-clotted brain, suicide hanging, strangulation homicide and bloated, decomposing carcasses. Some of them mutter comments under their breath while others wince at the pictures.\nThese images aren't going to be an uncommon occurrence for these officers-in-training -- it's what they're going to have to see for the rest of their lives. \n"I want them to get squeamish," Toumey said. "They're going to be the ones who are first on the crime scene, so they're going to have to learn to deal with it."\nCadets have plenty of time to learn the skills required of them because summer training lasts from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. for three months. The work began a month ago.\n"They need to remember and learn what is taught because it will be important later," IUPD Lieutenant Greg Butler said. "And it starts with basic discipline like 'yes, sir,' 'no, sir' and being on time."\nThe academy has 20 instructors of their own and also brings in speakers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Indianapolis Gang Task Force, the Indiana State Police and Cinergy. They are taught how to shoot firearms, the appropriate ways to interact with the public, and how to investigate crime and crash scenes.\nCadets are required to take and pass 14 written exams over material they've learned and must also pass a physical fitness test cadets are supposed to have prepared for during the school year. It includes a 300-meter sprint, a mile run, sit-ups and a 16-inch vertical leap test to see if one could hop a fence or dodge a moving vehicle or attack. \nThey do push-ups, too, as senior Stephanie Thompson can attest.\n"I did 333 push-ups for not filling out my time sheet correctly," Thompson said. "My arms were shaking last night, and I can barely move them today ... I'm sure I'll appreciate this better in the long run."\nSome of the seven girls in the program said they have already dropped a few pounds since training began, a fact which led Butler to joke maybe the academy should be charging them for their new weight-loss program.\nBenefits of the academy are most noticeable after cadets have gone through the program and become part-time officers who work the campus 12 to 20 hours a week.\nIU's student-officer program is the only one in the country, so graduates are already a step ahead in the work force because they have a degree, certification and experience in law enforcement. Cadets said this was a big factor in motivating them to join the academy.\n"(Becoming a police officer) just came to me," senior Hailey Padget said. "It interested me and I knew it's what I wanted. It's not really something I had to decide to do." \nWhen cadets do become full-time officers, some take positions around Indiana or the country, while others choose to stick around, like recent graduate Nick Ojeda who is now employed by the IUPD.\nEven though Ojeda has served his time doing all the required training, he hasn't washed his hands of it. He and many other officers voluntarily go with cadets during their physical training, which can include activities like running, aerobics or swimming.\n"We like to go with them to motivate them," Ojeda said. "(The academy) is kind of like boot camp for the IUPD."\nCadets said when they encounter difficulties during training, officers usually leave it up to them to sort out.\n"They leave it up to us to take initiative and solve our own problems because they know they are problems we're going to encounter in the future," Thompson said.\nBecoming an officer doesn't pose a problem for cadets' current or future social life because everyone gets along really well and has a good time, cadets said.\n"People think you have special privileges just because you're going to be a cop," junior Joe Kearby said. "You still have to worry about getting caught just like everyone else, but you can also still have fun"