It takes 26 weeks of intense training to make a cop. Over six months Police
Training Academy (PTA) follows the exhilarating highs and dramatic lows of
60 new recruits who think they've got what it takes to make it in the tough
world of law enforcement.
Set in the new Police Academy in Joondalup, Perth, the four-part
documentary, PTA, follows the second intake of 2002 recruits through their
training. The recruits are starting their careers at a crucial time in the
150 year history of policing in Western Australia, with a Royal Commission
into the Police Service underway. Allegations of corruption are being made
on a daily basis, and there is an increasing level of cynicism towards the
police.
For a recruit, life at the Academy closely resembles that of a real working
police officer. A purpose-built scenario village is located within the
Academy complex, and actors are employed to play out sometimes
life-threatening daily events that will confront them on the beat.
In Episode One the recruits are learning how to control an angry crowd.
Many rioters go from one police demonstration to another, dubbed
"rent-a-crowds", these people know the police moves and can pick the
mistakes. After their briefing the recruits are put through their paces in
the scenario village, where actors hurl both abuse and missiles. We also
witness the recruits being put through both mental and physical duress,
followed by a visit to the shooting range to see how they cope when minds
and bodies are fatigued. Instructions must be comprehended under all
circumstances, because in policing there is no room for error. There's also
a practical lesson in the effects of pepper spray, a powerful weapon used
by police to defend themselves against offenders. In order to administer
it, recruits need to fully understand its effects and this can only be done
through first hand experience.
During the series we'll meet some of the recruits, and witness how they
cope. Some will face pressures from within the course, while for others
events in their personal lives will also have an impact. Cara Howard has
twice sat an important exam without passing, and a third fail will mean
dismissal from the Academy. Carol Eaton, an ex-cop from South Africa and
single mother with three boys, finds the long hours and demands of the
course beginning to take their toll.
There's also David Wright, an ex-Sergeant with 13 years policing experience
with the Met in London. Despite his experience he must retrain and repass
all tests before even gaining the rank of Constable in the WA Police
Service. And there's Enzo Cadelli, a former Army officer, who was once
oneof the most hated members of his platoon. Now a born-again Christian,
he's changed his views and morals and is certain that a career as a police
officer is the right direction for his life.
The recruits will find out that not all lessons are taught in the
classroom. Just four days before the graduation of the new Academy's first
intake, three of their number were sacked for unacceptable conduct. It's a
timely and quite shocking warning to the new recruits that they must be
accountable for all their actions, and that the Academy comes down hard on
sinners. But will they all learn from this lesson? Only time will tell.
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/guide/h194567.htm
Funny scene in this...a boofy looking dickhead claims he became a born
again christian in the army.His sgt asked him,"Where's the animal I used to
have,I want him back!"
