A Visit to the Law Enforcement Academy

I grew up on the west end of Plainfield. It’s still weird for me to turn out of my parents’ driveway and see a stoplight in the distance and pass several subdivisions on US 40. When I was in school, kids used to ask me where the heck I lived, because they had never been past Dairy Queen before.

What I remember most about growing up out there is the soft orange glow of the lights during snowy nights from the Plainfield Correctional Facilities, and the sound of gunshots and squealing tires.

Wait, what?

Yep, that’s correct. I remember listening to the sounds of the Law Enforcement Academy. My overactive imagination didn’t allow me to think about the men and women who train there on a daily basis--keeping our streets safe by learning how to fire a gun, drive in an emergency, train and handle a K9 partner, among others.

I thought that they were learning how to bust a donut for fun in the police wagon on a hot summer day, as to squeal the tires so loud you can hear them two miles away.

I figured James Bond trained there, and ordered martinis at The Coachman afterward.

I hoped that no missiles would be fired into our living room. That would not be cool. Mom would not have been amused. Dad probably would have though, now that I think about it...

I assumed that with all the gunfire, that they were Civil War re-enactors practicing their firing techniques. Not sure why they would do that at a police academy, but remember: overactive imagination.

If you have ever wondered what goes on behind closed gates, here is your chance to find out! On Saturday, August 18th, PGTPL is having a field-trip to the Academy. Take a tour, and maybe even see some demonstrations of driving, physical tactics, or firearm use. Registration for each person is required, so sign up soon!

Just don’t tell me what really happens there. I’m sure it’s even more fantastic than I think it is.

Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, 1972. Courtesy of the Plainfield-Guilford Twp. Public Library Archives

~~Michelle