Oath Of Office

This is the 9th installment chronicling my journey into law enforcement.  If you would like to read from the beginning, it is best to start with The Foundation.

The goal was to be in bed by 23:00, I think I was there by 00:30, but I know I saw almost every hour there after.  I have never been so happy to be up at 5am.  The 90 minute car drive went surprisingly smooth, I plan to rotate between commuting, staying at a friend's, and splitting a hotel with another recruit because we still have two and a half weeks before the academy starts.

We were sworn in by taking the oath of office.  I was excited because my parents, youngest brother, and grandparents were going to be in attendance for the ceremony!  When I got downstairs to the first floor of the Municipal Building I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they also brought along a close friend and mentor of mine.  He has been in law enforcement for some time and has helped me out tremendously throughout all of these hiring processes, so it meant a lot to me that he was there.

The mayor said a few short words and then called us three recruits to come up separately to take our oaths. IDressed in a black suit with pin stripes, a light blue shirt, and a tie, I can't describe how I was feeling just before I was called up.  I was trembling just slightly in a state of nervousness, but it still didn't feel "complete" yet.  We hadn't gone through the academy yet and would still have to make it through 18 weeks of basic before our graduation date in July.  It is required that all recruits are sworn officers before they are sent to the academy so this explains why it may seem a little backwards to some of you.  I think I will finally feel that level of accomplishment that I've been longing for when I graduate from the academy and can finally say that I am a certified police officer.  However, the swearing in ceremony was still very exciting for me and there was definitely a sense of accomplishment in knowing that the hiring processes were over with!!

"I, Thomas S. Towers, do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of this State, and the Ordinances of the City of South Place and will faithfully, honestly, and impartially discharge the duties of Police Officer for the City of South Place."

My Dad has been on the Fire Dept. back home for over 30 years.  The last 10 years or so he has been serving as Chief.  He was there to pin my police badge on me for the first time.  I felt that it was a pretty special moment for us both.