Before the Badge: Lubbock Police recruits take on rifle school, active shooter training

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - It’s graduation month for Lubbock Police recruits, but before they cross the stage, they spent some time back out on the gun range and preparing for one of the most dangerous situations an officer can face.

Recruits have been training for the last six months to become the Hub City’s newest protectors. NewsChannel 11 has been following their entire journey “Before the Badge,” since February.

Now in August, it may be 100 degrees outside, but since the heat won’t stop criminals, it can’t stop recruits, either.

During one drill in rifle school, recruits had to complete 10 rounds of shooting, sprinting to go get their ammo in between each one, working to maintain their accuracy, while hitting their target quickly.

“One of the biggest reasons is if we’re tired having to chase somebody on the streets, we’ve got to be able to control our breathing and make sure we make accurate shots from distance,” Recruit Jared Lewis said.

Lewis, from Odessa, says the last 26 weeks at the academy have taught him patience and how to better control his frustration when he makes mistakes.

“Like I was speaking about yesterday, when I was not being able to shoot as exactly as I wanted to. I got in my head a lot and a little bit frustrated and some instructors just came up and were like, ‘Take your time. Have patience, really think about it. Get out of your head.’ And when I did that, it was a whole lot better,” he said.

Whether it’s hot and sunny outside or pitch black at night, police officers are expected to do their job right. For more of their rifle school qualifications, recruits had to practice shooting in the dark. They worked to keep their shots in line, no matter how far from the target.

Back inside the academy, recruits trained for one of the most dangerous situations they could encounter on the job.

The two out-of-state lateral transfers are training with the recruits for some courses during the last few weeks of the academy, so they can learn department-specific procedures like responding to a call for an active shooter.

In one scenario, recruits cleared out each room, looking for suspects and victims. But when they heard gunshots, their attention shifted to immediately find the shooter.

The drill is designed to make sure the future officers are scanning everyone who may be running from a dangerous situation and that someone is always watching their backs.

It also prepares them for what to do next, with instructors taking time to go over what went right and what to do when things don’t.

“All the scenarios we do, it’s great training. Especially stuff like this where, you know, we’ve seen in the past, mass shootings on schools and it’s very important that we are trained on how to react to this stuff,” Recruit Jonathon Alvarez said.

Recruits are now in the homestretch, studying for their comprehensive state and department final exams.

“I’ve enjoyed every single week, even through the tough times and the the physical stressful times, the mental stressful times,” Lewis said. “I’ve enjoyed every day that’s passed. I’m like, yeah, it was a long day. It was a hard day. But it’s a day that I wanted to be there.”

These recruits are receiving support from outside the academy walls, after airing this series.

“My family, they’ll say, ”Hey, that pepper spray looked like it hurt,’ or whatever. And even just strangers out in the street. I’ve been recognized once or twice, and it’s not something I ever thought would happen. But, those people have been supportive, ‘good luck,’ you know, and ‘Hey, you look familiar,’ and they’ll ask a question," Alvarez said.

The recruits are also supporting each other to make it through the next few weeks.

“These guys, you know, we’re a super tight-knit group now and we believe it’s us to the end so we’re all here for each other,” Alvarez said.

Class 2025 Alpha is staying seven-strong going into the last three weeks of the academy. If they pass their state and department final exams, their family will get to pin their badge at graduation on August 29. NewsChannel 11 will continue following their journey Before the Badge.