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1. How did you get involved with the show The Academy? Sternberg productions asked Sheriff Baca if they could come and film the dynamics of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs' Academy and he agreed. Captain Kopperud and Lieutenant McLean were the command staff of the academy and, in their infinite wisdom, they put together the staff which you see on television. 2. Can you describe your job - outside of training recruits - for us? I am a family man who enjoys coaching, hunting, fishing, golfing and serving God. 3. How much of what we see of the training academy is real? What you see is what you get. We are not actors. If the cameras were not here, the same training would exist. Our job is to train civilians and turn them into hard working law enforcement officers ready for the call of duty. 4. Is LASD's training program comparable to other academies nationwide? LASD Academy is all I know so I have nothing else to compare it to. Comparing LASD with other law enforcement agencies as a whole, we have the same expectations of our recruits and deputies. That is honesty, integrity, family, leadership, and respect. 5. We see the drill sergeant side of you on the show - but do we ever see a sensitive, laid back version? Or are you like a drill sergeant off the job as well? First of all, I am not a sergeant, I am a deputy; Mark Wilkins is the sergeant. As a deputy we have to show compassion and sympathy towards those we serve and to our partners. We are not robots and we do not train our recruits to be either. Even in the show you will see both sides. 6. Why did you first become involved in police work? Eighteen years ago the show Cops aired and I was hooked! I only applied with LASD because of the respect they held within the community. 7. What traits do you look for in future recruits? A strong desire to be successful and not give up. As I said before with regards to law enforcement as a whole, honesty, integrity, leadership, a sense of family, a hard worker and respect. 8. Were you worried that the recruiting class just wanted to be on TV, or do you think they are serious about law enforcement? No, I was never worried because the recruits you see applied for the job months in advance of the production company asking to film our academy. This is not one of your typical shows where we had a casting call. The individuals you see want to be deputies and police officers, not actors. 9. What's next for them after the academy is over? It's time to go to work. The deputies will go to different custody facilities throughout Los Angeles County, and the Police Officers will go to their patrol stations. After the deputies short time in the jails, they will then go to one of our 24 patrol stations within Los Angeles County. 10. Describe one of your proudest moments as a deputy or in police work in general. There are too many to list. I am proud to be a member of the finest organization in the world. Not to take anything away from other law enforcement agencies, but I am happy where I am. I have been able to impact and change the lives of many people that I have come in contact with and the appreciatiation they have of the job we do. 11. What was one of the scariest things you've had to do on the job? Being involved in a shooting and thinking it was the last time I was going to see my family. 12. How realistic are police dramas on TV? Do you have a favorite of those shows? I do not watch them. I do watch more realistic shows, which I consider to be more like a documentary: The First 24, Cold Case Files, the Deadliest Catch, Ax Men, Survivor Man.
Check out the official site for The Academy. |
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(June
25, 2008) PCM's Ashley got a chance to ask Deputy Dwight E.
Miley of the 