Police Academy.

Today we went with our homeschool association to the tour at the police academy!

We dragged along Grandma and Buddy to help with Max (who was not a good boy)!

The tours were really well done and interesting!

The first thing they did was seat us all around a fountain, and a helicopter flew in overhead, its crew communicating with the crowd by radio.

There was a presentation about the SWAT team, and we saw the team scale down a wall.

The police officers on horses explained their job ... They asked the audience to guess what the only thing is that they can't do that an officer in a car can.  One person guessed "chases," but the mounted police CAN do that.  Another guessed "make an arrest," but they CAN do that too.  The one thing they CAN'T do is bring someone in to jail on horseback!

The guy also said that when their horses go poop in the streets of Houston, they have to stop and clean it up.

The car chase demonstration was awesome -- lots of peeling out and spins!

The "criminal" drives a green car that says "Bad Boy" on it!

The SWAT team trains here.

After the high speed pursuit the kids got to look in the police cars, but were told not to touch the tires -- too hot!

This helicopter cost the department 2.2 million dollars.  Each blade costs $15,000.  It can go 140 mph and has a spotlight to shine down, as well as the ability to find people with infrared.  Gabe asked a question about the hole in the back.  The exhaust coming out the hole is 500-600 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here's the robot the bomb squad sends in to diffuse bombs!  It can even climb stairs!

We started to watch the K9 program, but Max was not being good!

Maybe they were going to do a demonstration with these dolls, but we had to leave!

Meanwhile Daddy was at work today, and he accidentally banged his head into his office door and cut it.  He kept bleeding and they thought he might need stitches.  He had to wear this Mickey Mouse bandaid for the rest of the day.