Do you know any police officers personally? What about a police cadet? Today's show features one of the best police cadets in the City of Milwaukee. His name is Jeremiah Lewis. This young man, in my estimation, has the potential to become chief. Why do I say that? I do because I've seen his passion for his family, his job and his community. He is the kind of officer that builds trust with people easily. I've watched him for a while. He is for real and believe me he is a treasure. Jeremiah is very active involved in the community and he's doing it way more than what's required of him. Today you will learn what police cadets have to do for training and you will hear how some work with ex-felons to understand the community and to establish relationships.

Guest: Police Cadet Jeremiah Lewis

Show Highlights:

· Why did he become a police officer?

· The culture of police training

· Police cadet training requirements

· Upcoming police & fire academy open house

· Cadet required community involvement

· The impact of Partners in Hope on police cadets

· Skydiving at The Leap of Faith Event

· The police welcomes the public to express their concerns

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a lot of , , cadets that's in our recruit class right now , , they

2

understand, , everything that been

going on and what on the news.

3

, with what's happening with different

police departments and agencies,

4

and , the general consensus in the

class is that majority of people.

5

, they want to be that change.

6

They want to change

the culture of policing

7

and we want to get rid of that stigma

of police doing the wrong things,

8

or get rid of that stigma of the

police isn't there to help people and

9

we're just there to arrest people.

10

Hello, and welcome to A

Prisoner's Pardon with

11

Microphone (2- AT2005USB):

Me, your host, Michi J.

12

Michi: Today we have as a guest,

Jeremiah Lewis, and he is a police cadet.

13

Yes, we even have police

cadets on the show.

14

You know why?

15

Because we need to hear from everybody.

16

And I've met Jeremiah Lewis

at Partners in Hope, and he is

17

very involved with that program.

18

And he's actually been in dunk tanks

and a lot of community projects and

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work with a lot of ex prisoners.

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So today we're going to be

hearing from Jeremiah Lewis.

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Hey, Jeremiah, how you doing?

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I'm Good.

23

How you doing, Michi?

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I am doing well.

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, tell us a little bit about Jeremiah.

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And why...

27

a police officer.

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Why did you pick that career?

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It's always something I wanted

to do since I was younger.

30

, I always wanted to be, I don't want to

sound kind of cliche, but I always wanted

31

to be that, that change in the community.

32

Like a lot of people, and nowadays

news, they look at police officers.

33

In a bad light, but I want to try

to be that change, , for the people.

34

, and also I'm like, I wanted to be

a great role model for my, , my

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three year old son, growing up too.

36

Wow.

37

Those are great.

38

Aspirations it looks like police

officers are in demand because it's

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not a lot of people trying to be a

police officer because of the culture.

40

Now, you're actually saying the opposite.

41

, you're in class with

a lot of other cadets.

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Do they feel the same way as you do?

43

Yeah.

44

, a lot of our, a lot of our, , cadets

that's in our recruit class right

45

now they do, they, , they feel,

they understand, , everything that

46

been going on and what on the news.

47

, with what's happening with different

police departments and agencies,

48

and , the general consensus in the

class is that majority of people.

49

, they want to be that change.

50

They want to change the culture of

policing and we want to get rid of

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that stigma of police doing the wrong

things, or get rid of that stigma of

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the police isn't there to help people

and we're just there to arrest people.

53

Do unconstitutional things, but

we're not where we actually want

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to be out there in the community.

55

We want to understand some of

the problems that they're going

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through and try to help better solve

them and be there for the people.

57

That's good to hear what cadets

are thinking and why they want to be

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police officers, because I thought

the numbers would be going down.

59

Are you saying that it possibly

will at least your classes?

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Is it a full class or.

61

When we first started off, we did, , we

did lose quite a few people, but that's

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mainly just because they didn't pass

some of the training or qualifications

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and passing certain tests that we have

because I'm like our academy class.

64

We have a, we go through a very

extensive seven, almost seven

65

months of training plus on the

field training once we graduate.

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So it was very in depth and we do lose

people on the way, but we also have

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another recruit class in house right

now and they're pretty much full.

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And they haven't lost anybody, but

we're probably gonna graduate close

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to around like 50, 60 people already.

70

Wow.

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That's good.

72

I'm happy to hear that because.

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Honestly, I was concerned about the

number of officers that we will have.

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So hearing that we got some full classes

and possibly don't have any problem

75

recruiting is just maybe people being

able to, make the cut, so to speak.

76

Correct.

77

Yes.

78

Okay.

79

What is some of the community

training that you do?

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Is there a particular category of

training for that with the police academy?

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And we go through a lot of like

ethical training community orient

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orientated policing training go

through a lot of constitutional law.

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And I'm like, also, I'm like, even

during the academy to have us.

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Go out and help out with different

events like we're, we were there for

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Juneteenth event was there for fireworks.

86

So we actually, they actually have

us out in a community a lot engaging

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with the people that we're eventually

going to be serving and helping.

88

That's that's awesome and that's,

where I've been seeing you at and

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just being involved in so much.

90

I didn't realize that, that's part of the

training to be, active in the community.

91

Is that something expected ongoing

or is that just, for the training?

92

Oh, no, that's definitely something

expected on going like they instill

93

it in us before we even graduate that

once we get out to field training,

94

which is with, we will be with a.

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More senior officer and there will

be showing us how to actually police,

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but when we're out there, we still

will be engaging with the community.

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We won't be just constantly

in our patrol car just.

98

Looking at people through a window,

we will actually be walking by foot,

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engaging, talking with people in the

community, listening to if anyone has

100

any concerns or problems and a deal

and dealing with them accordingly.

101

I didn't know that.

102

That's interesting.

103

I wonder if anybody knew in my

audience is something to think about.

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That's a good.

105

Positive thing to include with the

training is this, did it just start or

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has it always been part of training from

what I know and from what the instructors

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and other police officers and detectives

that I have talked to in the past.

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And currently they told me that it has

always been like this for the training.

109

I'm like, they always have during the

academy, we have our they teach the

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con law and ethical policing and how to

police community orientated policing.

111

And even when we go out there for field

training has always been the same with.

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They want us to actively engage and

talk with people in the community.

113

So it always has been like this within

the past at most like eight, nine years.

114

Okay.

115

I just probably didn't know about it.

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I just don't remember seeing a lot

of cadets working in a community.

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A lot, but I do now, I see a lot and it's

good for you to mention this so people

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understand what type of training you have

to go through especially, community work,

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ethical training and stuff like that.

120

Yeah, even our this upcoming weekend

too, we have like the academy, they

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host different open houses for people

in the community to actually come.

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And get a and see what our instructors are

actually teaching our newer recruit class.

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So this upcoming Saturday we actually

do have a open house that's open to the

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public and they can actually see and

hear what we actually been learning.

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Oh, , where is that located?

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That would be at 66 80

North Titania Avenue.

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At the we, I call it the

safety ca safety Academy.

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It's but also the Fire and Police

Commission is housed in there too.

129

Okay.

130

I'll make sure I note that okay.

131

You know what time it starts or that time?

132

I believe it starts at 8 a.

133

m.

134

between

135

8 or 9.

136

I'm not certain on that right now.

137

Okay.

138

So is that Academy over there?

139

Is that the only Milwaukee

Academy over there on correct?

140

That's the only Milwaukee Police

Academy that we have right now.

141

Okay.

142

I wasn't sure if it was another 1

and it's just supplies officers for

143

all the districts here in Milwaukee.

144

Correct police officers and

fire fire cadets and whatnot.

145

They all go through that same building.

146

Oh, okay.

147

Interesting.

148

Okay.

149

And is it still the same requirements that

you got to live in the city of Milwaukee?

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Or has that changed?

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No, that, that has actually changed.

152

I'm unsure on how long

ago they lifted that.

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But I know now it's, you have to

live within 15 miles of county line.

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So it's, yeah, so like for me I

was born and raised, I lived in

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the city for almost 20 years.

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But then I recently moved out and I'm

currently out in Waukesha right now,

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but at the county line for me, it

starts out in Moreland on Moreland road.

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And that will be, or 124th street,

my apologies, 124th street.

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And that would be where

my 15 miles start from.

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So it's the furthest, it's the furthest

point of wherever the county line,

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the Milwaukee county line goes to.

162

Oh, okay.

163

Okay.

164

Does this academy, so it's only for

Milwaukee police is it do Waukesha

165

have their own and how does that work?

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Okay.

167

Yeah.

168

So Milwaukee, this is actually

only for Milwaukee police.

169

But and our current recruit and

the other, the new recruit class

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that's in house right now, we call

them, I call them the freshmen.

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They're, they actually have.

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for West Milwaukee.

173

Cadets in there though, too.

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So sometimes Milwaukee Police Academy,

they will take if they have enough

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openings, they will take three or four.

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Or up to five outside agencies

referrals, but that outside agency

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is actually paying the academy

to teach them the Milwaukee way.

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Oh, okay.

179

The Milwaukee way.

180

All right.

181

All right.

182

So tell us about your involvement with.

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Partners in Hope and partners

in hope for everyone.

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They have a community warehouse.

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They help the previously incarcerated and

they're located on, what is that, fourth

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in North Avenue, something like that.

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3, 2, 4 east North Avenue.

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So that's like third of North Avenue.

189

Okay.

190

Yeah.

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So they have A meeting there every

Wednesday evening, and I think they do

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have some on Friday mornings as well.

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Yeah, so this is where people that's

been previously incarcerated, they

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come and mentors, people in the

community, cadets police officers

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is it fire people there too?

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I'm not sure that I'm not that I'm unsure.

197

I don't believe so, but it's mostly

from the police side is it'll be other

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recruits, cadets sergeants, lieutenants.

199

And sometimes even detectives, right?

200

Okay.

201

I've seen those.

202

Yeah.

203

So it's a big group and, people

from all walks of life, family

204

members of the incarcerated.

205

We come together as a family and we do.

206

Like round tables, and we,

they have 2 boxes where they

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talk about certain things.

208

They have speakers, but it's a really

a great place for people to come and

209

to get information and just join in

and just working in the community.

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How did you get started there?

211

Jeremiah.

212

I got started there by

actually Adam Purcell.

213

Adam came to the police

academy and told us his story.

214

And from the beginning, like when he

first started telling his story, I was

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just like, my eyes were like wide open.

216

How did a person, how did a person

like, like this actually get out?

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But then once he more or less got

towards the end of the story, things

218

started making a lot more sense to me.

219

And from there, I wanted to know

more about partners and hope and

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what he was teaching or the type

of people that actually come there.

221

So I'm like my first

visit, it wasn't by choice.

222

It was our sergeant at the academy,

he made us, made everybody sign up for

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one day to go there and see how it is.

224

And after that one day,

I really enjoyed it.

225

I enjoyed listening to other

people's walks of life, pretty much

226

like listening to people, like how

their day is going mainly because.

227

One person's story and that during

that time can actually change

228

another person's way of thinking.

229

Like for me, I helped so many people

out just by listening to their stories

230

and things that they were going

through and I never thought I would

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in a million years that I would be

able to just do the littlest things

232

that it would change somebody's life.

233

Entire perspective and

just me being there.

234

I enjoyed it.

235

And also I'm like, after hearing that

these people are the same people that

236

I will be eventually seeing out in the

community, I wanted to be a part of that.

237

I wanted to show them that.

238

I'm different than the police encounters

that you may have had in the past.

239

I want to be that police officer

that you can count on that will treat

240

you fairly, treat you respectfully.

241

Show you, show that get,

have, show you that you have

242

dignity and let you be human.

243

So yeah, I'm like I enjoy coming

back every single Wednesday and I

244

even brought my family there too.

245

They enjoyed it.

246

Yeah.

247

I met your , beautiful son and wife

and yeah, . That is good to, to

248

hear what's the impact on cadets, I

hate to say it partners and hold it.

249

It may not be for everyone,

but for a select few that

250

were in the class it changed.

251

It changed their entire perspective.

252

They didn't think.

253

They had a preconceived notion of the

way that it would be, like, they didn't

254

want to go there they thought it was not

worth their time, but it really opened

255

their eyes and they got a different

perspective because a lot of these, a

256

lot, majority of the people that's in

our class isn't from the Milwaukee area.

257

They're from more of the outskirts of

Milwaukee or lived in suburban areas.

258

So they didn't, they don't have firsthand

experience of what some of the issues a

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lot of people are facing in Milwaukee.

260

So I'm like, it really opened their eyes.

261

And I'm like, that's why

I was able to get a few.

262

Other cadets or whatnot to actually come

back with me almost every week or every

263

other week or every couple of weeks or

so, and I will be coming back again this

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Wednesday with another couple of recruits.

265

I see you've been recruiting

them, bringing them in and stuff.

266

Yeah.

267

You very active there.

268

And that's a joy to see.

269

And it's, I enjoy meeting.

270

The different recruits and just

seeing them and getting to know

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them, because it'll be awesome

to see you out in the community.

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Hey, how are you doing?

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And I think.

274

When the community see us

interacting, they will see you as.

275

A person as well, so I'm I believe that,

the previously incarcerated there, they

276

have a different impression to just you

have they I'm hearing stories from them.

277

It was like, I never.

278

Cared about police before, and they,

if there's something that's happening,

279

their concern is that my friend

is something going on with them.

280

And that's a beautiful thing when people

start caring about other people like that.

281

Yeah.

282

It's all about, I, it's about

building a positive relationship

283

with people that you would think is

totally opposite than you, but at

284

the end of the day, we're, All human.

285

I'm like, we all go through things.

286

We all have tough times.

287

We all have good times, but with

partners at home, I'm like, if we can

288

all just sit down and where no one looks

at each other oh, okay, that's a cop.

289

Oh, that's a fella.

290

And I don't want to sit by him.

291

I don't want to talk to him.

292

But in other words, we sitting down and

we actually having meals with each other.

293

We actually engaging and talking and.

294

I'm like, it's just a,

it's a great moment.

295

I'm like every Wednesday is a

great moment, a great time and

296

getting to know another person

and building another relationship.

297

That's true.

298

Cause you know, I've, accumulated

some great relationships there.

299

And I definitely encourage people to come

, I know they have A lot of resource people

300

coming through and does that give you like

resource information that if you happen to

301

be talking to somebody in a community, you

being there you become pretty informed.

302

About resources.

303

Yes, most definitely.

304

Like I, I have a, they gave me a wealth of

knowledge of like different resources and

305

different advocacies that I can tap into

if I ever run into certain situations.

306

When I'm out there policing, instead

of always going to the, what people

307

would think like, all right that person

is just going to get arrested or that

308

person it's just going and badly.

309

No, I'm like, we were trying to push.

310

Helping that person more and giving

them the resources that they're in need.

311

And there is a lot of resources out

there that I'm like, even I personally,

312

I'm like, I may not know, but I will

do my due diligence and trying to find.

313

And try to help that person 110

percent every single time I have an

314

encounter with anybody that I talk to

or deal with in my police capacity.

315

Yeah that's great because, I know I've

added a lot of resources just by being

316

near and hearing the information.

317

I was like, oh, I didn't know about that,

so now it's oh, I didn't really let me,

318

let me write this down or you can, if we

don't know, we can ask somebody there.

319

So I really like that because we

build relationships, we build up our

320

toolbox of, I would say resources

and cause we don't know who to talk

321

to and to get them information.

322

And that's I think that's awesome.

323

What's going on there.

324

So you talked about you being a police

officer while you became one partners

325

and hope how you came to be there

and how you just invited everyone.

326

I am too . I'm always inviting somebody.

327

Now This last event that they

had was called leap of faith.

328

Now you were one of the jumpers,

like how did they get you to do this?

329

Leave with faith.

330

I'm like, honestly, I'm like, it's

something that I always wanted to do.

331

I always, for some reason, I always

wanted to jump out of airplanes.

332

I don't know.

333

It was like, I wanted to

conquer this fear of heights.

334

And I was able to do that with an

amazing group of people from half

335

officers and half past cons or,

And, but it's like, when we're up

336

there or when we're going through

this, I'm like, we're all the same.

337

I'm like, everybody is,

everybody, majority of other

338

people, we're all scared.

339

But we're, and then when we jump

out of that plane, it's like all

340

our worries just just went away.

341

It was like, at that moment, it was

like, it just feels you're just just

342

gliding and just floating in the air,

and it's it just feels so effortless.

343

Nothing, you like, you have nothing, no

care in the world at all at that moment.

344

And it's just like looking

out towards the horizon.

345

I'm like, and then looking down towards

the ground, it's just I can't believe

346

I'm doing this and it just feels amazing.

347

And I'm like everybody is the same.

348

Everybody's doing this

for their own reason.

349

And also I'm like doing

this together as a group.

350

And we're all, we all feel

as one when we up there.

351

And so it was just such an amazing time.

352

And even before we, we jumped out of that

airplane, we all had great talks and great

353

conversations, even down on the ground,

everybody socializing, playing games,

354

getting to know each other's families.

355

And it was just, it was a really

awesome and amazing event.

356

That I wish a lot more people

would have known about that.

357

But I'm like, we had, we still had

a amazing turnout and it turned

358

out to be such a great time.

359

Oh, yeah, it's I know they're doing

a documentary so people can, actually

360

look like they were there too.

361

So to see what all went on it, I think

yeah, I think it was an amazing event.

362

I remember seeing you, you

didn't look too good before.

363

Oh, no, I was super nervous and

super scared and going up here.

364

You Like I said, I'm like, once we're

outside of that plane, and once you,

365

I'm like, once you just fall, you

don't get that feeling of your stomach

366

coming up, like from a rollercoaster or

anything, it's just, it just feels...

367

I don't like effortless.

368

There's nothing, I'm like,

you just gliding and floating

369

in the air really fast.

370

. So when you jumped out, were you

going down was it, were you floating

371

already or was you going fast now?

372

Dude, it like, you speeding?

373

It was going, yeah, it

was going fast down.

374

Like I had my arms out like a,

I wanna say like an airplane.

375

. I want to say it was probably going

well over a hundred, probably close

376

to a hundred miles an hour or so.

377

And it was a lot of wind, but the thing

is, it's like you, I didn't have no,

378

no gut wrenching feeling or anything.

379

It was like everything,

it just felt so free.

380

Like it felt really good.

381

And just being up there.

382

I'm like, I didn't worry, not one bit.

383

Also, I had the main guy that jumped

like 18, 000 times on my back too.

384

So I'm like, I feel really confident

with that, with him doing it.

385

So I didn't get a chance

to, how did you land though?

386

How was, what was that about?

387

Oh, the landing, we landed in our butts.

388

Yeah, I didn't want to, I didn't, we

didn't want to risk trying to do the

389

walking or trying to stand up or anything.

390

So we just slid in.

391

So that was actually, we

came in like relatively calm.

392

Like it wasn't like anything I expected.

393

I thought it was going to be a

little bit more rougher landing

394

or something like that, but it

wasn't, it was like, you just.

395

I don't know, like you sliding into

home plate or home base or whatnot on

396

a baseball field and that's about it.

397

Okay, so do we describe you as pre jump?

398

You're like, you are one person

then once after you jump, you're

399

a whole another different person.

400

Oh, hands down a whole

totally different person.

401

Like I'm jumping again.

402

Like I, after I got done doing

that jump, I actually went.

403

I actually went back into the

office and I bought a second, I

404

bought the second jump for half off.

405

So I'm jumping again, September 30th

because of me doing that, that first jump.

406

I get changed.

407

It totally changed everything.

408

It changed everything.

409

Yeah.

410

Okay.

411

So I know at least we're not going to name

names, but I know at least one person.

412

Didn't do it.

413

They were scheduled and then they said no.

414

Yeah, I think there was more of I think it

was probably transportation or something.

415

Oh, that was a that was an issue for

that individual Okay, so I mean they

416

end up finding they end up finding

another person there to jump in his

417

place though Okay I'm not throwing

no salt now because I wouldn't do it.

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Oh, it's not that bad.

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I feel like everybody should jump out

of airplane like at least one time.

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Like you could hear yourself.

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Could you it's the mental.

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It's the mental that gets a

lot of people like the whole

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thought process before you go up.

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There is a lot worse than

actually jumping out the airplane.

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Like hands down.

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Okay.

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So since you, Jeremiah, since

you jumped out of playing, do you

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feel like you could do anything?

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Like you could just, okay, no problem.

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I want to say, I want to say anything.

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Like I'm not going to go like wrestle

like a bear alligator or something,

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but it gives me a little bit more,

a little bit more confidence.

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And I do feel like I'm a I can't

do, I can't do anything but I don't

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know, it just changes me as a person.

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I have a different outlook on life

and I want to try to take that

436

and try to mold that some way into

the way I go about doing my job

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as a police officer out there too.

438

Wow.

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That's good.

440

That is all great.

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I'm glad I got a chance to talk

to you about leap of faith because

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yeah, you didn't look too hot.

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You looked like you were going

to throw up or something.

444

Yeah.

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I also, I'm like, it didn't help that I.

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I ate some food right before I

walked up there too, who does that?

447

Yeah.

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Nobody else that jumped

ate before they jumped.

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I was the only one that

ate before they jumped.

450

I'm glad everything turned out well.

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You didn't, toss it up.

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It all stayed in.

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It all stayed in.

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Good.

455

Okay.

456

This is a I'm glad I got

a chance to interview you.

457

This is a short interview I want to do

and let people know about again, about

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Partners in Hope, about how police are.

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Training their new people,

especially in this Milwaukee area

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and how they are very community.

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Minded, so is there anything else

you want to say to the audience

462

before we in this great talk with you

463

pretty much just.

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Just keep a, just, I want to say, just

keep an open mind with new, with the newer

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police officers that are coming out there.

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I'm like, we all mean we all

want to do right by it, right

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by everybody in the community.

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And if you have any suggestions and us

doing something in a better way, feel

469

free, let us know and we'll take that into

consideration and we'll try to, do better.

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But besides that, I'm hoping to be

a, be the best police officer I can.

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And that's about it.

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Thank you for being here.

473

Mostly.

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I just want to thank you for

joining the police force.

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And as we really do cherish

you we thank you for doing.

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The service that you're going to

be doing for us, because it's very

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important and definitely going to

be praying for you and the family.

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Sorry, we want to stay safe.

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Thank you so much.

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And that's it for our interview today.

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Again, just thank you all for

listening and may you have a

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week filled with blessings.