Back in the 80’s, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department used a variety of ways to say, “Join Us!” and recruit new deputies to fill the rank and file. From billboards and songs (stay tuned!) to PSAs and TV commercials, the Department reached beyond the ordinary run-of-the-mill pick ups like pencils and pamphlets to find qualified folks who were capable of thriving in the dynamic environment of law enforcement. Those commercials included some of the training we experienced both then and now. On this week’s look toward the past, we observe the time-honored tradition of the Driver Training Course and learn how to drive a patrol vehicle while navigating the dreaded traffic cone pattern at a high rate of speed. Then, as now, recruits learn how to maneuver through sticky situations and catch the bad guy. The phone number at the end of the commercial no longer works, but if you’re interested, you can still drive the company car and drive it really fast through those cones. Check out lasd.org/careers for more information!