CHP cadet working on a tan-uniformed dream

Grown men broke down and cried. One fled under the cover of night.

But David Owen, 22, never thought about quitting, not even when he crawls out of bed each day at 4 a.m. after just four hours of sleep.

His days at the California Highway Patrol Academy in West Sacramento are filled with strenuous exercise, extensive academic courses and intensive training. But if all goes well, when the 27-week course ends July 9, he will graduate as a CHP officer.

Five days a week, his schedule is so tightly packed that cadets run from building to building. Owen cites the lack of downtime as his greatest challenge.

"You do everything you can to get an extra hour of sleep," he said.

Often this means giving up his liberty hours to study, but it also translates to increased dependence on his fellow cadets.

Owen shares a dorm room with two other men, and they employ teamwork to help each other through the academy.

"You definitely have to have it here to succeed," he said. "This job in general, you can't do it by yourself."

Early each morning, one man irons starched creases into their blue cadet uniforms while another polishes three pairs of boots. The third man reads quiz questions out loud to help his fellow cadets prepare for the day's exams.

The CHP Academy is recognized as one of the finest law enforcement training facilities in

the world. Its cadets spend hours every day to become versed in firearms, performance driving, rescue techniques, collision investigation and traffic enforcement, among other courses.

During the six-month academy, the cadets will undergo nearly 1,300 hours of academic and skills training. The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training requires only 644.

The cadets are allowed liberty on Wednesday evenings, but they can lose that freedom for even the slightest of mistakes, laziness or sloppiness.

Owen knows this too well. He, like many cadets, has lost his liberty a few times already. Once was for practicing memos when he should have been watching a training video and another was for paste left on his boots after polishing.

"Everything here is attention to detail," Owen said.

There were 178 cadets in his class on the first day, Jan. 4, and only 142 remained as of Wednesday. Some quit, others were asked to leave.

A good attitude is the best way to survive, Owen said. He and his roommates ease the stress and tension with an arsenal of jokes.

"The harder you are on yourself, the more likely you are to fail," he said.

The greatest shock has been the physical training, he said. The morning workouts are a two-hour blend of aerobic activity and conditioning in the gymnasium, outdoor track and obstacle courses.

A former weightlifter, the intensive cardio was like nothing Owen had ever experienced. He still struggles with sit-ups, but the daily training is pushing him to be stronger — mentally and physically.

"It's that one extra push-up when you think you can't do any more," he said.

Owen has dreamed of working in law enforcement since he was a young boy. His father was a CHP officer in Yuba-Sutter and his mother worked as a crime analyst clerk for the Yuba City Police Department.

The day he told his father he wanted to join the CHP, the older officer said the boy was crazy. But Dave Owen, who retired as a CHP sergeant in 2008, has supported his son every step of the way.

Now when the cadet calls on the phone, he gets advice on his accident investigations classes and hears laughter when he complains about the daily rigor, since Dave Owen has done it all before.

"He helps me keep my head on my shoulders," the cadet said.

Dave Owen enjoyed his years with the state law enforcement agency and knows it will be a good profession for his son. But as a parent and as someone who worked the L.A. riots and floods, there is always a concern for safety, he said.

"It could be that last day you walk out the door and don't come back," he said.

He's proud of David, though. And he's already noticed changes in his son's demeanor.

"He acts much more mature and he's starting to talk like a cop now," Dave Owen said, laughing.

The cadet has dropped from 206 pounds to about 175, and has also shaved his closely shorn head to a light buzz cut. But the shadows of his navy blue CHP ballcap cannot hide his boyish grin or the light in his slate-blue eyes.

After 10 weeks in the academy, he said his training has already kicked in. He seldom misses driving violations while out and about.

"I drive my girlfriend nuts when I sit and pull out vehicle codes," David Owen said.

He and Alexa Richard, 20, have been dating for two years, but his love for law enforcement has been evident since day one. His caring nature and passion will make him a great highway patrolman, she said.

"Yesterday, he told me he passed skid pan on his first try," she said. "I think he is just natural at being an officer."

David will do well in the path he chose for himself, his father said. He has a lot of patience and handles stress well.

"He's usually pretty quick on his feet to adapt," Dave Owen said. "He is a fair person and he doesn't carry a lot of biases."

David Owen's four years as a cadet with the Yuba City Police Department cemented all ideas he had about a law enforcement future.

After graduating from Live Oak High School, he received his associate's degree in criminal justice from Yuba College. He continued his education at Chico State until the economy convinced him not to postpone his dream any longer.

With 17 weeks to go, he's looking forward to the pride he will feel the day he tosses his "Chevron suit" cadet blues away to don CHP's trademark tan uniform, he said.

And aside from the thrill graduation will bring, Dave Owen promised his son could drive his 2008 fire-engine red Shelby GT500 if he makes it through the academy.

"I'm really waiting for that day," the cadet said, cracking his affable smile once again.

Contact Appeal reporter Ashley Gebb at 749-4724 or agebb@appealdemocrat.com