I have never thought that police work is easy.

But my experience at the Frank DeAngelis Center for Community Safety, nestled in a former elementary school in Wheat Ridge, confirmed how difficult it is.

Golden Police Chief Joe Harvey allowed me to sit in on his Community Engagement Group’s simulation testing at the center on Aug. 14. It involved traffic stops, a school-shooter scenario and simulated police responses.

I expected to be a fly on the wall, but Harvey joked he couldn’t wait to see how I did.

Minutes later, I was rushing down the hallway of the old school with a close-to-real handgun in tow, carrying within it paintball rounds.

My team and I shot a cardboard principal before eventually arresting the school shooter.

Oops.

Hearing the screams of the actors and the gunshots was truly indescribable. I could only imagine having to face down the barrel of a gun in the midst of real action.

Having to communicate with a person trespassing in a warehouse was equally exhilarating. Despite my self-proclaimed gift of gab, I had no clue what to ask. When the suspect’s arm remained hidden behind a shelf, I had to wrap my mind around the split-second possibility that a weapon was coming my way.

While I did not participate in the seemingly routine traffic stop, several members of the Community Engagement Group said it was the most stressful of all of the scenarios due to the helplessness of being alone outside of someone else’s vehicle.

That’s what police officers do every day.