Strangulation is a very grave form of battery in domestic violence (DV). By some estimates, about 10% of all women who experience domestic violence will experience a near fatal strangulation by their partner, and they are 7x more likely to be killed by their partner than any other victim of DV. Strangulation is so serious that according to the National District … [Read more...]
Suicide Jumpers: An EDP Police Officers Must Train For
Police officers often respond to calls involving EDPs: Emotionally Disturbed Persons. Some of these EDPs are high on drugs, mentally ill, or severely depressed about some event in their life. Suicidal subjects are one of the types of EDP that we have to deal with. Often times a suicidal subject does not have any real intent to harm themselves; they are just looking for help … [Read more...]
Teaching Our Citizens to Protect Themselves
If it wasn't so sad, I would laugh every time I heard someone say that a police officer's job is to protect them. Perhaps I should explain... Although we wish it to be otherwise, I doubt there is any police officer who believes that he or she can protect any individual citizen from being harmed by criminals. Well, maybe the chief might, but I think that … [Read more...]
Is the Use of Light a Use of Force?
Several years ago, I read an article called "Use of Force and High Intensity Tactical Police Flashlights: Policy Concerns." Since then I have seen it re-printed in various other locations. In the article, R. Paul McCauley, Ph.D., a criminology professor at a university in Pennsylvania, opines that: I don't know what background, if any, McCauley has in modern police … [Read more...]
Roadside Safety: Danger From Passing Vehicles
Making a so-called routine traffic stop poses a lot of potential hazards for a police officer. Officers rarely know the occupants of the vehicle, or what danger they may pose. So, academies and department in-services teach their officers safety and survival skills to give the officer the best possible advantage when dealing with a threat from inside that car. However, not … [Read more...]
Car 54…Where Are You?: Update Your Dispatchers on Your Location
I know... it seems like a no-brainer. When you get out of the patrol car, let your dispatchers know where you are. Recruit officers have this drilled into their heads by their FTOs, and we know it makes sense. After all, you never know what may happen at any given moment, and in the middle of a fight is not a good time to start trying to give dispatch you location. However, … [Read more...]
Identify Your Target: Use Your Flashlight
It is well established that as police officers, we often work in diminished light situations. Even officers assigned to day watch have to go into dim areas, such as abandoned buildings, warehouses, and closets, looking for suspects. Police officers have been trained, however, that using your flashlight can make you a target. Therefore, many instructors have encouraged police … [Read more...]
Disguised Weapons: A Hidden Threat to Police Officer Safety
Police officers often find weapons on suspects during pat-downs and post-arrest searches. Sometimes the weapons are firearms, and other times the weapons are knives, ice picks, brass knuckles, and the like. These are generally no problem to spot and identify, right? Not always. There are many criminals walking around with weapons that are disguised as mundane, common items. … [Read more...]
Contact and Cover: Are Police Officers Doing It Right?
For more than two decades, police trainers have preached the virtues of using "contact and cover." Done correctly, contact and cover offers a very safe method of dealing with suspects. But, are we correctly implementing what we were taught? Contact and cover is a tactic that is used by two patrol officers when encountering a subject of investigation. The contact officer … [Read more...]
Terrorists Next Plan: Killing Our Children at School
I don't care what your stance on the President, the Middle East or any political event is. The fact of the matter is, there are trained terrorists who are intent on killing as many of our children as they can to further their "holy war." Don't believe me? Read Terror at Beslan: A Russian Tragedy with Lessons for America's Schools. In 2004, terrorists took over a Russian … [Read more...]