CHAPTER 15: THE POLICE LEADER'S ROLE IN OFFICER SURVIVAL Flashcards
THE POLICE LEADER’S ROLE IN OFFICER SURVIVAL
In the 1970s, officer survival as a _________ and distinct topic of instruction began appearing in police academies and in-service schools on a relatively widespread basis.
separate
THE POLICE LEADER’S ROLE IN OFFICER SURVIVAL
That change has escalated through the present time. It occurred after early officer safety experts like Pierce R. Brooks discovered that a ________ of fatal errors was to blame for most police murders. It was only a step or two further to the development of experience-proven safety steps for keeping officers alive.
central core
THE POLICE LEADER’S ROLE IN OFFICER SURVIVAL
The major killers include the following:
- Failure to watch a subject’s hands
- General carelessness and apathy
- False, foolhardy courage (“cowboy policing”)
- Improper use (or no use) of backup help
- Poor positioning or approach
- Poor weapon retention practices
- Lack of proficiency with equipment
- Failing to wear body armor
- Improper use of available cover
- Improper handcuffing, including no handcuffing
- Poor searches of subjects
- Failure to remain constantly alert.
- making false assumptions
THE POLICE LEADER’S ROLE IN OFFICER SURVIVAL
These steps to staying alive include:
- First and foremost, always rely on your good common sense. 2. Don’t try to be a hero. 3. Never stop learning your job; never become complacent. 4. Do not underestimate your adversary. 5. Never stop looking for one more threat or danger. 6. Maintain proficiency with all the tools of your job. 7. Stay in shape, both physically and mentally. 8. Do not nap or daydream on the job. 9. Watch your approach and positioning to a call or contact.
- Maintain a “reactionary gap” between you and your subject. 11. Keep watching a subject’s hands for threats. 12. Use backup help wisely. 13. Practice good weapon retention techniques. 14. Watch yourself around all prisoners. 15. Make no dangerous assumptions. 16. Make the best use of available cover. 17. Wear your body armor. 18. Follow proper handcuffing and searching procedures. 19. Play imaginary threat scenarios through your mind; plan your responses. 20. Remember to survive emotionally, too. 21. Critique your officer safety practices; ______________.
learn from your experiences
THE POLICE LEADER’S ROLE IN OFFICER SURVIVAL
It is the supervisor, they contend, who is most responsible for inspecting for unsafe practices, instilling proper safety techniques through training, and using correction and discipline to _______ unsafe behavior, where necessary
curtail
THE POLICE LEADER’S ROLE IN OFFICER SURVIVAL
It is also the primary supervisor’s role, many safety experts assert, to model proper safety and survival behavior for subordinates to emulate. As they see it, the police supervisor is clearly the ________ element in the overall officer survival picture. It makes sense.
most vital
TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES
This must be done on a continuing basis. In no single area of job knowledge is this continuing assessment more important than in the area of officer safety. A safety-savvy supervisor will assess the safety knowledge of his fresh-from-the-academy rookies by listening to them, questioning them, and, most important of all, carefully observing their functioning on the street.
safety-savvy
TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES
Neither will the safety schooling needs of the veteran police employee be overlooked by the conscientious supervisor. Indeed, it is some-times this officer who has developed the most ______ bad habits.
dangerous
INSPECTION RESPONSIBILITIES
Closely related to the supervisor’s responsibility to train for safety
is his obligation to ______ for it. That will require that he inspect his team’s equipment including firearms, soft body armor, vehicles and other tools on a regular basis.
inspect
INSPECTION RESPONSIBILITIES
He must drop by unannounced on his officers’ traffic stops, pedestrian contacts, and arrest situations. He must carefully observe and assess real-world tac-tics including approach, positioning, use of cover, use of backups, ver-bal techniques, conflict deescalation, and arrest and control mechanics, all from the standpoint of good survival practices. All of this the supervisor accomplishes without appearing to ______ over his people (“I was close so I came by to see if you needed any help”).
hover
INSPECTION RESPONSIBILITIES
With the information gained from his personal observations and
inspection efforts, the supervisor can identify safety _________ in his troops and work with them to achieve the desired changes.
shortcomings
INSPECTION RESPONSIBILITIES
As noted, it may indeed be harder for the police supervisor to recommend changes in behavior to the long-time employee who also may be a long-time friend. But the job must be done all the same if the supervisor is to _________ his safety related obligations to ALL of his employees.
discharge
EQUIPMENT RESPONSIBILITIES:
Simply and directly put, it is the police supervisor’s duty to see to
it that his people have the _________ the agency can provide for their difficult and often hazardous job.
best equipment
EQUIPMENT RESPONSIBILITIES:
Helping police officers obtain what they reasonably need to do their jobs more safely is a __________ of an effective first-line leader.
major responsibility
INTERVENTION RESPONSIBILITIES
In the best-possible scenario the unsafe police employee will respond voluntarily to the safety counseling of his or her supervisor. In many instances, _______, perhaps combined with safety refresher training and follow-up field inspections, will solve the difficulty
counseling
