NCJ Number
214227
Date Published
2003
Length
190 pages
Annotation
Each of this book's 17 chapters discusses how to perform effectively some task common to patrol work or how to handle a circumstance likely to be encountered while on patrol.
Abstract
Chapters on firearms tactics are based on the author's interviews with just over 100 officers who have been involved in a shooting. One chapter compares point shooting (firing in the direction of the target as quickly as possible) with aimed shooting (adopting the proper stance and sighting the weapon at a point on the target). It advises that point shooting is instinctive and the most realistic and practical technique for shooting a firearm under the stress and suddenness of most life-threatening encounters. Separate chapters address how to point shoot, point shooting on the move, and one-handed point shooting. Other chapters on firearms tactics focus on instinctive low-light shooting, close-quarter shooting, and cover and concealment. The latter chapter includes a discussion of which parts of the patrol vehicle do and do not provide adequate protection from most gunfire. A large chapter on vehicle pursuits presents rules and procedures for handling the vehicle and making decisions that will promote a safe outcome. Two chapters on how to conduct a proper building search suggest how to conduct a tactical survey, secure a perimeter, and enter and clear a building. Two chapters recommend tactics for conducting proper searches of male and female offenders. Another chapter covers how a patrol officer can prepare himself/herself mentally and physically for the challenges of patrol work. A chapter on domestic disputes addresses some common tactical problems encountered when dealing with such calls. Other chapters focus on traffic stops, field interviews, assaults, and off-duty survival. A subject index