NCJ Number
152121
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 18 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1994) Pages: 53-55,83
Date Published
1994
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Many police deaths result from preventable errors that police need to avoid by unlearning the misinformation they may have obtained from television and from recognizing and using several basic safety techniques.
Abstract
Errors that have led to fatalities include failure to maintain proficiency with equipment, poor handcuffing and searching techniques, failure to notice danger signs, failing to maintain control of police weapons, failure to make proper use of backup, making false or dangerous assumptions, and poor positioning. To avoid these and other errors, police should assume that all calls may be unsafe, watch for danger signs, watch a person's hands, use teamwork, make contingency plans, apply tactical withdrawal where indicated, wear body armor, handcuff and search properly, use cover correctly, be conscious of light and noise, and gather information before deciding on a course of action. They should also regularly become involved in survival training. Photograph