NCJ Number
139518
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 40 Issue: 10 Dated: (October 1992) Pages: 35-38
Date Published
1992
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Police managers should address several issues in carrying out their responsibilities regarding police officer safety and risk management, because several police officer fatalities have demonstrated that even considerable law enforcement experience does not guarantee survival.
Abstract
Police officer survival training is a relatively new area of study and is one of the most important areas of instruction for both new and experienced police officers. Police managers responsible for arranging this training should carefully check the background and credentials of outside instructors, conduct ongoing evaluations of the agency's safety-related equipment, and ensure that first- line supervisors are aware of the need for absolute adherence to common-sense rules for street survival. In addition, both fatal and nonfatal critical incidents should be reviewed in informal discussions, and police managers should take every opportunity to lobby the public about the agency's safety needs. Finally, police managers should focus on and plan for future needs in this area, just as they do in other areas of police work.