“I’ve been to more police funerals than I’d like. … Cars kill more police officers than guns.”
This is what Kansas City Police Chief Jim Corwin answered when asked about officers in his agency not wearing seatbelts.
Corwin and police leaders across the country are fighting one of the most troubling trends we’ve seen in decades. Officers are refusing to use one of the more basic and effective pieces of safety equipment they have—their seatbelts.
Corwin has limited the worker’s compensation benefits from a December collision where an officer was not wearing a seatbelt. Corwin’s statements indicate there’s more work to be done and sobering statistics show we all have work to do when it comes to the truth about cops wearing seatbelts.
A January 2011 report by NHTSA reveals that 42% of the officers who died in collisions during the last 30 years were not wearing seatbelts. Imagine those who would still have their mom, dad, son or daughter if something as simple as clicking a seatbelt had been done. But still there is resistance.
The excuses are the same as when my field training officer told me to take my seatbelt off over 17 years ago. “We could be ambushed by an assailant or we might have to exit the car quickly.”
Sound familiar?
It’s clear that police funerals and even benefits being cut will not diminish this troubling trend. So what are leaders to do?
Identify & Address the Problem
Chief Corwin has joined other leaders like Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Doug Gillespie, who know that getting cops to consistently wear their belts is a big challenge. It's a problem that’s often been ignored. But once recognized, swift action must be taken.
Fortunately, Corwin won’t have to bury an officer. Sheriff Gillespie was not as fortunate. Following the tragic deaths of three officers in traffic accidents during 2009, Gillespie's actions were quick and decisive. He set in motion a straightforward regimen for driver training along with a proactive approach to address lack of seatbelt usage and driving at unsafe speeds.
Training
The excuses for not wearing a seatbelt are just that—excuses. The hard truth is an officer who decides to not wear a seatbelt is not doing it for safety reasons. It’s absolutely a myth that seatbelt use is unsafe for cops. After all, seatbelts can be placed under a holster where a gun can be accessed and with just a little practice and initial belt placement they can be taken off very quickly.
Training plays a critical role in demonstrating to officers that there are ways to wear a seatbelt properly and safely. And it’s absolutely essential that training be used to shift the culture of non-seatbelt use that is contributing to vehicles being the leading cause of law enforcement deaths for more than a decade.
But what about an ambush? If an ambush is truly a concern, then by all means take the seatbelt off when parked or engaged in a low-speed operation where immediate exit may be critical (such as slowly rolling through a darkened alley behind a bar.)
If someone would like to continue the “ambush” argument, then please provide me just one example in which an officer was killed in an ambush because he or she was wearing a seatbelt. On the other hand, there isn’t enough time or space to even begin to list those officers who have died because they weren’t wearing seatbelts.
No Tolerance
I don't generally lean towards a “no tolerance” policy because any two situations are rarely the same. But we've seen enough in this area. An officer not wearing a seatbelt should be disciplined and that discipline should be harsh. Sheriff Gillespie has gone this route and I'm told by instructors in Las Vegas that on regular field checks, the seatbelt compliance is 100%.
As police leaders and as co-workers, we should expect nothing less. And here’s a reality check to administrators: Remember that policy does not equate to practice! Take a low-profile spot check to gauge whether this is an issue for your agency.
Join Below 100
Lastly, Law Officer has given every agency a wonderful opportunity to address this issue. It’s been more than 65 years since the annual line-of-duty deaths numbered fewer than 100. We can reduce LODDs and get below 100 again.
Join this important campaign. Check out www.lawofficer.com/below100 and place the posters in your agency. Pursue a 'train the trainer' course and do everything you can to make sure your agency does its part to get our line of duty deaths “Below 100.”
The first step is to wear your seatbelt. It might save the life of one of your officers. It might save your life.