Editor's note: Through the end of the year, we will be posting a series of articles that focus on common-sense officer safety. Use them for briefing and squad meetings, and send them to everyone you know who wears a badge.
December has been a historically deadly month for law enforcement and we need to change that. Every officer should live to enjoy the holiday season with their family. The more we embrace a culture of awareness and safety, the more officers will make it home at the end of watch. Following are some critical points to consider.
• Don’t let complacency sneak into your contact because another officer is present. There may be safety in numbers, but this doesn't dissuade a determined suspect. According to our partners at the Officer Down Memorial Page, more than half of the officers who died last year were in the company of other officers at the time of their death. Use Contact and Cover to minimize complacency and distraction. The basic premise of C&C is that one officer is primarily responsible for the contact and the second officer ensures the safety of the other officer and the scene.
• Armor works, but only if you wear it. Some officers rationalize their way out of wearing armor (training day, special assignment, heat). The bottom line: If you are identifiable as an officer, you should be wearing armor. Always!
• Officers continue to die as a result of poor handcuffing or searches. Never assume a prisoner has already been searched or is safe to transport, even if they’re coming right out of a custodial facility. Search as if you expect to find something and when you do, search even harder for the second or third weapon. Always secure prisoners for transport and, unless waist chains are being used, handcuffing in front should not be done. Seatbelt them—it limits their ability to move around and it’s the right thing to do.
• We continue to lose way too many officers in situations that were absolutely preventable. Failing to use seatbelts and driving at unsafe speeds are the two areas that are most responsible for these deaths. Seatbelts work, but only if you wear them, and speed is the most common collision factor in fatal law enforcement crashes. Both of these are totally under an officer’s control. Use common sense for yourself and have the courage to talk to others who are making poor choices.
• Let’s learn from our mistakes. There are nearly 20,000 names on the Memorial Wall and it’s the only memorial in Washington, D.C. that will never be finished. We must honor the fallen by training the living. Otherwise we’re not honoring the sacrifice of those we’ve lost. Ask: What could have been done differently? What were the warning signs? Could the incident have been predicted and therefore prevented?
• Make a difference and challenge others when you see them engaged in actions that can lead to serious injury or death. Courageous conversations can be uncomfortable but they’re nothing like going to a funeral. Don’t suffer the regret and guilt of not having said something that could have prevented a loss.
We know there are officers alive today because they have made the decision to wear their seatbelts, wear their armor and drive at speeds reasonable for the circumstances. We have the evidence in real lives saved to prove it. Be safe out there and challenge others to do the same. Remember the tenets of Below 100:
1. Wear your belt.
2. Wear your vest.
3. Watch your speed.
4. W.I.N.—What’s Important Now?
5. Remember: Complacency kills!