Articles - Careers & Training

"There is nothing so disobedient as an undisciplined mind, and there is nothing so obedient as a disciplined mind."- Buddha

The importance of force-on-force training in law enforcement and military operations cannot be overstated. Human beings learn in three ways: seeing, hearing, and doing.

Veteran cops have always known that responding to a domestic altercation or assault is a high-risk assignment. The reasons for the danger are plentiful.

In the Southwestern U.S., a patrolman with about a year on the job was shot twice in the back of the head while transporting two robbery suspects in the back seat of his patrol car. The officer had failed to find a .380 caliber handgun concealed on one of the robbers. The officer died of the wounds he received in the 3:30 a.m. incident.

Making an arrest, engaging in a traffic contact, and intervening on the scene of domestic mayhem are, statistically, among the most dangerous things you can do. Make an error in your handling of one of these and you should anticipate a really bad day.

Car stops are a daily occurrence for most patrol officers. Whether in a big city or out in the country, a traffic stop is at the very root of what we do. And like most activities that we consider “routine,” we can get a little complacent on traffic stops and put ourselves on “auto pilot” without even realizing it. That’s a bad move on our part.

Patrol training is the obligatory stepping stone to street work for many a new cop. It is weeks (or months in remedial cases) of short meals, long nights, and court in the morning. And this time spent with a veteran field training officer (FTO) can result in some of the most curious pairings of individuals since Pat Boone married himself to heavy metal. Still, this mentoring process is critical to the development of new officers.

Law enforcement works a profound sea-change in the blood of men and women who have worn the badge. It makes them more informed voters, neighbors, co-workers, and friends. It makes them better citizens.

It is easy to get careless while engaged in something you do a great deal. If you are a uniformed police officer and don’t work in a jail, chances are that traffic and vehicles are the bread and butter of your existence.

You can do everything according to policy and still find yourself having to respond to a complaint or prepare a legal defense. It’s not fair; it’s not right; it just is. And when the legal snakes come after you, you’ll need proof that you are a highly trained and professional law enforcement officer.