NCJ Number
232951
Date Published
2011
Length
264 pages
Annotation
The chapters of this book provide information and guidance for police officers when they are involved in various scenarios of "high-risk patrol" assignments, defined as assignments during which the potential is high for the involved officer to be injured or killed.
Abstract
The first chapter reviews the circumstances under which officers were killed in the line of duty in 2008 nationwide, showing that the circumstances often involved routine patrol duties. The chapter then distinguishes between an officer having a mindset of "caution" when performing duties as distinguished from "paranoia," which is an unrealistic fear that magnifies the risks of all line-of-duty scenarios. General mistakes to avoid are outlined, and a risk-reduction checklist for high-risk patrol is presented. This is followed by a chapter on "personal preparations for risk reduction. This chapter guides officers in the development and performance of personal preparations that will increase their chances of dealing effectively with threatening situations that arise in various contexts. Most of the remaining chapters each address some type of patrol duty or scenario that has the potential for an officer to become injured or killed. Chapter topics include vehicle stops and contacts, defusing disturbances, domestic violence, people under the influence of an intoxicating substance, suspicious persons and incidents, burglaries and structure searches, barricades and hostage-takers, call indicating a "man with a gun," vehicle pursuits, "stickup" in progress, ambush attacks, emotionally disturbed and mentally ill persons, off-duty confrontations, prisoner control and transport, and terrorist threats. Other chapters focus on "special dangers, special responses," and "reducing your emotional risks." At the end of each chapter, a concise "Risk Reduction Checklist" is presented that summarizes the safety procedures advocated in the chapter. A subject index and appended actual cases of officers killed and the lessons learned from each case