NCJ Number
197363
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 71 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2002 Pages: 8-12
Date Published
October 2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article discusses Prince William County, Virginia’s Police Department training class on safety awareness.
Abstract
The author explains that public safety employees, such as parole and probation officers often come into contact with citizens who may pose a physical threat to the employee. To help these employees protect themselves against potentially dangerous people and situations, the police department designed a 1-day course at the Prince William County Criminal Justice Academy. The course does not teach physical defense tactics, rather the focus is on field interview stance, physical cues or body language to watch for, and strategies such as “safety-in-numbers.” The instructors teach participants how to recognize the early warning signs of a potential attack and methods to either diffuse the situation or escape the situation. Important to this course is the instruction on how to avoid potential hazards altogether and how to improve safety. Avoiding a dangerous situation is always preferable to having to defend against an actual attack. In conclusion, the author notes that although no one can predict when a dangerous situation will emerge, by practicing what to do in these situations, public safety employees will be better prepared if these situations do arise.