NCJ Number
134921
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Dated: (February 1992) Pages: 28-30,32
Date Published
1992
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Although defensive tactics training is part of every law enforcement program, there is no nationwide standard as each department contracts for its own program. Police training programs and instructors are subjective topics, so that individual departments must choose the type of program that best suits their needs.
Abstract
Some experts feel that some type of universal techniques standardization would make defensive tactics used by law enforcement more defensible in court and accepted by the community. The bottom line goal of defensive tactics is to make the police officer effective on the street, but a good program will stress a preference for verbal, rather than physical, confrontation. Because officers have little time for training, defensive techniques courses must be kept simple and based on common sense. An instructor should teach techniques that work in all types of situations and use what officers tend to do instinctively. Some programs are based on martial arts, others on police department experience, and still others on a multitude of experiences. A reliable defensive tactics program will provide statistics on injuries and will include written and proficiency tests for the students.