Page 18 - Argyle Police Officer Field Training Tips

protective resident accidentally mistaking you for a burglar. Remember, your pretty navy colored
uniform looks black at night, so essentially you’re approaching their home in all black clothing. Don’t be
afraid to call the complainant and let them know you’ve arrived.

Scan every location upon approach. Make sure you read that twice and understand the need to scan
while you are approaching and not only once you are already parked or stopped. Just because a
reporting party no longer sees a suspect does not mean they are no longer on scene or that the scene is
secure. If you happen to notice something while arriving, you’ll have a little time and distance on your
side. If you notice it while already on scene, you’re already there and it’s more difficult to create
distance.

Another thing about approaching scenes, look for possible escape routes and cover locations. Always,
always be aware of your surroundings and know where you are. You can’t get additional help if dispatch
doesn’t know where to send them. Additionally, keep in mind that responding to simple report calls can
also be dangerous because of who the reporting party may live next door to. For example, their
neighbor might be wanted or committing a crime in their home that makes them paranoid about the
police coming to get them one day. When you arrive on scene, that neighbor might think you are there
to arrest them.

This applies to gas stations you are visiting for a drink and restaurants as well. Scan upon approach
because the last thing you want to do is accidentally walk into a crime in progress unexpectedly. When
at restaurants, try to sit in a location where your back is to the wall, and you have a good view of the
main entrance. A note about restaurants, try to avoid eating in restaurants where you can’t see your
food being prepared. At many fast-food restaurants, the employees will tamper with your food.

Something else about locations, know all the landmarks in your area. Landmarks include schools, parks,
businesses, and trouble spots. This isn’t just for you, but also for the sake of your brother officers. By
knowing your landmarks, if another officer ever requests help and shouts out a landmark over the radio
instead of an address, you will be able to go right to them, even before dispatch can figure out the
location. It’s just as important to learn how the street numbers run in your city.
Learn the small and obscure streets in your jurisdiction, you can do this by driving them during slow
times. You never know when one of those can prove to be a valuable short cut for you on the way to
help out an officer in need of help. Seconds count when an officer is in trouble. Traffic patterns can also
impact the amount of time it takes you to get from one place to another. For example, a small street
that is a short cut at night might be congested during rush our and be the worst choice to take on the
way to a call during that time.

Don’t relax just because you are responding to location that you have responded to many times, and
nothing has happened. Sure, nothing happened on all of those other calls, but this might be the night
that emotionally disturbed person is having a seriously bad day and they will try to stab you in the face
with an ice pick. Always go with your gut, if something feels wrong then it probably is, so keep yourself
in a position where you have tactical advantage.

Yes, we respond to danger, but nothing says we have to rush in. There is very little on this job worth
dying for. All material things can be replaced, that’s why people have insurance. Remember this when

Pg. 17 POLICE FIELD TRAINING CONCEPTS