Page 11 - FOP September 2016

A special report on officer safety from First Vice-President Ray Casiano, Jr.
Thoughts about training, policy and thinking straight that might help you get home safe
You know the numbers.
By now, there have been more shooting vic- tims in the city this year than the 2,988 who were shot in 2015. August 2016 was the most violent month in Chicago since October 1997, with more than 400 people shot, and at least 78 homicides.
With the numbers working against us, I wanted to share some thoughts about how to achieve the most important objective for every police of- ficer these days: getting home safe at the end of each tour. Working 13 years as a Firearms/Tactics Instructor has en- abled me to compile some strategies to and keep in your
duty book:
Dry-firing the mind: Dry-firing is a term firearms in-
structors use to practice manipulation drills with a safe, unloaded firearm. This is one way for officers to become proficient with their firearm skills without actually firing a shot, but does not to replace the real thing.
I consider this getting ready before you get that call. As you are on patrol, rehearse in your mind different sce- narios and possible responses, thinking about the skills and tactics you have learned throughout your career. This tactic will not only keep your skills sharp as to how to re- spond to a particular situation, but it is something I be- lieve will decrease your reaction time to those situation with proper action.
Dry-firing the mind at work: While on patrol and with- out taking without taking away the alertness and aware- ness levels you must maintain on the street. Make it part of your own debriefing when you handle a situation. For example, if you answer a domestic call, afterward ask yourself: What could I have done differently? What could I have done better? If this would have happened, would I have been ready to do this?
A matter of policy: Be aware you are held to certain standards, certain policies and guidelines. Many of our guidelines and general orders have a clause for the “Affir- mation of Life,” meaning you don’t have to comply if it’s going to jeopardize your safety.
Read between the lines: The risk on the street has been elevated because the media and its false rhetoric has empowered certain criminal elements. The inaction of local government and knee-jerk reactions of the Depart- ment have reduce officers’ morale. The officer is thinking,
“Wow, it could have been me.” That creates an environ- ment where officers might second-guess themselves, which could happen in situations where split-second de- cisions need to be made. Don’t let that inhibit following your training when the incident goes from zero to 60 in a fraction of a second, and you have to make a crucial deci- sion worrying that you will later be critiqued.
Make time: Time and distance are your friends when responding. If there is an opportunity to create distance and shield from a threatening situation, it will be very beneficial. Having something between you and the of- fender equals safety. Distance and shielding can give you time to properly respond to the situation. According to the FBI, a kill-zone area is a real danger zone within zero to five feet. Based on what I have seen as a police officer and what I have heard from other officers, why is it that an offender may seem compliant at 20-to-25 feet, but as you walk up to him, you walk into a kill zone? As you get closer to the offender and you’re patting him down, he can reach you. Does he really want to go to jail? I don’t think so. He will do what he has to do to get out of it.
Open your eyes: Keep your eyes on potential suspects you are about to stop, or have stopped, at all times, espe- cially if you are the guard officer, to prevent underreacting or overreacting, which are just as dangerous. Underreact- ing is not keeping your eyes on the offender and not re- acting properly to the threat because you are in the green zone. For example, when you look down to grab your cuffs to place an offender in custody, he hears the unsnapping of your cuff case, strikes you in the face and runs. Over- reacting, is not keeping your eyes on the offender when you might be in the red zone experiencing a high level of stress, thereby resulting in the incorrect perception of the threat. You might think this guy is reaching for a gun, so you overreact and take force that might not be necessary.
Another matter of policy: One thing that will help of- ficers is to be familiar, as much as possible, with other use-of-force model and understanding all other policies pertaining to deadly force. If you are familiar with these procedures and general orders, rules and regulations, that’s one less thing you have to worry about in the street, so it’s more a matter of responding appropriately versus second-guessing yourself, which could be deadly. Re- member, no call is routine. d
RAY CASIANO, JR
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ SEPTEMBER 2016 11