Monthly Activity: Use of Force Training

Hello Everyone, this is Tim Greene from Cohort 4. Last week we had the pleasure of visiting Independence National Historical Park for some training. The original plan was to spend half of our time talking about when to use the appropriate amount of force, and the rest of our time to practice control tactics. However, our discussion about use of force went so well with critical discussion points that we decided to keep it going for the duration of our training period.

Training Room at INDE

Our instructor was Supervisory Ranger McLeod, who we have worked with in the past. We began by learning about each other and our motivations, as there were people from 3 different cohorts present. It was important that we established why each of us wanted to be here because some of the topics we discussed were pretty gloomy, but it is part of what we will deal with as Law Enforcement Officers. The use of force training comes at a great time, because it something that we should start thinking about as early as possible on our career paths. As some of us have seen first hand at our internships, it is a "hot" time for law enforcement, so this type of training is crucial. 

Among many things, Ranger McLeod talked about the constitutional standard, reducing hesitation, and factual articulation. Balancing hesitation and aggression was also a major point, while stressing that more force soon equals less force later. We benefited greatly as it was more of a discussion format for much of the time, rather than a lecture. We watched videos where we practiced identifying facts, debated the appropriate use of force, and bounced ideas off of each other. We tried not to criticize the individual or be a "Monday morning quarterback" because in most cases, the officer was under extreme pressure and possibly felt as if their life was at risk. The major takeaway is that we will always be learning and should always have more training. The stress of the job and having your life at risk each and every shift can be demanding, so it is important to do all you can to stay in control of yourself, your peers, and the situation in whole. 

Many thanks to Supervisory Ranger McLeod and INDE for having us and hosting such a beneficial discussion. Be sure to check back for more blogs on our various activities during the school year.