Scenarios for specific weapons, ie OC, Baton, or Taser

[KO'Donnell]

My department is CLEA accrd. On of the things required by CLEA is that each officer demonstrate porficenticy with OC, Baton, and Taser.

I want to use three scenarios to ellicit the officer to respond with each item. The Taser has become the all time faviort for the officers, where as we used to be real big on batons. (We carry the 36 inch or 42 stright baton, very effective.)

So making a scenarios where the officer chooses Taser is easy. The baton is still the faviort for distrubances, ie, bar fights, so a scenairo where the officer is possibly going to face several combatants is craftable and still have only one role player.

I am at a loss on how to creat a scenario that will drive the officer to OC rather than Taser as the correct choice, unless is take away the taser to start with, lessing the effectiveness of the element of suprise. Or have the Taser fail with low batteries, but that would cause the officer to have a lack of confidence in the Taser. If I have to Taser be ineffective on the role player OC is a reasonable second choice, but we are still conditioning to choose the Taser frist.

Any one try something in this area?

[justken2u]

Well, for starters, you can't teach judgement, only measure it. Further, there is no single "correct" force option. It needs only be the reasonable option. There's nothing wrong with going to the TASER first if this is a reasonable option. Your best bet for getting them to use an alternative force option is as you suggested. Have the TASER fail. There's no reason that this should cause officers to lack confidence in the TASER. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. But taking it away from them if they normally carry one would be inappropriate. The important thing is that an officer continues to think their way through the problem and create more options for themselves. Transitioning to alternative force options is a must for officers and not enough work is done in this area. I would recommend the development of a number of transition drills. Once the skill set is developed, test it in scenarios where one of those force options fails.

[KO'Donnell]

So, with that considered, a proficenticy test for CLEA, does not have to be a test of the effectiveness of Taser or OC, but a test of the operators application. So a combat test would be a scenario where one option, fails even when applied correctly, then transition to a different option.

This could start us moving from known distance qualification pistol and rifle course as well.

[Jharvey]

Kent, if your are looking at having the officer not use the ECD, have a simulated accelerant (role player holding a gas can) on the role player. The officer should then know that they should not use the ECD and go for another force option.

Not sure if that helps you or not.
Jharvey

[KO'Donnell]

That is a great idea. I will write it up thanks!

[jpaynter]

I think your best bet would be to design scenarios that require student officers to be ready to use all force options at a variety of ranges. Some of your students will stand in a doorway and fire an ECD or OC, others will close and go hands on, use a stick, etc.

I agree with Ken that drill time on transitions is necessary if you want your officers to be able to do it. Over and over on the street & in scenarios I have seen people get locked into one weapon and then be unable to transition at the proper time.

In scenarios I think you might try the tactical time out at the point when you want them to transition so that they hear your voice in their head when they should transition. Just my $.02

[KO'Donnell]

We are conducting alot of training with the Baton and Arrest Control prior to scenarios as well, then we can ask "what other options" do you have. With the training fresh in thier minds we are seeing the desired responce.

[justken2u]

Hey Kent:

My only observation for this idea is that after you ask them about the options they have, I would actually run that option from a few beats prior to whatever point the force option begins. I would validate whether or not their original option was correct - give them an attaboy for the option they chose - but giving them a do-over from the force option choice point in the scenario gives them experience rather than simply becoming an intellectual exercise in force options. If you make them do it, you will find that in future exercises and on the street they will actually begin to integrate the additional options, whereas a simple mental exercise of "asking them" will not have the same benefit.

The whole thing do-over process does not add any significant time to their scenario time, gives them some real world experience, maximizes your training time, and makes it more fun for the officer. It also allows you to test strengths and limitations where you might not otherwise have had that ability. Plus simply "saying" that they could use a different force option tells you (and them) nothing about their ability to actually do so. If I'm faced with a giant opponent who I choose to shoot, and my trainer asks me afterwards what other options I could have used, I could always say that I could have used a flying arm bar takedown with a Dim Mak Death Touch flourishing finish. That doesn't mean I could actually pull it off.

Keep up the good work!

[KO'Donnell]

We are letting the student officer have a free do over with the other option. For the little extra time the training value is well worth it. We are now seeing officers request additional baton training, and calling the training division about in car videos where they took the training to the street and had a postive out come. As our and most department training budgets shirnk, we must, put out a quality product, and reality based training done right is a value for sure!!!!!!!!!!!!