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EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED: Officers re-evaluate their methods after a prisoner in custody and transport turns into a deadly encounter. Stereotyping can be hazardous to your health; A REAL KILLER. The pink haired male subject with earrings, nose ring, and a tongue ring could very well be a drug free honor student. The crew- cut straight dressed male could be the drug dealer that supplies the students dealing in drugs for "high" at your local high school. In a life threatening situation, expect the unexpected when you confront or question a subject, regardless of their age, gender, race or the way they look!
Many deaths or injuries sustained by officers are the result of poor prisoner control. A recent study of 800 cases over a ten year period revealed that proper search, restraint, and transportation procedures were not being adhered to. Even though the majority of law enforcement agencies receive training on prisoner control in basic classes, there is very little, if any , in-service training being conducted. Some officers who have many years of experience have become careless because they are dulled by the routine nature of the everyday activity. They have done it so many times that after a while they finally make up their minds that nothing is going to happen to them; they then think "Why should I go that extra step?" The study revealed that 27% of the officers were killed controlling prisoners prior to being taken into custody or during the early stages of arrest, and 49% of the officers were killed after the prisoner was taken into custody. When working the streets, remember that even the most harmless appearing soda containers could contain acid. Police officers have been scarred for life by having acid thrown in their face. Always expect the unexpected it could cost you your life. This is not to suggest that there is any benefit to paranoia..Overly cautious is more like it. One can still conduct an effective interview and still take precautions, making sure you do not reflect negative body language. Never deviate from standard hand cuff procedures, which involves handcuffing the prisoners behind their bodies. Don't ever handcuff a subject in the front, regardless of how dignified or harmless the subject appears. Searches of prisoners should be mandatory regardless of the use of restraining devices, mode of transportation, crime committed, sex, age offense, community status enjoyed by the prisoner, or prior searches by others. Lack of searches contributed to 27% of the officers being killed, according to the study. Searches should be utilized to find those items which may be used to injure an officer. Some items found on the prisoner may appear to be harmless during the initial inspection, but a further examination may reveal some type of disguised weapon or some type of contraband which could aid in the prisoner's escape. Forty-two percent of the individuals arrested were in possession of a concealed or disguised weapon, according to the study. While the use of restraining devices provides the officer with a certain amount of control over the prisoner, officers should recognize that they do not fully immobilize, can be used as a weapon, and are only temporary. Twenty-four percent of the officer killings were committed by prisoners that had been handcuffed. One of the most alarming findings revealed that 38% of the officers lost their lives due to not handcuffing the prisoner. Some preventive should include all prisoners being handcuffed prior to any searches, prisoners' hands being cuffed to the rear with palms facing out, the prisoners' hand always being handcuffed to the rear unless an additional restraining device is used, always utilizing any extra security precautions such as the double-locking device on the handcuffs, and maintaining control of the restraining devices when applying or removing them.
Transportation safety procedures should never be relaxed, regardless of the type of location which the prisoners are received or transported to. Nineteen percent of the officers in the survey were killed due to misjudging the dangers controlling the prisoners. Compounding the problem was poor weapon retention, which contributed to 43% of the officers being killed with their own weapon. The study also revealed that the patrol vehicle is the primary source of transporting prisoners. These vehicles should be always equiped with security screens. Two findings, as a result of this survey, support this recommendation: 17% of the officers lost their lives in their own patrol cars, and 80% of the cases involved only one suspect. Females and juvenile prisoners have also contributed to the statistics revealed in the survey. Officers, especially males, have a tendency to have standards that are more relaxed when confronted with these types of situations. It seems that these types of prisoners are not considered a serious threat. But the study clearly shows that 63% of the officers fought with their prisoners, and most of the killers were younger than the officers. Also, 46% of the prisoners waited for the opportunity to kill the officers. The high statistics will not be reduced by offering advanced training methods in prisoner control. We need to return to the basics in some type of in-service training program. The in-service training program should be designed for problem-solving so as to eliminate old habits that have been cultivated, and handed down to junior officers. Also, officers attending the training should be made aware of incidents that have occurred throughout the United States pertaining to officers injured or killed while handling prisoners. "No two arrests are the same, and there is never any such thing as a routine arrest." Be prepared for the unexpected ! |
 Office:
(407) 470-1971 |
