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- Surrender Your Gun? Don't even think about it
- Animal Cruelty: Future Killers
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- First AND Last on the Crisis Scene
- Mentally Disabled Assessment
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April 15, 2008 |
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Welcome to another edition of the Law Enforcement Newsletter. We hope you are enjoying the wide array of training topics covered. We will continue to provide you with helpful tools and tips to help protect you while you carry on your daily duties.For a full list of our classes and information on how to order, please visit our website at www.thebackup.com
Stay Safe
Rick Gallia
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Surrender Your Gun? Don't even think about it |
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Think you have a better chance at surviving by listening to an assailant's orders? Think again. You have an 85% chance of surviving a handgun shooting if you are on the move. Gain some distance from the suspect - most hand gun shootings occur at less than 7 yards. Of those shootings, only 11% of an assailant's bullets actually hit the intended target. What if he appears to be a professional marksman? Surprisingly, only 25% of police bullets hit the intended target. And unlike the movies, most of these winners have little to no firearms training AT ALL. You want to give your gun up? What kind of chance do you stand when he turns your gun back around and manages to shoot you in the head? How do you react then? What form of protection will you be left with?
One of the hottest issues in law enforcement today is whether or not you should give your gun up to a suspect who has the drop on you, or is holding a hostage. You could be in the camp that considers the views of Officer Survival expert Ron McCarthy unjustified. You would argue that his views are biased, and outdated. You could even believe it is impossible to predict what you'd do unless you are faced with this situation. Well, do yourself a favor - don't wait until that time to decide whether or not you will surrender your gun. You wouldn't want to enter into a deadly situation unarmed, would you? So, why would you give that option up? If you ever plan on living through that deadly encounter - you'd better heed this warning and HOLD ONTO YOUR GUN.
Give up your gun?! You didn't earn a badge by being last in your class, so don't start acting that way now. If the suspect has you at gunpoint, or has taken a hostage, there are several other things you can do rather than give up your firearm.
BUT what if there are innocent hostages? If you give up your gun, you might as well add one more unarmed, underpowered, vulnerable individual to the group. This suspect is clearly intent on causing serious harm or death. What convictions are you acting upon if you believe by giving up your gun you are saving another's life? Are this thug's words something you would trust your LIFE with? Surrender your gun and you stand just as defenseless as those you are attempting to protect.
BUT what if you're not in a position to run? React decisively and forcefully. Force him to react to you. Get him to start talking and when he blinks, begins to reply to you, or is distracted in any way, use that as your opportunity. In the three-quarters of a second that it takes him to react to you, you could disarm him and shoot him. On the other hand, you hand over your weapon, and you stand in a position of attempting to protect yourself against an armed fugitive with what? A quick right and a left jab?? That's less than "tying with a suspect." The only thing more foolish would be if you took a time out to give him some shooting lessons, and THEN handed him your gun to use - on you.
BUT what about the cops who handed over their gun and made it? For all of those who have lived to tell their war stories when they surrendered their guns and lived - they're lucky. But what about those who didn't? If someone orders you to give up your gun or they will shoot - don't fall victim to this threat. If he's crazy enough to threaten an armed, trained, LE officer, he's probably stupid enough to try and shoot you either way. You only have 2 options in this situation: You must disarm him or shoot him. How can you expect to accomplish this without your gun?
Let's hope you never find yourself in this type of situation. If you do - we want you to do whatever you can to survive. Experts like Ron McCartney stress to NEVER give up your gun, and for good reason. There are too many better alternatives that have proven effective, time and again. And if you follow the fallow myths swirling around out there, you might end up as one - and that's probably not the legend you had in mind, is it?
The information in this article was taken from The Backup's law enforcement course Officer Survival. Click HERE for more information or to order. Written by Rachel Rogers
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Animal Cruelty: Future Killers
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Animal cruelty acts are becoming more common. Just last year, two teenaged brothers tortured and killed a 13-pound puppy by baking it in an oven. Before it died, they spread paint on it, tried to set it on fire, hogtied its feet with duct tape and bound its snout. And last July is when the Michael Vick controversy exploded. Both cases got jail time: the brothers were sentenced to 10 years, and Vick got nearly 2 years in prison. There was considerable public outcry for both of these incidents - but before you write them off as media-generated hype and hysteria, take another look. These crimes need our aggressive enforcement now more than ever. Animal cruelty crimes are directly related to anti-social and violent criminal behavior. An ASPCA study of the 10-year criminal record of over 250 people arrested for intentional animal cruelty compared with people of the same age, race, and gender from the same area showed:
Animal abusers are:
- Five times more likely to commit violent crimes against people
- Four times more likely to commit property crimes
- Three times more likely to have a record for drug or disorderly conduct offense
The Serial Killer
Studies looking at serial killers, mass murderers, arsonists, serial rapists, and sexual homicide perpetrators indicated that animal abuse was often a childhood characteristic. David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam" killer, was one of New York City's more notorious murderers. He killed his grandmother's parrot and shot a neighbor's dog prior to his string of murders. Jeffrey Dahmer had a fascination with animal corpses as a child. His father reports his first known act of violence was killing a tank of tadpoles in third grade. Neighbors commented on the remains of dead dogs he displayed.
The School Shooter
School shootings are also on the rise. A history of animal cruelty has also been seen in the backgrounds of many of the adolescents involved in these types of shootings. What is disturbing is that this knowledge was known by others and never reported or acted upon by police. For example, Luke Woodham killed his mother and two students in Pearl, Mississippi, in 1997. He recorded in his diary the bludgeoning and burning of his pet dog five months prior to the shootings. "On Saturday of last week I made my first kill. The date was April 12, 1997, about 4:30 p.m. The victim was a loved one. My dear dog Sparkle. Me and an accomplice had been beating the ***** for a while…I will never forget the howl she made; it sounded almost human." 15-year-old Kip Kinkel, killed his parents then took three guns to school, killed two students and injured 25. A football teammate of Kip's quoted in the New York Times, "He was always talking about what he did to animals. He would like torture animals and stuff, and tell us about it."
Animal cruelty comes in many forms. Make sure you are familiar with all of them:
Neglect - Lack of proper food, water, shelter, or veterinary care. Generally, these cases are handled by local animal control or humane agencies.
Cruel Neglect - Intentional and unjustifiable cruelty leading to suffering of an animal. The animal is denied food or water to cause starvation or dehydration. A dog with an embedded collar in his neck, or a cat with a broken leg that goes untreated are all examples of cruel neglect.
Animal Hoarding - These cases are challenging due to the number of animals involved. Sometimes hundreds are kept in deplorable conditions leading to death and disease. Suspects are usually elderly or disturbed persons. Groups such as human health and social services, zoning, fire department, and animal protection may need to work together in these cases.
Intentional Abuse - Most likely, you will be called to these types of cases. Often, these types of abuse are associated with drug offenses, gang activity, weapons violations, sexual assault and domestic violence. In these cases, the individual abuses and injures an animal intentionally.
Organized Abuse - Blood sports such as: Dog fighting or cock fighting fall into this category.
Ritualistic Abuse - This should raise concerns within communities and law enforcement. Referred to as "satanic" displays, these animals are killed or tortured in cruel rituals.
Take the steps to prevent or control these crimes:
- Know and understand animal abuse laws
- Consider reports of animal cruelty to be reports of a potentially serious crime
- Treat animal cruelty scenes as a crime scene
- Always check for signs of domestic or child abuse while on an animal abuse call
- Always check for evidence of animal abuse when on a domestic abuse call or in surrounding areas
You will probably be one of the first responders to an animal cruelty complaint. Keep in mind that animal cruelty can be a predictor of crime, and treat these cases seriously - whether it seems major or minor. Even if you feel that these cases are a menial part of your job, your intervention may prevent future offenses. A zero-tolerance animal cruelty policy will go a long way towards catching violent killers early in their ‘careers.
The information in this article was taken from The Backup's law enforcement course Animal Cruelty. Click HERE for more information or to order. Written by Rachel Rogers
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First AND Last on the Crisis Scene |
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At three a.m. on January 18, 2004, two prison inmates, Ricky Wassenaar and Steven Coy, his cellmate, took over the kitchen at the Arizona State Prison Complex-Lewis and set in motion the longest prison hostage stand-off in U.S. history. After 15 days of intensive negotiations, it ended with a peaceful surrender and no casualties.
Results like these led the FBI to incorporate active listening skills in its crisis negotiation training. These seven techniques are the core elements of the FBI approach. They provide a framework to respond to a subject's immediate emotional needs, clearing a path to resolve critical incidents. Being a first responder, you may well find yourself in the position of accidental negotiator, too - so these tips could come in handy:
Minimal Encouragements
During negotiations with a subject, demonstrate you're listening attentively and are focused on the subject's words. Convey this either through body language or brief verbal replies that indicate interest and concern. The responses don't have to be lengthy. Occasional brief and well-timed replies show you're following what the subject says. Even simple phrases, such as "yes," or "I see," indicate that you're paying attention. This encourages the subject to continue talking and gradually relinquish more control of the situation - to you.
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is repeating in your own words the meaning of subjects' messages back to them. This shows that you are listening to, as well as understanding them. For example, they might say, "What's the use in trying to go on? I've lost my job of 18 years, my wife has left me, and I have no money or friends. I'd be better off dead." In response, express understanding by paraphrasing the subject's words, "You've lost your job and your wife, have no one to turn to and not sure if you want to go on living."
Emotion Labeling
Expressive subjects operate from an emotional framework. Address the emotional dimensions of a crisis as the subject sees them. Emotion labeling allows you to attach a tentative label to the feelings expressed or implied by the subject's words and actions. When used effectively, this tactic becomes one of the most powerful available - it helps you identify the issues and feelings driving the subject. You could say, "You sound as though you are so angry over being fired from your job that you want to make your supervisor suffer for what happened." In response, a subject might agree with your statement and validate the assessment. Or, the subject could modify or correct the assessment: "Yes, I'm angry, but I don't want to hurt anyone. I just want my job back." Either way, you learn something important about the subject's emotions, needs, and contemplated plans.
Mirroring
When mirroring, you repeat only the last words or main idea of the subject's message. It serves as both an attending and listening technique, indicating interest and understanding. If a subject says, "I'm sick and tired of being pushed around," you can respond, "Feel pushed, huh?" Mirroring can be helpful in the early stages of a crisis, as you attempt to establish a non-confrontational presence, gain initial intelligence, and begin to build rapport. It can allow you to follow verbally wherever the subject leads the conversation. Not only can you learn valuable information about the incident; mirroring also provides the subject an opportunity to vent. This technique frees you from the pressure of constantly directing the conversation; under stress, you might feel unsure of how to respond to the subject. Using this skill also avoids direct interrogation, which can impede your attempts at building rapport.
Open-Ended Questions
By using open-ended questions, you stimulate the subject to talk. Avoid asking "why" questions, which imply interrogation. Effective negotiations focus on learning what the subject thinks and feels. If you do most of the talking, you decrease the opportunity to learn. Some examples of good open-ended questions are, "Can you tell me more about that?" "I didn't understand what you just said; could you help me by explaining that further?" and "Could you tell me more about what happened to you today?"
"I" Messages
Using "I" messages will shed the negotiator role and act as anyone might in response to the subject's actions. You express how you feel when the subject does or says certain things, without provoking them. You might say, "We've been talking for several hours, and I feel frustrated that we haven't been able to make an agreement." This technique also serves as an effective response when the subject verbally attacks you. Respond with "I feel frustrated when you scream at me because I'm trying to help you." Avoid being pulled into an argument or trading personal attacks - a sarcastic or hostile tone could reinforce the subject's already negative view of LE and cause them to justify further resistance. Using "I" personalizes you, and moves beyond the role of an officer trying to manipulate the subject into surrendering.
Effective Pauses
Deliberately using pauses employs the power of silence for effect at appropriate times. People tend to speak to fill conversational spaces. Negotiators should sometimes create a void that will encourage the subject to speak, which provides additional information that may help resolve the situation. Silence is also an effective response when subjects engage in highly charged emotional outbursts. When they don't get a response, subjects often calm down to verify that you're still listening. Eventually, even the most emotionally distraught subjects will find it hard to sustain a one-sided argument, and will return to meaningful dialogue. By remaining silent at the right times, you move the negotiation process forward.
Active listening skills are essential tools to take control of a crisis negotiation. Many first responders also wind up being the first negotiator; the one the subject bonds with and sometimes the only one he will deal with at all. Any situation you walk into may wind up becoming a crisis - your ability to connect and communicate with a subject can save lives, and peacefully end a dangerous situation.
The information in this article was taken from The Backup's law enforcement course Crisis Negotiations. Click HERE for more information or to order. Written by staff member
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