ON THE JOB OFFICER SAFETY EYE ON EDUCATION JUST HANDED DOWN RANGEMASTER PUBLIC SAFETY IT SOLUTIONS Offi cer Safety
Honor the Fallen by Training the Living
Reflecting back on Police Week By Dale Stockton
www.Below100.org
home. Perhaps the most impacting are those involving the families of the fallen officers. The sights of family members making a rubbing of their loved one and children touching the name of a lost par- ent are poignant reminders that their lives have forever and irrevocably been changed by events that cannot be undone. My first visit to the National Law Enforce-
I
have been to Police Week in Wash- ington, D.C. many times. The images linger in my head long after I return
made all the more painful because it might have been prevented. Ask yourself this question right now: “If I had
to predict where the next line-of-duty death or se- rious injury will come from in my agency, where would it be?” If you can answer that (and many of you already have not only a situation but a specific individual in mind), then do something about it! We must have the courage to speak up and en-
Dale Stockton
ment Memorial was in 1994. I have gone back well over 20 times. On one visit, I watched as a large machine and a very specially trained operator carefully added names to the me- morial, a sobering reminder that this is the only memorial in Washington, D.C. that will never be finished. There are now well over 20,000 names etched on the wall, each of them with a unique story. Each May, all across the nation, we remember those who
have lost their lives while wearing a badge. Now in June, with the rest of the year ahead, the most appropriate way to honor them is by objectively looking at the circumstances surrounding their death and then doing everything pos- sible to prevent additional losses. For many, their deaths could have been prevented. The mission of the program known as Below 100, is to drive
down line-of-duty deaths to fewer than 100 per year, a level not seen since 1943. However, Below 100 is not about a spe- cifi c number. It is about each and every person who wears a badge taking individual and collective responsibility for of- fi cer safety. We must continually challenge ourselves to learn from our losses and prevent future tragedies. A core value of Below 100 trainers is to honor the fallen by training the living. Not every loss can be prevented but so many are un- necessary. When an officer is shot in the chest while not wearing body armor or ejected from a vehicle because of an unused seatbelt, those left behind must deal with a tragedy
8 LAW and ORDER I June 2016
gage other officers when their actions are putting themselves or others at risk. Courageous conver- sations with those who take unnecessary chances
are key to improving officer safety. Confronting a fellow officer is never easy, but it is far better than going to their funeral. If you are a fi eld training offi cer, you carry a special respon-
sibility when it comes to offi cer safety. FTOs have incredible power and infl uence over new offi cers. Trainees know their FTO can make or break their careers and there is probably no other time in an offi cer’s career when he/she is so impression- able. FTOs have an absolute responsibility to instill basic skills and a safety mindset in every trainee. Encouraging or allow- ing them to take unnecessary risk, including going without a seatbelt, is both negligent and irresponsible. If you are a front-line supervisor, you have a similar obli-
gation to your subordinates. Ignored behavior is condoned behavior. Do your job and take action while you have the opportunity. Doing so could mean the difference between life and death. No line-of-duty death should ever be consid- ered as acceptable or without consequence. The best way for us to honor our fallen is by training the living. Those who have given their lives would want nothing less.
Dale Stockton is a 32-year-veteran of law enforcement, retiring as a police captain from Carlsbad, Calif. He is a founder of the Below 100 program. He may be reached at
dalestockton@gmail.com.
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