Officer Safety: Is Enough Being Done to Protect Our Officers?

Abstract

Officer safety is crucial to police training yet in many areas it isfar from satisfactory and leaves officers exposed to the many dangers associated with modem-day policing. This article examines some of the most important components of officer safety and explains why officers are being placed at risk by a lack of coordination and poor methods of training. It also sets out the law relating to the use offorce.

Arming a traditionally disarmed police: an examination of police use of CS gas in the UK

“…Investigation by London's Maudsley Hospital found that a third of all NHS hospitals had treated psychiatric patients which had been sprayed with CS. A mental health practitioner reiterated the concern that CS spray is becoming the first line of defence and, moreover, nurses deal with such patients daily and do not use CS spray (Baskind, 1999). The decision to use the incapacitant will be dependent on a police officer's assessment of the situation: F F F this will include their own ability to deal with the incident and the threat posed by the suspect(s) (ACPO, 1996, p. 3).…”

“…Some police officers are confident of the impact of CS spray and believe it may render the baton obsolete; many of these officers do not carry their baton on duty. Such actions have prompted criticism from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabularies, who state that CS spray has a 10 per cent failure rate and not to carry their baton is dangerous for the officers (Baskind, 1999). It might be argued that using CS spray will result in a net increase in the number of injuries to the public.…”

“…Investigation by London's Maudsley Hospital found that a third of all NHS hospitals had treated psychiatric patients which had been sprayed with CS. A mental health practitioner reiterated the concern that CS spray is becoming the first line of defence and, moreover, nurses deal with such patients daily and do not use CS spray (Baskind, 1999).…”