Tactical Approach by SilentButDeadly

By SilentButDeadly WicBury Crapper Board Member

Tactical approach to any situation is always stressed. Even though you might be responding to a house alarm, still tactical approach can mean the difference between you surprising a burglar or the burglar surprising you.

There are several things to consider when making a tactical approach to any situation. First and foremost, any approach should be a tactical approach. A tactical approach doesn't necessarily mean you are doing James Bond style tuck and rolls to the front door either. The main points of the tactical approach is complacency, angle of approach, lighting, situational awareness, and readiness.

Complacency and readiness go hand in hand. It is easy for police officers to become complacent in many, many situations including traffic stops, alarm calls, etc. While it is important to remain vigilant an officer must also not be paranoid that every situation is going to result in death. But, it is important to bear in mind, every situation MAY result in death or serious injury. Even though you may have been to the same address 50 times for the same alarm, this does not mean that this time it is not a true breaking and entering. A false sense of security can lull you into approaching a situation in a half-hazard manner. Be sure to get enough sleep prior to coming in to work and eat food with nutritional value.

You angle of approach to every situation is also important. Like many of us learned in the academy, it is important to keep your body bladed to the suspect to a degree. Additionally, when arriving on a call, park several houses prior to the location and walk up on foot. The disadvantage of this is that you now lack a barrier for fire protection and you lack a get-a-way (so to speak) vehicle in the even that you need to back out. So, it is important to judge the situation prior to arrival for your best angle and method of approach to the location. If approaching the front door, approach on an angle and stand to the side. Standing directly in front of doors have resulted in officer deaths. Remember the "fatal funnel" situation when entering houses as well. Hallways and stairwells are death traps. Be ready for a suspect appearing in a doorway.

Situational awareness is also key when dealing with any situation. Clear your mind prior to arrival and place all personal and work related issues on the mental back burner. Play some possible outcomes out in your head while traveling to the call and think about how you can best avoid injury. Upon arrival officers are faced with hundreds of different indicators of the nature of the call. Is the front door open, is there blood on the sidewalk, are there vehicles in the driveway, is someone's false hair weave laying about, are there casings laying about, is the hood of the vehicle cold, has the vehicle been moved recently - These are all a drop in the bucket of what an officer must assess within seconds of arriving on the call and they all play a part it situational awareness.

Last, lighting can also play a big roll on calls. Just because it is daywork does not mean that your flashlight should not be charged. What happens if you chase a suspect into a dark warehouse or other building? What happens if you are held in overtime to cover night shift? A good flashlight is very important to an officer's safety. Never approach a traffic stop at night without a charged flashlight. When on a traffic stop, use as much forward lighting as possible to light up your offender vehicle. Take downs and your spotlight are key. Position your spotlight beam between the driver's side mirror and the rear mirror of the offending vehicle. You will notice, many drivers will move their mirror to avoid being blinding. This is good because first you have already screwed up their night vision and second if they move their mirror, the mirror is now not looking back at you and they have to reassess your position to their vehicle in the mirror. If approaching a residence, keep in mind your back lighting.