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Old 05-28-2008, 11:42 AM   #25
KIT
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 140
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Re: Military Training Methodologies

Bill

By way of explanation, I think you are conflating two issues.

Pointing to unprofessional and criminal behavior with an implication that this is indicative of the "protector" types is not what I am talking about. It is thuggish behavior no matter who is doing it. Plenty "kinder, gentler" officers who ride roughshod over the public are the same folks that would be unable and unwilling to place their lives at risk to save you during a hostage situation or active shooter.

All LEO are of course in service to the public, and it is their duty to do so professionally and by adhering to best practices. It is in the nature of their service.

Let's start from a baseline of professional, non-criminal behavior. (Not disregarding that you certainly have individual officer and even systemic problems within some police organizations leading to the lack of trust that Bill is talking about.) Then again, you also have people who just hate cops, and people who are scared of them, no matter what they do.

The disinction I am making is you have "protectors," in other words more warrior types, who are mentally more suited for proactive and decisive tactical action against violent criminal - and as William has touched on - terrorist threats.

By "servants," I mean the more social servies oriented types who got into LE not to place themselves between the bullets and the citizens, but to be a conduit for social services of all types. Or, to investigate incidents after the fact. Those who carry weapons primarily for self defense, and not to willingly go after a shooter in say a business or a school.

In instructing active shooter and hostage rescue, I have seen and heard of qualified, working street officers who essentially say "if this were real, there is no way I'm going in there. I don't care what is happening, its not my job to get killed for somebody else."

It is no officers job to "get killed" for someone else. It is very much an officer's job - with weapons, training, and body armor that victims of shootings, etc. don't have - to risk their life in an effort to save others. Certainly, any tactical officer must absolutely have this as a core conviction.

Last edited by KIT : 05-28-2008 at 11:45 AM.
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