Author name: Bluelinetrainer

Handcuff neuropathy is an injury due to over tightening of handcuffs that can occur to a subject in police custody. The superficial radial nerve is most often injured due to compression,  which can be severe and permanent. This nerve is most susceptible to injury at the wrist.  Less common, though they still can occur, are medial and ulnar neuropathies. Nerve damage due to handcuffing injuries have resulted in millions of dollars in punitive damages being awarded to defendants. Though it is not an everyday occurrence, Officers should always keep in mind some easy to recall steps when applying handcuffs.  Over Tightening of  handcuffs can still occur, especially when the subject is not compliant. This is where having high quality gear comes into play. ASP handcuffs offer a feature of radiused edges. This means there are no sharp edges on the handcuffs. This provides a safer handcuff that is less likely to cause nerve damage.  If an ASP handcuff is applied too tight, it may be loosened by inserting the key, and releasing the lock. The bow will open to a less constrictive position.This feature is known as “Loosen and Lock”.  Then check for tightness and use the key to apply the double lock. It is not necessary to remove the key or to fully undo the handcuff itself. This feature not only is good for the bad guy, but is a major Officer safety element that is worth its weight in gold. ASP also has an Ultra Plus cuff that has a keyless double lock, which is a push button on the back of the frame that activates the double lock. This handcuff simplifies the restraint process.  Arming yourself with knowledge, high quality gear and ongoing training can keep you and those in your custody safe.  Visit asp-usa.com for the top Law Enforcement equipment produced.

In a scene from the movie 300, King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) asks another commander’s soldiers to state their professions. One says he is a potter, another a blacksmith, the third a sculptor. Leonidas then turns to his own Spartan soldiers, and asks them the same question. They reply in unison with a battle cry, making it clear that they were all warriors by trade. The trade of the law enforcement professional is that of peace officer. Whether a deputy, police officer, corrections officer, security agent or court bailiff, we are all in the same career. It is both a straightforward and complex job. There are moments of boredom, others of sheer terror, and everything in between. And we have to be ready for all of it. It is our responsibility to the public, our fellow officers, and our families.   Back to the movie reference for a moment: the same film dramatizes the fact that professionals need to learn and hone their craft, first and foremost. Public safety officers must train in a way that enhances their skill sets. For many of us, this will probably mean looking outside our departments for additional training—we can’t rely on 4 hours of in-service training to ready us for the rigors of the street. Here are a few of the things I recommend for every officer who wants to be a prepared professional: Take a shooting course. Firearms training beyond the basic skills taught at the academy—and beyond annual qualification—is a must. Competitive handgun competition is also great way to build handgun skills. You might even develop a new hobby.  Exercise. Physical Fitness is still overlooked and underemphasized, in a profession that needs it more than most any other. Don’t procrastinate, just get out there and work. A dozen burpees goes a long way. Train in unarmed skills. Empty hand tactics winds up on the back burner for many officers. Hitting the gym is great, but really hitting (in the gym) is even better. There are countless disciplines, styles and courses available; find a well-rounded program that is applicable to the job of a police officer. The key is to find one you like and train consistently.  Develop and enhance writing skills. A routine part of our tour of duty is report writing. There is always room to improve and get better at this skill. Among other things, poor writing affects the prosecution of cases—and it is demoralizing to lose a case due to a badly written report.    Practice public speaking. Speaking is an art form, and for most, developing this skill doesn’t happen overnight. But it’s worth the time and effort; effective speaking skills can improve courtroom testimony, de-escalate many problems on the street, and improve your career prospects. The better you are at public speaking, the more relaxed and confident you can be under the stress that the job presents.  Of course, I can’t talk about training without mentioning the ASP Instructor Course (AIC) program. These courses—which are offered completely tuition-free—are taught by some of the top law enforcement trainers in the world. The AIC is a unique course by design. From start to finish, everything is geared toward being the best version of a police officer you can be. It is built around principles that work on the street, not just in the classroom. It will push you and challenge you in ways that no other training will.  It is great to have hobbies. Back to our movie reference, being a potter, sculptor or blacksmith is a wonderful thing. Just make sure that whatever you do, you are better at your profession than at anything else you do. The stakes are high. Simply put, train your basics regularly, so you can be an expert and a professional. 

All officers are taught and trained on the critical importance of weapon retention. Clearly, being able to retain the firearm—whether holstered or drawn—is a life-or-death proposition. But what about handcuff retention? In the hands of a trained and capable police officer, restraints are not weapons; but that can change in an instant if a resistive or combative subject gains control of them. I’ve seen plenty of “one handcuff rodeos,” where an officer gets one wrist cuffed, the subject decides he doesn’t want to go to jail, and the struggle ensues. The police tendency is to hang on and go for the ride. I may or may not have been that officer once or twice myself. Trained to instinctively retain control of his or her tools, the officer holds onto the handcuffs, still trying to gain control, while the subject is flailing like mad, or worse. This is why ASP instructor training incorporates a principle we call “Cease to Exist.” The Cease to Exist concept trains officers to stop a given tactic as the decision to disengage or escalate the force option becomes necessary. While some agencies teach that equipment should never…ever…be dropped, the fact is that restraints not only can be dropped, but may have to be, in the interest of the bigger tactical picture. If, during the handcuffing process, a subject changes from cooperative to combative, it is often best to release and/or drop the handcuffs—AKA make them “cease to exist”—to allow the officer to create space and have options. The alternative, trying to retain the cuffs and “make it work,” makes safe separation impossible, ties up one or both of the officer’s hands, and reduces tactical options. Cease to Exist can happen prior to restraint application, when the subject is stabilized for restraint application, but the cuffs aren’t on yet. If the subject turns and comes at the officer, the officer can perform a two-hand check to stop the forward momentum, make the handcuffs cease to exist by opening your hand and letting them drop. Then move into safe separation distance with both hands free to deploy a force option, like a baton, OC spray or TASER.  Another possibility is losing control of the subject once the first handcuff is applied. In this case, dropping the cuffs obviously isn’t possible. But the same principles still apply; the officer makes the restraints cease to exist simply by letting them go. Again, freeing up to transition to a different defensive tool to gain or regain compliance.  The Cease to Exist philosophy can also apply to letting go of the subject himself. Officers often have to move a person from point A to point B, usually employing an escort hold of some kind. If the subject becomes actively resistive and the level of control needs to be increased, the escort itself would “cease to exist.” That is, instead of continuing to fight for arm control, the officer releases the escort hold, freeing him or herself up to transition to a more positive control maneuver such as an emergency takedown. As with almost everything we talk about in these posts, training and repetition are key. The more you train, and the more reps you put in, the better you will be. And this concept can be applied to many facets of your skill set, as it is easy to recall under stress with the implementation of a few simple drills.  My dad once told me a story about an incident in the early 70’s when he was on patrol. He was fighting with an assailant, threw a punch, and broke his finger in the process. So, I—a wise guy 16 year old at the time—said “why don’t you learn how to punch?” My dad said that he usually never needed to, as he could use his department issued night stick instead of his fists. So I said, “well what if the bad guy pulls a gun and you’re just holding a stick?” To which he replied, very matter of factly, “you drop the stick and pull your gun.” Even if the training technique didn’t have a name back then, clearly the old-time coppers knew exactly what it meant to make one tool Cease to Exist in favor of another. 

Why it’s the best defensive tactic In Law Enforcement, fundamentals matter—and the most basic fundamental of all is dialogue. Verbal direction plays a role throughout the use of force continuum, from cooperative subjects to lethal scenarios. It is always used. Verbal direction can take the form of: Or a progression of all of the above. We talk to subjects to make them compliant, and skilled verbal direction can help avoid escalation to dangerous confrontations. Dialogue is the start and finish of all police interactions. Using the right words at the right time can slow down an encounter, reduce emotion and aid in the decision-making process. Words can definitely be mightier than the sword, as long as you use them correctly and effectively. Some tips: Always maintain your professionalism.  Careful use of words and tone is a must. In my career, I’ve seen situations spiral out of control when an officer became rude for no reason, made a crude joke or other inappropriate comments. Fans of the movie Roadhouse will remember the advice of the main character, Dalton: “It’s a job. It’s nothing personal.” Solid advice. Slow things down Ever have a situation under control, and “that guy” shows up on your job, says a few things and all heck breaks loose? I was fortunate in my early career to learn from some of the old-timers who had mastered their Jedi mind tricks. They always seemed to be able to “talk them into cuffs,” and that’s ideal for all involved.  Avoid or reduce emotion Staying professional and using reason in an unreasonable situation is difficult. However, we can reduce emotion by taking the time to learn what to say… or not to say. Listening is also an underrated but critical skill. Speaking with authority (your “police voice”) is very important, but how you say something is as important as what you say. Sometimes more so. In fact, even if you say something that is correct and appropriate, but if you say it wrong, it still makes you wrong. A perfect and common example is the difference between  “Turn around, put your feet together, hands behind your back, lean forward”  and “Stop right there [expletive]! If you [expletive] move, I’ll kick the [expletive] out of you… do you [expletive] understand me?!” If you have been on the job for more than a minute, you can fill in the expletives—you’ve seen and heard them. Maybe even slipped into some of that behavior yourself at times. We are all human, and we’re doing a job with more daily stress than most people will ever encounter or understand. But self-control, discipline and proper verbal direction can go a long way towards reducing emotion, slowing things down, improving decisions and outcomes, and keeping everyone safe.

The 1980 edition of Law and Order magazine included an article written by ASP founder and CEO Kevin Parsons. It was called “The Seven Components of Power,” and its principles hold true to this day. The first and most fundamental of the components of power is balance. Balance applies to any athletic endeavor, including the physical and tactical demands of Law Enforcement. An officer needs to be able to control a confrontation, while minimizing the risk of injury. The biggest and strongest person can be very weak if he or she is exhausted or off balance.  What is balance?  Balance Is defined as the body’s ability to maintain its center of mass over the base of support. This is, of course, most important during an emergency—whether running, jumping, room clearing, protecting from an attack or riot formations. Balance plays a critical role and is best achieved by using the Pyramid Concept, which is the most stable platform for defensive measures. It is also the foundation of all ASP techniques.  The Pyramid stance is wider and deeper than the interview stance, and is taught in a progressive format. It works for one-on-one instruction, or when teaching a large group. Its principles work for a seasoned fighter, or a rookie police recruit. It consists of 4 easy steps: 1) Wide Base The feet are approximately shoulder width apart, and weight is evenly distributed over both feet. This establishes lateral balance. 2) Deep Base A deep base is achieved by moving your weapon leg (dominant side) to the rear. This will increase linear balance and the stability of your stance. For a right handed person this would normally mean moving the right leg back. Don’t compromise the shoulder width stance established in step one; keep your stance wide as you now make it deep. 3) Low Center A slight knee bend (equal in both legs) will achieve a low center. This is not a squat—just lower your center a little. You will now start to feel balanced and stable.  4) Head over Center The final element of the Pyramid is to keep your head over center. We do not want to compromise our balance by having our weight too far forward or rearward. Keeping the head over center keeps the shoulders over the hips, and provides a lot of strength for even a small statured individual. We have all heard “wherever the head goes the body follows,” and it is easy to destabilize yourself by not keeping your head over center. Once you’ve established your pyramid stance, raise your hands up with your fists (or open hands) at about chin level. This hand position is the exact same whether it is empty hand or holding a baton, handcuffs or flashlight.  As with most effective and repeatable techniques and training, bear in mind the “KISS” principle: Keep It Short and Simple. The more you train these concepts, the sooner the pyramid will become automatic and easy to recall under stress.

Have you ever seen the way many police officers stand? My department had what we affectionately called “heavy arm syndrome”—upon graduating the academy, probationary police officers caught this condition from seasoned veterans. This ailment made their arms become so heavy that they needed to put both hands inside the arm holes of their outer vest carrier. To maintain their balance, they would widen out their legs and lock out their knees. This positioning is the opposite of how you want to stand while conducting a field interview. It is tactically disadvantageous, and potentially unsafe. Let’s cover the basics of a good interview stance:   It should be a comfortable and natural position to be in at all times.   The hands should be in front of the body and above the gun belt, not tucked into your vest. The reaction time needed for defense is greatly hindered if your hands are tucked away; this includes putting your hands in your pockets.   The feet are about shoulder width apart. Knees are slightly bent and not locked out. The reaction leg is forward and the weapon side is back. This blades the body so the firearm is away from the subject.   Your body weight is evenly distributed over both feet. This provides balance, and the ability to rapidly respond. While engaging in dialogue with a subject, it is prudent not to stand directly in front of him or her. Maintain at least two arms’ length of distance. Further advantage can be gained by being at a 45 degree angle to the front of the subject. This safe separation creates a “decision making distance” and allows the officer to observe and react to the totality of the situation. A proper interview stance is foundational—in fact, all ASP training and techniques start from this position. Stay safe, and keep training.