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Articles
Reasonable Use of Force Considerations
Regional Training Academy operated by the Kansas City, MO Police Department
Sgt. Bill Conroy and Sgt. Chip Huth
It has been a major goal of the National Law Enforcement Training Center and the KCPD to provide effective, quality training to law enforcement officers. The systems developed by the NLETC are based on physical laws that govern the mechanics of the human body. Such mechanics have limitations that can be exploited utilizing leverage, positioning, and dynamic transfer of kinetic energy. During training, students are encouraged to master gross-motor skill movements in a static environment. Once the basics of a technique are learned, the student increases the dynamics of the repetitions gradually, working toward full psychomotor skill integration of the principles and tactics being learned.
The NLETC systems used by the KCPD present a wide variety of response options designed to address problems that are specific to law enforcement situations. The systems are integrated so a commonality exists, thereby limiting the number of techniques an officer must learn to be effective whether defending himself or herself, or controlling a subject. The effectiveness of this approach to training has been proven by thousands of successful applications in Kansas City and by other user agencies regionally, nationally and internationally. The Kansas City Police Department?s tactical use of force record serves to validate the principle that officers of varying size and physical capability can learn safe, effective methods of subject control and protect themselves from being injured or killed in the performance of their duties.
Tactical Training
At the academy, police officers begin learning skills through static training with and without a partner. Techniques are practiced from both sides and 360 degrees. This is done to ensure that one side of the body is not favored over the other during control or defense, and techniques can be performed from any angle. After multiple repetitions and a demonstration of proficiency, resistance and movement are added, and the training becomes dynamic and fluid. A second officer is introduced, and the officers learn to work together as a team. By working as a team, the officers are better able to control the resistant subject, with a lower risk of injury to themselves or the person being restrained. Following demonstration of proficiency at the dynamic level, the officers move on to interactive training, where all systems and weapons are integrated into the decision-making process and utilized to conclude resistance and handcuff the arrested subject.
At the interactive level, all training is performed on another person and no type of padding is used for personal protection. Each technique is performed so as to demonstrate the mechanical nature of the controls and how they limit the subject?s ability to resist. The officers quickly learn how the mechanical controls work and how much pressure is required to maintain the controls without causing unnecessary injury to the subject by exceeding the physical limits of the joints involved.
KCPD Statistical Support
The effectiveness of this type of training has been statistically evaluated. During the year 2002, Kansas City officers answered more than 280,000 calls for service, investigated over 27,000 reported crimes, made more than 37,000 arrests, and issued over 314,000 tickets. During all of these contacts, the department received only 589 citizen complaints. The Internal Affairs Unit investigated 433 of the 589 complaints. At the recommendation of the Office of Citizen Complaints?an independent body appointed to oversee complaints against officers?114 of these complaints were classified under Category One?unauthorized use of force. Of those 114 unauthorized use of force complaints, only two were substantiated, or authenticated. In all the cases where officers needed to control or restrain subjects, only three subjects suffered minor injuries as a result of empty-hand control tactics initiated by officers.
In summary, out of 37,000 arrests during the calendar year 2002, Kansas City officers received 114 complaints regarding unauthorized use of force. Only two of those complaints were substantiated. Only three subjects suffered minor injury as a result of resisting against the application of mechanical locks. This relatively low number of complaints can be directly attributed to the lack of injury on the part of the persons arrested or controlled by officers. This is due to both, the field-proven mechanical techniques, and the methodology and philosophy of the training regimen.
During use of force training, officers are taught principles of control and defense that include Handgun/Long Gun Retention and Disarming, Lateral Vascular Neck Restraint (LVNR?), Control/Defensive Tactics, Power Handcuffing, O.C. aerosol use, and PR-24 CD. These tactics systems are buttressed with training in Verbal Judo, police ethics, and patrol procedures. All systems taught have a commonality of application, which reinforces the policies and process through frequency of repetition.
The NLETC-certified use of force systems are designed around law enforcement agencies? procedures and objectives, and serve to complement other systems or tactical responses a department may already have in place. The effectiveness of these systems has been proven time and again. With proper training, officers can learn to control violently resistive/aggressive subjects with a low risk of injury to the subjects or the officers, by utilizing systems that are medically reviewed, court defensible, and field-tested.
There has been no litigation against the NLETC or the KCPD contesting the use or safety of any NLETC-certified systems or tactics. The KCPD/NLETC systems and courses are all Missouri P.O.S.T. certified.''
Sergeant William Conroy, Supervisor, Firearms/Defensive Tactics Section
Sergeant Chip Huth, Central Patrol Division
Kansas City, MO, Police Department''
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