Police agencies across the country are utilizing Reality Based Training (RBT) and Scenario Based Training (SBT) to adequately prepare officers for the types of encounters they will experience once they leave the training room.
A Cincinnati, Ohio police academy recruit is is serious condition in a Cincinnati hospital after collapsing following a redman exercise. Video of the training shows the recruit attacked while seated and then having to fight for his life. This is a perfect example of RBT.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department conducted a system wide training program involving police officer chasing suspects and having to tackle and then restrain the “bad guy.” The training resulted in a number of injuries to officers including dislocation, broken bones and head injuries.
The fact is that the more realistic the training experience, the more likelihood of injuries to the participants. This translates to missed day(s) of work, medical and hospital costs and, in some cases. The end of a career.
There is no simple solution to this problem. Police officers face danger in every confrontation with a suspect and they need to be prepared, to the highest extent, for a physical confrontation. But the costs of this type of training needs to be weighed against the values of it. Clearly, it must be scripted and highly supervised to avoid serious injury. Knowing when to intervene and terminate training is a very subjective decision.
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2022/01/25/investigation-open-after-cincinnati-police-recruit-injured-while-training/9208522002/
The perils of training
Posted in Officer Safety, police training.