. . . and for the rest of us.
http://www.gunrag.com/showarticle.php3?article=7
Trends in Police Officer Killings
Author: Tom Givens , Column: Fighting Smarter
Many, perhaps most, of the readers of this column are not law enforcement officers. Anyone who carries a firearm for self defense, however, can learn from the experiences of the half million police officers in the United States, and from the armed confrontations they find themselves in.
Murders of police officers are the most studied group of homicides, and the best documented engagements, thus, they are an excellent source of information on interpersonal armed conflicts.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics, a branch of the Justice Department, recently released statistics from the 1,800 police officer murders occurring between 1976 and 1998. The figures mentioned in the following text are from that report.
First, 43% of the deaths occurred while the officer was handling a "routine" task (disturbance calls, suspicious person calls, and traffic stops). In these instances, the officers were often in a lowered state of awareness or alertness, because of the "routine" nature of the incident.
The lesson for the police officer or private citizen CCW permit holder is, "Don't be complacent when dealing with people you don't know, regardless of the social setting. When in the public and dealing with strangers, be in a relaxed state of general alertness (Condition Yellow) and be aware of the people around you. When you see behavior that is unusual or unexplained, or see other subtle danger indicators, escalate your mental readiness scale."
Of the 901 assailants identified in the killing of law enforcement officers between 1989 and 1998, almost half had a prior conviction, and almost 20% were on probation or parole at the time.
In a separate study, the FBI Behavioral Sciences Unit (the guys who profile serial murderers) took an in-depth look at a group of 51 police officer killings. These were cases in which the offender was caught and was willing to talk to the BSU investigators, who also went over the case files and interviewed the dead officers co-workers. The goal was to better understand who kills police officers and what type of officer was most likely to be killed. The following comments apply to this study.
One of the most striking findings was the demographic of the "average" cop-killer. Of the killers in this group, the average age was 26; 60% were white; 60% had a high school diploma, and 6% some college education. How does this square with your mental image of a killer? We need to guard against stereotypes, or we may be caught off guard by someone who does not fit the stereotype.
Drug and alcohol use apparently play a major role in interpersonal violence, as in these cases 77% of the offenders were under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or drugs and alcohol at the time of the killing. Drugs and alcohol can seriously interfere with rational thought, and greatly lower personal inhibitions, including those against killing fellow humans. Do not expect rational behavior from an assailant, and do not be surprised if his actions seem bizarre.
The time period from 6:00 pm to midnight leads the four six-hour segments of the day in these 51 cases, with 38% of the killings in that time frame. This is the busiest time for interpersonal assaults, rapes, and robberies, and in most of the country, these are hours of darkness. Always carry a flashlight, and Tritium night sights on your PDW are a good idea. Train often in low light conditions, as confrontations in dim light are the rule, not the exception.
We often hear that the police are "outgunned", which is nonsense. In these 51 cases, 41% of the slain officers were killed with the lowly .38 Special revolver. Eight out of ten of the killings involved .38/357 caliber and smaller weapons. If you are taken by surprise (because you were not alert and aware) a thug with a cheap, poorly made, underpowered gun may just kill you.
The keys to your personal safety remain as always: Be aware. Keep your head up and your eyes open. If you cant be surprised, you probably cant be hurt. Train realistically. Work on short range, high speed, with targets at angles and varied heights. Train in low light. The cockroaches of the world come out when the lights go off. Make a commitment to your survival.
Finis.
http://www.gunrag.com/showarticle.php3?article=7
Trends in Police Officer Killings
Author: Tom Givens , Column: Fighting Smarter
Many, perhaps most, of the readers of this column are not law enforcement officers. Anyone who carries a firearm for self defense, however, can learn from the experiences of the half million police officers in the United States, and from the armed confrontations they find themselves in.
Murders of police officers are the most studied group of homicides, and the best documented engagements, thus, they are an excellent source of information on interpersonal armed conflicts.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics, a branch of the Justice Department, recently released statistics from the 1,800 police officer murders occurring between 1976 and 1998. The figures mentioned in the following text are from that report.
First, 43% of the deaths occurred while the officer was handling a "routine" task (disturbance calls, suspicious person calls, and traffic stops). In these instances, the officers were often in a lowered state of awareness or alertness, because of the "routine" nature of the incident.
The lesson for the police officer or private citizen CCW permit holder is, "Don't be complacent when dealing with people you don't know, regardless of the social setting. When in the public and dealing with strangers, be in a relaxed state of general alertness (Condition Yellow) and be aware of the people around you. When you see behavior that is unusual or unexplained, or see other subtle danger indicators, escalate your mental readiness scale."
Of the 901 assailants identified in the killing of law enforcement officers between 1989 and 1998, almost half had a prior conviction, and almost 20% were on probation or parole at the time.
In a separate study, the FBI Behavioral Sciences Unit (the guys who profile serial murderers) took an in-depth look at a group of 51 police officer killings. These were cases in which the offender was caught and was willing to talk to the BSU investigators, who also went over the case files and interviewed the dead officers co-workers. The goal was to better understand who kills police officers and what type of officer was most likely to be killed. The following comments apply to this study.
One of the most striking findings was the demographic of the "average" cop-killer. Of the killers in this group, the average age was 26; 60% were white; 60% had a high school diploma, and 6% some college education. How does this square with your mental image of a killer? We need to guard against stereotypes, or we may be caught off guard by someone who does not fit the stereotype.
Drug and alcohol use apparently play a major role in interpersonal violence, as in these cases 77% of the offenders were under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or drugs and alcohol at the time of the killing. Drugs and alcohol can seriously interfere with rational thought, and greatly lower personal inhibitions, including those against killing fellow humans. Do not expect rational behavior from an assailant, and do not be surprised if his actions seem bizarre.
The time period from 6:00 pm to midnight leads the four six-hour segments of the day in these 51 cases, with 38% of the killings in that time frame. This is the busiest time for interpersonal assaults, rapes, and robberies, and in most of the country, these are hours of darkness. Always carry a flashlight, and Tritium night sights on your PDW are a good idea. Train often in low light conditions, as confrontations in dim light are the rule, not the exception.
We often hear that the police are "outgunned", which is nonsense. In these 51 cases, 41% of the slain officers were killed with the lowly .38 Special revolver. Eight out of ten of the killings involved .38/357 caliber and smaller weapons. If you are taken by surprise (because you were not alert and aware) a thug with a cheap, poorly made, underpowered gun may just kill you.
The keys to your personal safety remain as always: Be aware. Keep your head up and your eyes open. If you cant be surprised, you probably cant be hurt. Train realistically. Work on short range, high speed, with targets at angles and varied heights. Train in low light. The cockroaches of the world come out when the lights go off. Make a commitment to your survival.
Finis.