|
10 Guidelines for Use of TASERs in
Simulated Training Environments
By Todd Brown
Chief Trainer for IES Interactive Training
The use of TASER® conducted energy weapons in law enforcement has increased
dramatically over the last few years. The less-lethal weapons have proven
effective in a variety of situations and their use has been credited with saving
many lives; in many cases if the TASER devices weren't effective the only
alternative left to the officer would have been lethal force. To say that the
statistics estimating saved lives, reductions in injuries and cost savings to
agencies resulting from TASER use is impressive would be a gross understatement.
Thousands of law enforcement agencies have either begun TASER technology
deployment or have plans to deploy TASER devices with their officers in the very
near future. This, of course, necessitates that officers be trained in the
operation and application of TASER weapons. The question then, becomes how do
agencies provide adequate initial and recurrent training on the TASER system to
its officers? The answer lies in the scenario based training that an agency is
most likely already providing its officers.
The Denver Police Department recently received negative publicity when one of
its officers shot a knife-wielding subject instead of using a TASER weapon,
which was present at the scene. More recently than that, the ACLU criticized the
Denver PDs excessive use of the TASER weapons. These damned if you do and damned
if you don't messages may leave many officers confused about when to deploy and
use the TASER system on their belts, and more importantly, are very likely to
result in hesitation and an escalation of events.
All officers who carry TASER devices need to practice with the less-lethal
weapons on a regular basis, as well as demonstrate they understand their
agency's policies and procedures relating to its use the officer must be able to
show the instructor where the TASER is appropriate, and equally important, where
not appropriate. In turn, instructors must document that this type of
police training was received and that the officer demonstrated the
appropriate knowledge of the TASER system and its use. The simulated environment
provides the most cost-effective means to achieve this goal.
Sgt. Richard Gentry, supervisor of the Miami Police Department Officer Survival
Detail, recently stated, During 2003, the Miami Police Department made history
with not having one (1) police involved shooting, which is credited to the
training and the less-than lethal weapons we have, such as our OC and TASER
weapon. We purchased two (2) laser TASER weapons that are part of the Range 3000
XP4 Use of Force Simulator. This addition to our training has been nothing less
than a success.
Before running to any company that produces simulation systems and spending your
entire training budget on TASER systems modified to work with your simulators,
there are three questions that need to be asked:
How closely does the modified TASER weapon mimic the operation of the actual
model of TASER system that your agency uses?
What is the initial cost of the modified TASER device vs. the cost of training
regularly with actual TASER weapons?
What is the potential cost of providing officers with just the minimum training
recommended by the manufacturer?
In addition, the following 10 guidelines should also be considered:
1. The TASER system that is used by officers in simulation training should have
the look, feel and functionality of the actual TASER model that is being
deployed in the field by your agency.
For example, modified TASER devices should include two lasers at the same
8-degree spread of actual TASER probes. Without this spread, accuracy cannot be
measured when the trainee fires the TASER weapon on the simulation system.
2. Modified TASER devices and field-deployed TASER weapons should function on
the same power source enabling your agency to use batteries already in inventory
to power both TASER devices.
3. The simulation system should require that both of the infrared (IR) lasers in
the modified TASER device hit within the target zone drawn around the subject
before the system branches to the subject reacting to a hit from the TASER
weapon. This requirement mimics a real TASER weapon in that if only one probe
hits the target, the circuit is not completed and the TASER device is
ineffective.
4. If your agency employs stricter target areas than those recommended by the
TASER manufacturer, then the simulation system also must allow you to change
these target areas to accurately reflect your agency's TASER weapon deployment
regulations.
5. The system must allow for appropriate branching if the trainee misses with
the modified TASER device. In other words, the trainee should be required to
reload and re-engage the subject with the TASER weapon, which means that the
modified TASER system should have a minimum of two cartridges for use on the
simulation system.
6. The modified TASER device should behave like an actual TASER weapon in
another respect as well. For instance, if the subject in the scenario is prone,
the modified TASER device and the simulation system must require that the
student rotate the TASER weapon 90 degrees in order to get a good hit (grip
towards the feet). Since this is required in a real world application of the
TASER weapon against a prone subject, the TASER device used in simulation must
behave in the same way.
7. Modified TASER devices must be cost effective. Law enforcement agencies
around the nation are all grappling with limited budgets and trainers must be
able to show that they can do more training for less money. While it is
important to always follow the manufactures guidelines on the number of live
cartridges that should be fired by an officer, the expense of these cartridges
may limit any additional training that the officer could receive. Additional
training results in lower liability; this has been proven repeatedly.
8. The modified TASER device and the simulation system must provide regular
training with realistic scenarios that employ a variety of force options,
including the TASER weapon. The scenarios cannot be simple shoot/don't shoot as
they relate to the TASER system as these scenarios may give officers the false
belief that the TASER technology is the correct force option for all encounters.
The scenarios must also allow for other training objectives, as they relate to
the TASER device, to be accomplished. Reloading, transitions to and from the
TASER weapon and approach are just a few examples.
9. The realism of the modified TASER device is useless if it cumbersome or
costly to use. For example, the modified TASER system as well as the extra
cartridges should fit into the officers actual TASER holster and cartridge
carrier on their utility/equipment belt. This requires the trainee to draw,
deploy and, if necessary, transition from the TASER weapon to another use of
force option.
10. The modified TASER device should come with more than one (modified laser)
cartridge to allow for reloads during the scenario. The possibility of missing a
moving target with at least one probe is very real. Therefore, the student must
have the ability to reload the modified TASER system if necessary.
When these conditions are met, the officer receives regular and effective
training on the use of the TASER weapon at a substantially reduced cost. For
example, the Houston, TX PD has approximately 5,000 officers. The cost for a
real TASER weapon cartridge is approximately $15.00. This means it would cost
approximately $150,000.00 per year for each Houston PD officer to perform the
recommended actual TASER weapon cartridge firings each year (that is a cost of
more than six patrol cars!). The cost of actual TASER training would make it
nearly impossible for officers to supplement their training by firing the TASER
weapons in any repeated training environment.
However, if trainers equip their simulation system with a modified TASER device,
these officers could continue to train with the TASER weapon in a realistic
environment (assuming the above conditions have been met).
Since officers will be firing these modified TASER devices in judgmental
use-of-force scenarios, trainers can document that their trainees have a clear
understanding of the agency's policy relating to TASER weapon deployment. And,
equally important, that they can deploy the TASER system against a life size,
realistic and moving target in real time.
Recurrent or recertification training could also be performed on the simulator
resulting in an even greater cost saving for the agency. For example, TASER
International, Inc. has made its User Certification course available on the
Range 3000 XP4 simulation system, complete with lecture, testing and practical
exercises. It should be clear to all trainers that without continuous, recurrent
and recertification training, your agency may open itself up to lawsuits based
on the failure to adequately train its officers. With TASER technology use
becoming more and more prevalent, liability issues are sure to follow.
Stated simply, if your agency carries a TASER energy weapon on the street,
trainers should have the TASER system in their simulation environment as well.
Failure to offer this as an option in simulation training may result in adverse
training for your officers.
New equipment, no matter how effective, is useless unless the operator
completely understands its function, application, and the related procedures and
policies. Simulation training with the TASER devices can effectively educate
officers in all of these areas and will likely result in officers using the
TASER weapon in the most tactically effective, cost-effective manner in order to
protect citizens, officers and suspects.
About the Author
Todd Brown has more than ten years of experience in training federal, state and
municipal law enforcement agencies on judgmental use of force in simulated
environments as well as in live fire environments. Brown has also trained
agencies in Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and several agencies in Europe. He
holds instructor ratings for various use of force applications such as Baton,
Firearm, Chemical Agents, Taser, etc. Brown is a member of the National Tactical
Officers Association, the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms
Instructors, the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers, as well as on the
technical advisory board of the Force Science Research Center. Brown is the
Chief Trainer for IES Interactive Training, manufacturers of the MILO Training &
Presentation System. Brown can be reached at Todd@ies-usa.com.
|
