It takes a special kind of person to willingly rush toward gunfire. Some would suggest that cops have a high tolerance for all sorts of potential danger. Until recently, we have chosen to largely ignore this risk-taking tendency and its influence on driving behavior. Training has focused on trying to make cops more capable drivers at higher speeds, while simply slowing down has been a secondary theme.
Fortunately, we see some attitudes changing. The Law Officer Below 100 campaign was launched in 2010. The goal of the program is to reduce the annual total number of line-of-duty deaths in the US to fewer than 100. The five tenets of Below 100 are:
• Wear Your Belt
• Wear Your Vest
• Watch Your Speed
• WIN—What’s Important Now?• Remember: Complacency Kills
We adopted this program last July and continue to try and reinforce these principles. Officers working patrol assignments are required to wear their body armor. We have installed signs on interior walls and exterior gates, dedicated an internal web page to Below 100 content, and we are introducing more safety reporting into our monthly department performance reviews. Last Friday, we instituted a “hands free” policy for the use of phones and other devices while vehicles are in motion. We are making Bluetooth devices available to our employees.
At times, it’s tough to achieve a balance in this job. When lives are on the line, response times are important, but safely arriving on the scene is paramount.
It’s important for you to know that we will stay focused on developing a better safety mindset, as we protect and serve. Thank you for your support.
It’s important for you to know that we will stay focused on developing a better safety mindset, as we protect and serve. Thank you for your support.
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6 comments:
Chief respectfully,
You can sit outside of my townhouse and count the officers tearing down Camino Real to beat the light to cross Dixie.
Where I would never dispute the response time of the officers in the city, the blatant disregard to the laws are for everyone; unless the officer is on a call. This is a clear financial liability to the city.
Collector-
Thank you for your comments. Please feel free to call, write or stop by and provide information when you witness a particular violation. It gives us a chance to investigate and address the specific issue based on the circumstances. By the way, I took an opportunity to reinforce the message here at the PD. Thanks again for the feedback.
What most citizens fail to realize, when they see a cop speeding is that we are usually going to a high priority call/ backup or attempting to catch a violator. We don't use our lights or siren unless violence is in progress and then only when authorized by a supervisor.Why would an officer speed when not on a call , they usually have 12 hrs. to complete tasks or eat. Every officer spends their non-call time looking for bad guys,which are usually impossible to spot when speeding somewhere . Obviously the officer is responding to a priority call,usually exaggerated by citizens ,to get officers there quicker !
Great comment, Jim. Far too often, people (including police administrators) jump to conclusions before they get the facts. Candidly, I think we lose our credibility when we are doing 90+ in the HOV lane on our way home (driving away from our jurisdictions)after work.
Thanks for the comment. I've learned not to assume, but clearly we have to be smarter, and safer. Thanks, again.
Thank you Chief for directly responding to the Sun-Sentinel article. Also, I commend you for responding to comments.
Thank you. Constructive dialogue is a catalyst for progress.
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