08Aug06

One summer, back in the early eighties, I lectured alongside the late Pierc e Brooks at Northwestern University's prestigious Traffic Institute in Evanston, IL. Pierce was a famous author. I was just a young upstart, who worked cheap. But, I got to know and love Pierce and his book, "Officer D own, Code Three." That first book on the subject of domestic police injury a nd death and root causes, influenced me greatly. It still does.

In his book, Pierce identifies the "Ten Deadly Sins" committ ed by police officers, and he describes they way they contribute to the death and injury of those who commit them. I talked about number Seven recently. Here, once more, are all ten:

1 LACK OF CONCENTRATION: You're in the Navy, or your not! When you don't pay attention to what you're getting paid to do, you won't see "tro uble in the making" soon enough.

2 "TOMBSTONE" COURAGE: Risk, of course, goes with the terr itory. However, suicidal risks are taken only by the foolish and naive.

3 SLEEPY OR ASLEEP ON DUTY: Some, in their youth, can get by on just a couple hours of sleep, but no one can get away with it for long.

4 TAKING A BAD POSITION: Failing to take advantage of available cover, and

getting too close, are twin assassins. Keep your options open. When thing s go south, you're going to desperately need two things: time and space.

5 NOT HEEDING DANGER SIGNS: Prior to most deadly attacks, there are =9Cdanger signs" aplenty. Ignore them at your peril!

6 FAILURE TO WATCH HANDS: People fight with their hands. That is where weapons will appear, and that is where your concentration should always be gravitating.

7 RELAXING TOO SOON: Has the fat lady sung? I didn't think so!

8 IMPROPER HANDCUFFING: Modern handcuffs are wonderful restraints. Take full advantage of the control they provide.

9 POOR SEARCH OR NO SEARCH: It is amazing, even today, the way deadly weapons are routinely discovered on suspects the third, or even the fourth, time they are searched!

10. POORLY MAINTAINED, OR INOPERATIVE, WEAPON: Shoot your weapons often! Maintain them perpetually. Carry fresh ammunition (shoot up the old stuff) . If your weapon shot normally yesterday, it will probably shoot normally tod ay. When it hasn't been shot, or even handled, for months, it will probably work anyway, but, with something that important to my continued good health , I, for one, want to be as sure as I can be!

The list is, of course, incomplete. As new circumstances arise, new items will have to be added, but that list, taken to heart, has saved many. It saved me!

/John