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Officer Safety: Police Manager's Responsibilities

NCJ Number
130721
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 39 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1991) Pages: 84-86
Author(s)
G W Garner
Date Published
1991
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The responsibilities of a police supervisor in the implementation of officer safety practices are presented.
Abstract
A police supervisor needs to establish policies, procedures, and orders to enforce safety practices by his officers. Officer safety tactics should be taught in the agency's basic academy and in-service courses with on-going instruction to include the newest proven survival techniques. Equipment should include the best available safety products, and officers should maintain good physical conditioning. Strong supervision requires training, correction, and counseling of officers for development of good survival practices. Spotting, retraining, and disciplining may be necessary with the cowboy cops. In addition, management should provide ongoing moral support to an officer following a life-threatening situation. An additional responsibility of a supervisor involves education of the public about police work and its hazards through community meetings and interactions.