By Steve Albrecht for Calibrepress.com
Here are 10 major tactical flaws you might commonly see during an average prime time cop show or in movies. See which ones you recognize and more importantly, which ones you may commit.
1. Gun pointed straight up while moving. During a tactical seminar I attended, a SWAT expert called this the “Sabrina Position” made famous by one of the characters on the police show “Charlie’s Angels.” If you gun needs to be out of your holster, keep it horizontal and on target. It takes too much time to pull it level, find your target and fire.
2. Gun too far away from the body during a building search. This is a classic. We always see cops hugging the wall with their gun arm exposed and extended. What usually happens when they cross a doorway? The crooks chop at their wrist and the struggle is on. If your gun is drawn, keep it close to your body, using your elbows to brace against your ribs.
3. Standing too close to a suspect. Another classic…also known as the “in your face.” interrogation technique. What usually happens when you violate your suspect’s “space”? A fight ensues with you on the ground and him screaming curses in your ear. Stay back. Give yourself some room. Adjust to a shift in your suspect’s position by moving tactically to the side. Maintain a minimum reaching distance but get out of their faces.
4. Finger pointing. Think about how much you hate it when someone does this to you. Waving your digit at a crook just encourages a smart remark, a fist fight, or a complaint.
5. Barehanded fist fights. God loves police officers. Why else did He give us so many impact weapons to use instead of our brittle hand bones? Use your stick, chemical aerosol, body weight or best yet, the assistance of another officer. God help you if you break your hand on some hood’s bony forehead. Think about a large and heavy cast over your knuckles before you decide to throw a big roundhouse.
6. Bad or no cover during a shoot-out. Clint Eastwood as “Dirty Harry” epitomizes this one. Remember how he could walk calmly down the street as the bad guys were shooting a barrage of rounds at him? Bullets whizzed by his head without him giving hardly a passing glance. TV and movie cops are bulletproof. Where else do you see an entire house, car, building, etc. get shot up by machine guns rounds with nary a scratch on our hero? We are not so fortunate. Practice firing, unloading and loading behind cover during your next session at the range.
7. Losing sight of a suspect during a foot pursuit. Very dangerous. Remember how you’ve been taught. It’s always better to gather the troops and return for a thorough search than to risk an ambush. We’ve seen the deadly side of foot chases.
8. Not watching behind you for other suspects. Known in Hollywood as the “final insult.” Our hero is just getting ready to save the day when, out of nowhere, another bad guy puts a gun in his ear and takes him hostage. Think about all our gangbangers cruising around. While you’re on a traffic stop with one, his pals may drive by in another vehicle. No cop likes the words “drive by” used in any context. Watch your back during tickets, FIs and radio calls. Protect your partner and work as if you have eyes in the back of your head.
9. No cover units. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Hollywood cops get paid to say, “I’ll handle this myself.” We do not.
10. Non-existent reports. No list of Hollywood police errors would be complete without this one. Our hero saves the city after a 75-car pile-up, a 5,000-round shootout and a 15-minute wrestling match with Godzilla’s brother-in-law. Wiping the sweat from his sturdy brow, he heads home for a cold one. Ha! Good (real) cops write good (real) reports.
I may have left out a few of your favorites, but if nothing else, let this remind you that TV cops aren’t trying to be perfect, just entertaining. You don’t have that luxury with your life.
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About the author: Steve Albrecht worked for the San Diego Police Department for 15 years. He is the author of six books on officer safety and tactics, including The Police Professional: 60 Ways to Lead, with Captain Andrew Borrello. In 1992, Steve and then San Diego Police Detective Lt. John Morrison introduced the concept of Contact & Cover in their book, Contact & Cover: Two Officer Suspect Control.
