The management of light to you advantage can be as important in the daytime as it is at night. In an interview with Calibre, a California sergeant reminded officers that when doing an outdoor search with the sun at your back, your shadow will reach a corner of a fence or building before you do.

Likewise, when you approach a suspect lying on the ground with the sun behind you, he’ll know you’re there by your shadow and can more easily track how close you are. In training, the sergeant illustrated this by playing the suspect and attacking the officer approaching to handcuff and search him.

While it’s impossible to always orient your shadow the way you would like, these tips will lessen your risks and enhance your safety

1. Take the time to stop and observe lighting before rushing in to execute a search or an arrest.

2. Be aware of the position of the sun and the direction it casts your shadow.

3. If possible, blend in with the shadows of other objects (trees, cars, dumpsters, etc.) to reduce your visibility.

4. If you have to search a large area involving both bright and shaded areas, consider starting in the shaded areas and work your way into the lighted areas. This way you may avoid the temporary vision problems that can surface when doing it in the reverse.

5. If you have to search from a bright, open area to one that is in shadowed lighting, such as walking into a tree-covered backyard or entering a darkened bar from the bright outdoors, close one eye before entering the darker area. It won’t take as long for your eyes to adjust, and that few seconds could be critical.

6. Along those lines, if you’re wearing sunglasses in the daylight and preparing to enter a darker area, like a building, consider keeping the glasses on for a few moments after you enter to help your eyes more quickly adjust to the change. This will help avoid subjecting your eyes to a sudden burst of bright light.

7. Remember that shadows can be your friend as well as your foe. They can provide great concealment when you have to hide from a potential opponent, giving you that needed advantage to control a person or a situation.

Using these tips will help you be more observant of daytime light management. Try them, and develop your own techniques, too. They may just make the difference between a successful arrest of a fleeing suspect…or something worse.

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Training note:  Register now for our next FREE Webinar, “How to Get Your FTO Program Ready for the Next Generations” featuring FTO expert Dan Greene, Executive Director of the National Association of Field Training Officers, and Calibre Press’s Jim Glennon. The live presentation will be held on Dec. 5 and ALL who register will receive a link to a recording of the program. CLICK HERE for full details and to register.

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