Patrol Response to Contemporary Problems: Enhancing Performance of First Responders Through Knowledge And Experience

Police officers today are tasked with an extraordinary and diverse set of challenges in the field requiring a variety of core competencies. To successfully accomplish their daily missions, not only do police officers need to be technically proficient and physically fit, they also need to have an unusually broad base of knowledge in a wide variety of subjects, from law to first aid and tactics. Each chapter in this textbook addresses important diverse and evolving skill sets that the patrol officer must possess in order to protect the public, reduce risk and maximize success during every encounter. Of particular interest are some of the new and evolving threats and responses to critical incidents that once again have broadened the scope of responsibility of the patrol officer. New threats, such as 'mobile shooters' in a large geographic area and terrorists acts utilizing weapons of mass destruction, call for immediate action drills and unique patrol officer responses that only recently have become part of police academy and in-service training. The National Tactical Officers Association, one of the premier providers of law enforcement training in the United States, decided to solicit the aid of subject-matter experts from throughout the United States to contribute to a book on contemporary topics relevant to patrol personnel. Their efforts resulted in a compilation of writings directed specifically at furthering the education of patrol officers. The National Tactical Officers Association, as well as the seventeen subject-matter experts who participated in this project, are hopeful this publication will prove beneficial to those who strive to enhance their performance through knowledge and experience.