Tactics designed to minimize the risk in armed confrontations.
Because no shoot is a "good" shoot!
In today's world, no shoot is a "good" shoot. Even if your officer is completely justified, and clearly had no other choice, the costs to your agency can be enormous:
- Civil rights investigations
- Complex litigation
- Unfavorable publicity
- Officer stress
- Morale problems
- Civil Unrest
You would never consider not training your officers how to shoot. Why would you ever consider not training them when to shoot?
Judgmental use of force is a vital part of any public safety firearms training program. Courts have long recognized the need for such training. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that, "A municipality may, in certain circumstances, be held liable under U.S.C. Title 42, 1983 for Constitutional violations resulting from its failure to train its employees." (CANTON v. HARRIS), that lack of funding does not exempt agencies from conducting Constitutionally mandated training (HAMILTON v. LOVE), and that funds must be allocated from other sources to conduct this training (FINNEY v. ARKANSAS). The latest Federal appellate court decision (Zuchel v. City and County of Denver, 1993) mandated that law enforcement agencies train their officers in a "realistic, effective, and ongoing" judgmental shooting program.
How can your agency train realistically and effectively?
Trainers may disagree on training methods, or even topics for training, but there's one thing they all agree on: The more realistic the training, the more effective it is. The most realistic judgmental shooting training available today requires judgmental shooting simulators.
Other training methods, such as photo-targets with changeable objects have been ruled inadequate to teach judgmental shooting, and force-on-force exercises are less realistic because the opponents are almost always trained law enforcement personnel. Moreover, they require enormous amounts of your agency's scarce resources to conduct properly. The nonlethal munitions used tend to be expensive and typically must be used in abandoned buildings or outdoors.
Judgmental shooting simulators are much more effective because their training scenarios were developed by experts with specific teaching points in mind. Modern simulators use interactive scenarios, which actually change in response to the officer's tactics.
Unfortunately, modern use-of-force simulators cost between $50,000.00 and $100,000.00, placing them well above the budget of most smaller agencies. Even if purchased with seizure funds, additional disks of scenarios must be acquired at between $2,000.00 and $6,000.00 to keep the training effective, and the simulator itself will become obsolescent within five years. Also, trainers must devote extensive time to maintaining proficiency with the simulator's notoriously temperamental operating procedures.
How can you afford this vital training?
Advanced Force Tactics, Inc. will come to your agency and, with your trainers, will train all of your officers in the most realistic and effective judgmental shooting program available anywhere. Or, lease one of our custom modified MILO Pro simulators, and let your trainers train your officers using the most effective use-of-force simulator in the world!
AFT also offers a 90-minute deadly force training program including detailed analysis of TENNESSEE v. GARNER (471 U.S. 1 (1985)), the U.S. Supreme Court Decision on use of deadly force on fleeing felons. When combined with our judgmental shooting program, up to 20 officers can receive two hours of training each day! Talk about the most bang for your buck!
Why should you train with AFT?
Advanced Force Tactics, Inc. offers the best possible solution to your judgmental use-of-force training requirements because we:
- Save you time and money by providing the most cost effective way for you to conduct use-of-force training.
- Teach the best tactics to de-escalate an armed encounter before shots are fired.
- Offer multiple levels of training to provide ongoing training that is challenging to your officers.
- Use the most technically advanced judgmental use-of-force simulators in the world -- the IES MILO Pro.
- Offer more realistic options by using each officer's own individual weapon, laser OC, and Taser.
- Provide the uniform training taught to over 200 law enforcement agencies throughout the country.
- Have leadership backed with more than 35 years of law enforcement and training experience.
- Provide judgmental use-of-force training options to fit every budget.
Everyone benefits from this training!
- Officers are safer, because they gain priceless experience in recognizing and neutralizing deadly threats.
- Citizens are safer, because the officers learn tactics designed to reduce the chances of a shootout.
- Even the perpetrators are safer, because if they have no chance, and don't do something incredibly stupid, they won't get hurt, either!