Police Department

Apr 29, 2017, 17:03 PM

On 03/24/16 Officer Darren Baker presented a compelling program about use of force. He asked us "What's really important? Your wallet, your purse, your car? What would you be willing to die for?" The point; during a robbery, just give the perpetrators what they want.

Then he asked us "Is there defense without damage?" Force has to be necessary. An officer oftentimes has only a split second to determine what is “reasonable force.”

We were asked to make a list of the traits we felt a street fighter would have. Out of that list, how many of those traits do each of us have? We learned that in order to be effective in a fight we need to possess a skill set. Most important, we need to have a plan!

How to lose a fight: Expect attacker to be lenient on us; we under-respond or fail to get angry and fight back. In order to win, one needs to get angry, create pain, create fear, create lack of oxygen, create lack of sight, or have the use of weapons.
The officers spent some time explaining the importance of having an awareness of our surroundings at all times. Being mentally prepared is a big part of surviving an unpleasant encounter.

The remainder of the class was a hands on activity to show us how to defend ourselves from attackers. Officer Dion Synder was the "victim" in most scenarios, but a few courageous volunteers participated as victims as well. Thanks to Officer Synder for taking one (or several) for the team!

We were shown how to get out of various types of holds, as well as how to inflict pain on certain pressure points in order to escape an attack.

Week #5 (03/31/16) will focus on crime scene and evidence processing.

Sharon Ward and Joyce King CPA Alumni Association members