Officer Safety and Wellness (OSW) Group Meeting Summary

Vehicle operation, 

risk management, and 

problem-based learning

April 25, 2012
This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 2011-CK-WX-K023 awarded by the 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions contained 

herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the 

U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific agencies, companies, products, or services should not be 

considered an endorsement by the author(s) or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are 

illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues. 

The Internet references cited in this publication were valid as of the date of this publication. Given that 

URLs and websites are in constant flux, neither the author(s), the COPS Office, the Bureau of Justice 

Assistance, nor the Major City Chiefs Association can vouch for their current validity. 

Recommended citation:

Stephens, Darrel, Mora L. Fiedler, and Steven Edwards. 2013. OSW Group Meeting Summary: Vehicle 

Operation, Risk Management, and Problem-Based Learning, April 25, 2012. Washington, DC: Office of 

Community Oriented Policing Services.

Published 2013

e071219497
Contents

Overview of the Officer Safety and Wellness Group ................................................................................................ 2

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Vehicle operation................................................................................................................................................... 3

Risk management .................................................................................................................................................. 3

Training................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Initial remarks ............................................................................................................................................................... 4

Vehicle operations ........................................................................................................................................................ 5

Research initiative.................................................................................................................................................. 5

Crash reduction policy and training .................................................................................................................. 8

Driver distraction research .................................................................................................................................. 9

Risk management ........................................................................................................................................................ 11

Problem-based learning ............................................................................................................................................. 13

Discussion and action agenda.................................................................................................................................... 16

Vehicle operations ............................................................................................................................................... 16

Risk management ................................................................................................................................................ 18

Problem-based learning and other training..................................................................................................... 20

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................................... 22

References..................................................................................................................................................................... 23

Appendix A: OSW Group meeting agenda.............................................................................................................. 25

Appendix B: OSW Group meeting attendees.......................................................................................................... 27

About the COPS Office............................................................................................................................................... 29

About BJA..................................................................................................................................................................... 30
2

Overview of the Officer Safety and Wellness Group

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing 

Services (COPS Office) and Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) established the 

OSW Group to help address the alarming increasing trend of line-of-duty 

deaths of law enforcement officers. 

Comprised of representatives from law enforcement agencies and associations, federal agencies, and the 

research community, the purpose of the OSW Group is to bring law enforcement thought leaders, criminal 

justice practitioners, and other colleagues together to share their broad perspectives on improving officer 

safety and wellness. Participants contribute information and ideas with the goal of enhancing subject-related 

products, tools, resources, and services available to the field. In addition, the group encourages the nation’s 

law enforcement agencies to adopt cultures of safety and wellness. 

During the initial kick-off meeting held in July 2011, the OSW Group identified 16 focus areas that would 

guide future meetings as well as the overall mission of the group (see sidebar). The following 16 areas were 

further defined and prioritized in the subsequent September meeting, also considered the first official 

meeting, after which the COPS Office produced a summary report (see Fiedler 2011): 

1. Injuries and death due to gunfire 

2. Premeditated and unprovoked ambush 

situations 

3. Rifle/long-gun threats/assault weapons 

4. Education and training 

5. Leadership and safety practices 

6. Emergency vehicle operation and safety 

7. Physical health (e.g., fatigue, alcohol, weight, 

and nutrition) 

8. Psychological health 

9. Foot pursuit safety 

10. Task force operations (federal and local) 

11. Offenders (behavior during incident and 

history) 

12. Court security 

13. Deployment strategies and communications 

technologies 

14. Maintaining good health 

15. Equipment 

16. Former military in law enforcement 

All meeting summary reports as well as information 

about future meeting topics are available on the 

COPS Office OSW Group web page: 

www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=2603.

The OSW Group Mission

The OSW Group will contribute to the improvement 

of officer safety and wellness in the United States by 

convening a forum for thoughtful, proactive discussion and debate around relevant programs and policies within the law enforcement field. Information 

and insight gained and shared will help enhance 

programs, policies, and initiatives related to officer 

safety and wellness.

The OSW Group Goals

▪ To create an opportunity and environment 

for law enforcement organizations and 

researchers to collaborate on improving 

officer safety and wellness 

▪ To bring law enforcement organizations 

and researchers together quarterly to share 

knowledge and information about officer 

safety and wellness initiatives 

▪ To disseminate information and best 

practices to the field through the government 

and law enforcement organizational 

communications mechanisms 
3

Introduction

The OSW Group planned its fourth meeting for April 2012 with a focus on emergency vehicle operation, 

education, and training. However, regarding the first topic, the group chose to concentrate on vehicle 

operation in general, as the majority of officer deaths and injuries occur in non-emergency driving 

situations. For education and training, the group examined risk management and problem-based learning, 

respectively. Risk management enables law enforcement agencies to understand the source of injuries and 

deaths, guide appropriate mitigation efforts, and monitor outcomes. An emerging approach to training, 

problem-based learning differs from traditional classroom learning in that it has officers examine real 

problems and develop problem-solving skills that can contribute to improvements in officer safety and 

wellness. During the meeting, subject matter experts in each area shared their knowledge of the research, 

their practical experience, and their ideas for improving officer safety. 

In keeping with the OSW Group’s mission, the group was challenged to respond to the questions below 

with a view toward recommendations to law enforcement agencies that would reduce deaths and injuries to 

officers (see the “Discussion and Action Agenda” section on page 16):

Vehicle operation

Research: What are the gaps in the existing research for police vehicle operation? Do we know the 

demographic profile of officers with higher crash risk? Do we understand the impact of distractions: e.g., 

phones, radios, computers, and patrol observation? What do we know about officers’ driving behavior? 

Policy: What vehicle operation policies should agencies have in place to improve officer safety (e.g., 

general maintenance)? What emergency vehicle operation policies are needed for patrol officers (e.g., 

those regarding speeding, pursuits, running lights, and sirens)? What policy guidance is needed in 

response to calls for service? What policy guidelines are needed for supervisors and managers (e.g., how 

many mobile units should be engaged in a pursuit, when should mobile units be added to the pursuit, or 

when should mobile units stand down)?

Training: What type of training do officers need? Are there in-service and/or recruit training programs 

that have been shown to be effective in reducing vehicle crash deaths and injuries? 

Practice/Programs: What specific practices or programs should departments have to reduce deaths and 

injuries from vehicle crashes?

Risk management

Research: What do we know about the impact of risk management programs on police agencies? Have 

risk management programs shown their effectiveness in reducing deaths and injuries to officers?

Policy: What policies should guide the development of risk management programs? In which area of the 

agency should a risk management program be placed to have the greatest impact? 

Training: What type of training should risk management personnel have? What role does risk 

management play in officer training? 

Practice/Programs: What specific risk management practices or programs should departments have to 

reduce officer deaths and injuries?

Training

Research: What are the gaps in the existing research on the impact of recruit and in-service officer 

training? What are the most effective methods for training officers in risk situations?

Policy: What policies should guide law enforcement training for risk situations? How does training fit 

into the disciplinary process to modify officer behavior? 

Training: What are the measures of effectiveness for officer safety training programs and objectives? 

What training should supervisors receive to enhance the effectiveness of officer safety programs?

Practice/Programs: What specific training practices or programs should departments have to reduce 

deaths and injuries? 
4

The following sections summarize the subject-matter experts’ presentations and provide recommendations 

that law enforcement agencies can apply to their practices to improve officer safety and wellness regarding 

vehicle operations, risk management, and problem-based learning.

Initial remarks 

The meeting began with a welcome from the COPS Office Director Bernard K. Melekian and BJA Director 

Denise O’Donnell. Both stressed the importance of officer safety and wellness on a personal level, to their 

organizations, to U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., and to the entire U.S. Department of Justice. 

They expressed appreciation for the OSW Group and challenged it to continue its thoughtful pursuit of ways 

to reduce deaths and injuries to officers. 

Lunchtime remarks were made on behalf of the Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) Mary Lou Leary, acting 

assistant attorney general, who emphasized the importance of officer safety and thanked the group for its 

work. She also summarized the ongoing contributions of OJP and its bureaus and offices in reducing officer 

injuries and death:

◾ Since the VALOR program launched in 2010, 1,700 officers have been trained and more than 8,000 

officer safety toolkits have been distributed. The website, www.valorforblue.org, includes a wide range of 

information on how to keep officers safe and has received 2.25 million hits as of April 25, 2012.

◾ The lack of research regarding officer wellness is a growing concern in the law enforcement community 

and to help fill this gap the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has committed itself to evidence-based 

research and identifying best practices:

— The NIJ has expanded its testing and evaluation for chemical, biological, radiological, and 

nuclear (CBRN) gear and bomb technicians under the NIJ’s Standards and Testing Program. 

Based on findings from this expansion, NIJ has developed and published the “CBRN Protective 

Ensemble Standard for Law Enforcement,” which provides minimum requirements for form and 

fit, performance, test, documentation, and labeling CBRN of protective ensembles to protect law 

enforcement personnel from CBRN hazards. 

— NIJ is currently funding a study to identify the factors involving officer-involved vehicle crashes.

— Two recent NIJ-funded studies on sleep disorder and shift-length revealed that:

▪	 40 percent of officers screened positive for sleep disorders, which is twice the rate of the general 

population (Rajaratman et al. 2011).

▪	 The 10-hour shift was the optimal shift length for officers, as it produced less overtime and a 

higher quality of life (Amendola et al. 2011).

— NIJ is also developing dissemination mechanisms designed to help people in the field be aware of the 

research and its implications for policy and practice. 

◾ In response to chiefs across this country who expressed concern about the increase in officer suicides, 

BJA has developed a law enforcement suicide prevention tool kit to help agencies deal with this problem 

and the stigma attached to it. 

◾ OJP is working on a “what works’” database, www.crimesolutions.gov, where various approaches to 

public safety issues are reviewed to see if a program is effective, promising, and showing results. The 

database has about 200 programs already reviewed on the site, includes a rating system for the programs, 

and can be searched by keywords.

Leary concluded her remarks by encouraging the OSW Group to be candid with its views on the steps 

needed to improve officer safety. 
5

Vehicle operations 

Officer deaths and injuries from traffic crashes has been a 

problem for many years. Officers must drive in all kinds of 

conditions and are expected to perform many tasks while 

their vehicles are in motion. Officers must be mindful of 

the radio, computers, telephones, license plate readers, and 

radar as they simultaneously observe their surroundings 

while on patrol. At times they are called on to drive under 

stressful emergency conditions, in heavy traffic, with drivers 

distracted by cell phones and radios impairing their ability 

to hear the sirens. Officers also take risks at times by driving 

at higher speeds in response to calls from the community or 

other officers in need of help. The conditions under which 

they drive are less than ideal, and one can expect crashes 

will occur. Even under these conditions, some officers are 

never involved in crashes while others seem to have more 

difficulty avoiding them.

The OSW Group’s vehicle operations session focused on 

trying to understand the circumstances under which crashes 

occur and identify steps that police agencies can take to 

reduce injuries and deaths emanating from the necessity to 

multi-task while driving a police vehicle. The group heard 

from a panel of experts on three different aspects of vehicle 

operations: a research initiative, crash reduction, and driver 

distraction. 

“There’s no question that

these are dangerous times 

for law enforcement and 

perhaps more dangerous 

by recent personnel and 

budget cuts. Our obligation 

at DOJ is to reduce that 

danger.”

— Mary Lou Leary 

Acting Assistant Attorney General 

Office of Justice Programs

Research initiative

For the first presentation, Geoffrey Alpert and Jeff Rojek, 

professors from the University of South Carolina, discussed 

the Situation Appropriate Focused and Educated (SAFE) 

Driving Campaign, established in 2010 by the California 

Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training 

(POST) with the goal of reducing fatalities and injuries that 

result from officer-involved vehicle collisions in California 

and across the nation. 

SAFE incorporates a collective strategy of research, 

education, policy development, and training. It also includes 

a research team to investigate collision causes and identify 

interventions. In the study the SAFE team is currently 

conducting, a number of initial questions were of interest, 

including the following: 

◾ Why are the rates of crashes and injuries so different 

from agency to agency? 

◾ What contributes to changes in a department’s crash rate 

(e.g., department culture, policy, or training)?

Decreased TrafficRelated Fatalities

For the first time in 14 years, traffic-related 

fatalities were less than firearms-related 

fatalities. In 2011, 64 officers were killed 

on the roadway—a 10 percent decrease 

from the 71 officers killed the previous year. 

In addition, 2011 tied with 2005 for the 

second-lowest number of officer trafficrelated fatalities in the last 15 years. 

Source: National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial 

Fund (NLEOMF 2011)
6

Research initiatives such as SAFE are much needed. Officer deaths from motor vehicle crashes increased 

over a 30-year period from 1980 to 2008 while deaths for other reasons declined (Young Noh 2011; 

see Figure 1). According to Alpert and Rojek, the majority of vehicle crash-related deaths are due to 

automobiles, although some occur with motorcycles and others are the result of officers being struck on the 

side of the road. The impact of vehicle crashes is far reaching. The loss of life has an enormous effect on the 

organization, the officer’s family, and the community. Non-fatal injury crashes leave officers with physical 

and psychological trauma as well as long-term disabilities. 

Figure 1: 1980–2008 Causes of Officer Fatalities

29% 35% 48%

71% 65% 52%

Motor 

Vehicle 

Crashes 

Other 

Reasons

1980−1989

436

1990−1999

446

2000−2008

559

1980−1989

1074

1990−1999

838

2000−2008

610

Source: Young Noh 2011

California POST (2009) reports that the number of California peace officer 

injury collisions increased at an average annual rate of more than 11 percent 

between 1997 and 2007. 

Rojek also summarized the research on officer-involved traffic collisions:

◾ The primary victims of traffic-related deaths are males in their mid-20s 

through mid-30s (Young Noh 2011). 

◾ Speeding, red light / stop sign violations, and improper turns are 

behaviors that contribute to officer-involved crashes (Young Noh 2011). 

◾ Officers with in-service driving simulator and/or behind-the-wheel 

training had lower crash rates than officers without (California POST 

2009).

◾ The majority of injuries and fatalities suffered in officer-involved 

collisions were members of the public—50 percent serious injuries and 83 

percent fatalities (suspects and bystanders) (Rix, Walker, and Brown 1997).

The NIJ funded Alpert and Rojek to partner with California POST to study traffic- and crash-related 

incidents that occurred from 1998 to 2009. The study examined more than 600 law enforcement agencies in 

California to determine the following:

◾ The prevalence of officer-involved vehicle collisions

◾ The number of injuries and fatalities of officers and citizens in officer-involved incidents

◾ The types of incidents, officer demographics, and jurisdictional factors associated with the rates of 

injuries and fatalities of those officers involved in vehicle collisions

◾ Factors that explain the differences found in collision rates between agencies

“Officer collisions 

have received little 

attention from policing 

scholars.”

— Jeff Rojek 

University of 

South Carolina
7

The results showed that 43,000 crashes involved officers and of those collisions 30 percent involved injuries 

and 98 officers were killed. The professors and California POST also found that whether officers engage in 

safety practices, such as wearing a seat belt, depended upon the organization’s cultural safety standard.

Alpert and Rojek, in partnership with the NIJ and BJA, California POST, are currently conducting further 

research to identify the dimensions of a safety culture in relation to officer-involved traffic collisions and to 

determine the following:

◾ Factors influencing high and low collision rates in law enforcement agencies

◾ Model policies and procedures for safer vehicle operations

◾ Training that increases driver awareness and encourages the implementation of best driving practices

◾ Accountability practices for officers once they are involved in traffic collisions

◾ Components that create or enhance a cultural organizational value towards driver safety practices

Thus far, they have determined that most agencies have good driver safety policies, but there are 

accountability and supervision issues in ensuring these policies are effectively implemented and followed.

Figure 2. 2011 Traffic-Related Fatalities Figure 2. 2011 Trafc-Related Fatalities

42 auto crashes

11 struck by vehicle

5 motorcycle crashes

2 train incidents

Number of Incidents

70%

18%

8.5%

3.5%

Source: National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF 2011)

Alpert concluded the presentation with some recommendations resulting from his work in the field and 

safety research covering a wide range of professions that can have an impact on reducing officer-involved 

vehicle collisions. These recommendations include having supervisors and agency personnel do the 

following:

◾ Train officers on an ongoing basis to emphasize driver safety.

◾ Include communication and feedback to patrol officers regarding their driving performance and safety 

practices.

◾ Ensure quality of equipment to minimize equipment failures during critical times.

◾ Implement quality investigations of incidents to ensure officer safety in the future from lessons learned.

◾ Develop and implement a safety incentive program.

The OSW Group participants were asked by the meeting facilitator, Bascom “Dit” Talley, if the strategies 

their departments have used to address crime could be applied to the problem of officer-involved crashes. 

Nola Joyce, Philadelphia (PA) police deputy commissioner and chief administrative officer, described how 

her department set up a CompStat on vehicle operations: the department brought together the districts 
8

with the highest and lowest crash rates to engage in problem solving, not just to compare statistics. They 

established a strict policy around vehicle chases, but a recent pursuit ended with an officer striking another 

vehicle in an intersection, killing a father and injuring a mother and 4-year-old son. There was a helicopter 

following the pursuit and, according to policy, the chase should have been called off, but not one supervisor 

intervened. She argued that high-quality supervision would contribute to crash reduction. 

The value of automated vehicle locater systems in crash reduction was also a point of discussion. Some 

participants said they use these systems as a tool to monitor officers’ driving behavior while others do not 

because some officers view this tool as “big brother watching them.”

Crash reduction policy and training 

Deputy Chief Marc Joseph presented the Las Vegas Metropolitan (NV) Police Department (LVMPD) 

approach to reduce crashes. The department experienced a tragic loss of three officers due to vehicle crashes 

within a six-month period. Two officers were not wearing safety belts—one of whom was thrown from the 

car. In two cases, lights and sirens were not in operation despite the vehicles traveling well above the speed 

limit. One officer was responding to a call; however, LVMPD’s investigators do not know what the other 

officers were doing when the collision occurred. The officers were 28, 30, and 45 years old with 2, 6, and 25 

years of experience, respectively. It was a terrible wake up call for the department, which recognized it had a 

problem that needed to be addressed and corrected. 

The LVMPD began its review with a comprehensive examination of vehicle crashes. The department 

partnered with an advertising agency that participated in ride-alongs and surveyed the officers in the 

department to gain insight into officer driving habits and concerns. The department also looked to the 

private sector with a visit to the United Parcel Service where employees receive a safe driving message every 

day. These reviews led to the development of an educational campaign and several policy changes that were 

launched during a meeting of the department’s command-level personnel. The changes that resulted from 

this review included the following:

◾ Require Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC) training every year for the first three years of 

hire and then every other year afterward with online training. EVOC training is conducted at night as 

well. Officers that fail to pass the training are not permitted to drive. 

◾ Emphasize the wearing of seat belts at all times. 

◾ Establish a cap of 20 mph over the posted speed limit when driving under emergency conditions other 

than pursuits. Vehicles without emergency equipment must adhere to the posted speed limit.

◾ Give the Accident Review Board more authority, and expect it to apply progressive discipline in cases 

where the officer is at fault. 

With the help of the advertising firm, the department developed an educational campaign, which included 

posters throughout the department and stickers on its vehicles with safe driving reminders. One part, called 

the “Hero Campaign,” prepared a video that every employee was required to watch. It profiled three officers 

that had been in serious crashes but survived because they were wearing their seat belts: 

◾ One of the officers talks about crossing the center median while driving in an emergency mode. He 

was distracted by looking at the mobile data terminal. When he looked up, he realized he had hit a 

motorcyclist and experienced the emotions of having killed the rider.

◾ Another officer indicated that while en route to a call he passed a sergeant who was going 55 mph 

when he was going 70 mph. He thought the sergeant just did not want to go to the call, but the officer 

acknowledges he should have slowed his speed, too. The sergeant took no action to slow the officer 

down. 

◾ The LVMPD sheriff also prepared a video message about staying alive that followed the officer profiles. 

He emphasized that: 

— Over the past 11 years, more officers have lost their lives in car crashes than by firearms.

— Extensive time and efforts have been put into changing policies and procedures.

— “Seat belts save lives; driving safely saves lives. If you don’t arrive, you can’t assist.”
9

The department believes its efforts are resulting in success: officer-involved crashes declined by 15 percent 

in 2011, compared to 2010. Also, Accident Review Board cases have declined by 25 percent in the same 

timeframe. Although exact statistics are not available, Joseph reports that more officers are wearing seat 

belts. Joseph also believes that there are still too many crashes due to inattention, improper backing, and 

following too close but that further reductions are possible with continued focus on the issue. 

Driver distraction research 

The NIJ (2011) supports several projects aimed at understanding the circumstances under which officers 

drive and become involved in vehicle crashes. Likewise, the Rand Corporation is studying the causes of 

injuries and deaths. University of South Carolina researchers are working on evidence-based solutions to 

officer-involved crashes, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is looking at warning police about 

and mitigating traffic threats to officers stopped along the roadside. 

For this third presentation, the OSW Group heard from Dr. Teena Garrison, an assistant research professor 

with Mississippi State University, who is studying the impact of in-car communications devices on officers’ 

patrol performance. 

Police officers must process and respond effectively and safely to a variety of visual and auditory stimuli in 

the patrol the environment. These demands on attention, such as radio calls from dispatch, are a necessary 

part of the officer’s job expectations. Garrison’s project evaluated the driving, visual attention, and situation 

awareness of 14 municipal officers while driving under varying cognitive loads to determine the impact on 

officers’ ability to execute patrols. The officers, recruited from local agencies, performed a “patrol” using 

the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems Driving Simulator. The three levels of cognitive load were (1) 

baseline patrol driving (i.e., without radio calls or data terminal information distractions), (2) patrol driving 

with radio calls, and (3) patrol driving with radio calls and an in-car data terminal. This research focused on 

how the growing number of in-vehicle technologies designed to support the officer might be contributing to 

a greater cognitive load and distraction. 

Garrison and her team anticipated that the need to process information over the radio would lead to 

changes in driving performance (i.e., steering and lane position variability), visual attention deployment 

(i.e., eye movements), and situation awareness (i.e., comprehension of the current situational state). 

Garrison also expected that providing the information two ways (a radio and in-car device such as a mobile 

data terminal) would make the information redundant and thus easier to comprehend, reducing the impact 

a single device would have on the officer’s attention. Finally, the structure of the information transmitted to 

the officers during patrol was of interest. 

During the simulated patrols, radio calls were presented in either the ten-codes (e.g., 10-20 = location) 

commonly used in police departments or in a more natural language structure (e.g., “What is your 

location?”). The ten-codes take advantage of brevity but sacrifice message transparency. However, while a 

natural language structure may be easier to understand, it can require a longer transmission time. 

The results of this work indicate that when coded language is paired with a display echoing communication 

with dispatch, or when a natural language structure is used without such a display, accuracy of situation 

awareness was similar to a control condition (i.e., baseline patrol driving) without distraction (see Figure 

3 on page 10). The evidence to date is tentative but leading to the concern that police departments should 

be thoughtful of how certain technologies and practices interact. More technology in a vehicle does not 

necessarily mean better officer performance.
10

Figure 3. Percentage of Situation Awareness Misses

Baseline 10 Code

Active Display

10 Code

Static Display

Natural

Active Display

Natural

Static Display

Figure 3. Percentage of Situation Awareness Misses

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

10.00% 10.29%

22.07%

18.58% 16.54%

Source: Dr. Teena Garrison, Mississippi State University

OSW Group participants asked Garrison about the value of “heads up” displays as a way of proving 

information and keeping officers’ eyes on the road. Garrison indicated they work well in an aviation 

environment but not for street driving, as they create another distraction. 

Another participant asked about simulators as training devices. Generally those agencies with experience 

using simulators thought they were valuable when properly used. OSW Group participant Hugh Ferguson, 

superintendent of the Toronto (ON, Canada) Police Service, indicated that his department believes driving 

simulators are an effective tool and it has done a study with one academy class of about 150 officers where 

half of them received only regular driver training while the other half also received simulator training. 

Moreover, as noted above, California POST research indicates that officers who have both behind the wheel 

and simulator training experience fewer crashes. 
11

Risk management

Risk management programs have been a part of public and private sector organizations for many years. 

They provide a systematic approach to minimize an organization’s exposure to risk, including employee 

injuries. To be more specific, 

a risk management system includes various policies, procedures, and practices that work in unison to 

identify, analyze, evaluate, address, and monitor risk. Risk management information is used along with 

other corporate information, such as feasibility, to arrive at a risk management decision. Transferring 

risk to another party, lessening the negative effect of risk, and avoiding risk altogether are considered 

risk management strategies. Examples of risk management practices include purchasing insurance, 

installing security systems, maintaining cash reserves, and diversification. Traditional risk management 

works to reduce vulnerabilities that are associated with accidents, deaths, and lawsuits, among others. 

Financial risk management focuses on minimizing risks through the use of financial tools and instruments 

including various trading techniques and financial analysis. Many large corporations employ teams of risk 

management personnel. (Investors Glossary 2012)

Although local governments generally have risk 

management programs that work with police, 

relatively few large police agencies have their 

own. A 2005 telephone survey of police agencies 

revealed that only 14 of 354 agencies identified risk 

management as a tool to control liability within their 

organizations (Archbold 2005). An Internet search 

identified a few police agencies—e.g., Los Angeles 

and Austin—with risk management functions. 

Superintendent Hugh Ferguson of the Toronto (ON, 

Canada) Police Service (TPS) addressed the group to 

share his experience on the operation of the agency’s 

Risk Management Unit, which is a part of the 

professional standards function within the agency’s 

command structure. The mission of the unit is to 

look at risk management from three perspectives:

◾ Risk of the officer

◾ Risk of the public / to the public

◾ Risk to the organization, which includes damage 

to it and prevention of civil suits

Case Study: Municipal Pooling 

Authority, Walnut Creek, CA

Situation: The Municipal Pooling Authority, located 

in Walnut Creek, CA, provides risk management 

services to 14 police departments and 20 municipalities mostly located in Contra Costa County. Prior 

to working with Future Industrial Technologies, Inc. 

(FIT), the police departments were experiencing a 

rising number of injuries resulting in a substantial 

trend of increasing workers’ compensation costs.

Solution: FIT recommended the Backsafe® program 

customized for law enforcement, with both classroom training and an obstacle course involving the 

use of an actual police car in a police station setting.

Results: In the two complete fiscal years subsequent to the Backsafe program, a reduction in the 

lift, push, and pull type of injuries by 60 percent has 

been documented as well as a reduction in the cost 

of those injuries by approximately 90 percent. The 

Municipal Pooling Authority believes the effort to address police injuries has produced some synergistic 

benefits with respect to the entire police workers’ 

compensation program. The overall cost of police 

injuries after the implementation of the Backsafe 

program was reduced from $3.5 million per year to 

$1 million per year over a two-year period, representing a 70 percent decrease.

Source: Future Industrial Technologies, Inc.
12

The Risk Management Unit is mandated to do the following:

◾ Provide an effective and efficient support service to the department to ensure its standards are 

maintained in police practice, conduct, appearance, ethics, and integrity

◾ Strengthen the public’s confidence and cooperation by:

— Proactively analyzing and reviewing high-risk behavioral trends and patterns

— Monitoring compliance with service standards, policies, and procedures

The TPS focuses heavily on supervision, holding supervisors accountable for officers’ behavior on the street. 

As such, supervision is an important aspect of the unit’s risk management approach. Following incidents, 

the Risk Management Unit holds mandatory debriefing sessions designed to be candid with the intent of 

improving policy and practice. Like other police agencies, one area of significant risk for the Toronto Police 

Service lies in vehicle operation. The majority of its vehicle crashes involve officers with less than seven 

years of service. The police service has taken a number of steps to help reduce officer-involved collisions:

◾ Cameras automatically activated by a crash sensor, which records a collision and events shortly thereafter, 

were installed in all vehicles. Reviewing camera footage to learn from such events has resulted in 

improved driving habits. 

◾ The TPS instituted a policy where officers pay the traffic fine if they run red lights and are not on an 

emergency call. This is intended to slow officers down and to improve their driving habits and skills. 

However, policy does allow officers the authority to go through red lights after coming to a stop to make 

sure the intersection is clear.

◾ The unit has developed a policy that requires officers involved in crashes to attend remedial training 

with the expressed intent to assess their driving. The TPS places additional emphasis on driving skill 

improvement for officers returning to the uniform division, as they are required to retrain in vehicle 

operations.

◾ The TPS makes significant use of driving simulators for active and in-service training.
13

Problem-based learning 

Training is a necessary and indispensable part of the 

challenge to reduce officer deaths and injuries. Police 

officers are provided a substantial amount of training, from 

entry-level academies that for many agencies last more 

than six months to a wide range of in-service training. 

Most of this training is conducted in a traditional training 

environment involving lectures, assigned reading, question 

and answer interaction, and memorization. Officers are 

then expected to demonstrate their knowledge on periodic 

written examinations. 

This teacher-centered strategy has been critiqued on its 

narrow focus and failure “to promote the critical thinking 

and problem-solving skills police require in their operational 

roles” (Shipton 2009). As a result, a number of police 

departments have been exploring the benefits of a problembased learning (PBL) strategy. 

Beginning in the 1960s at the McMaster Medical School, 

PBL was developed because of a “perceived need to produce 

graduates who were prepared to deal with the information 

explosion and who could think critically and solve complex 

problems. This institution developed its entire curriculum 

around problem-based learning” (Major and Palmer 2001). 

PBL is “both a curriculum and a process. The curriculum consists of carefully selected and designed 

problems that demand from the learner acquisition of critical knowledge, problem-solving proficiency, 

self-directed learning strategies, and team participation skills. The process replicates the commonly used 

systemic approach to resolving problems or meeting challenges that are encountered in life and career” 

(Barrows and Kelson 1995). 

Since its introduction, PBL has been widely adopted in medicine and education. The Reno (NV) Police 

Department began experimenting with this method of learning in 2001 for officer field training and tested 

the idea in five additional agencies. The OSW Group had the opportunity to hear from Reno’s chief of 

police, Steven Pitts, about the application of PBL in a police context. Pitts described this learning approach 

in the context of six points:

1. The classroom instructor develops learning objectives and guiding questions based on relevant problems 

encountered by officers. 

2. The learner examines a variety of factors, resources, and responses to analyze and problem solve a 

situation as a team. In solving the problem, the learners are asked to do the following:

a. Identify their initial ideas.

b. List and discuss with the learning group members the known facts.

c. Identify the learning issues (“What do I need to know?”) and the resources available to them.

d. Develop an initial course of action.

e. Evaluate the response and outcomes to learn from success and failure.

Idaho POST

Staff at Idaho Peace Officer Standards 

and Training (POST) developed a 70-hour 

problem-based learning exercise (PBLE) 

and integrated this program into the existing Basic Patrol Officer Academy. 

Following PBLE, students completed an 

in-depth survey prompting feedback on the 

ability of the program to develop various 

skills known to be important to policing. 

Results indicate that the pilot PBLE is 

significant in helping students develop new 

policing skills, demonstrating how information learned in class applies to field work, 

aiding in recall of class material, developing problem-solving skills, and learning 

skills needed to work in groups in the law 

enforcement field. 

Source: Werth 2009
14

3. PBL is a self-directed learning process that is supported by trainers and facilitators.

4. Cohort learning groups provide diverse perspectives, skills, knowledge, and abilities.

5. Learning and understanding the importance and effectiveness of emotional intelligence and adult 

learning principles applied to real-life situations are key factors and outcomes to successful PBL 

strategies.

6. Course evaluation and student assessment methods must be completed to understand if the PBL 

approach to solving problems was effective and to determine what could be improved.

Pitts also presented the key differences between traditional teaching approaches and problem-based learning 

(see Table 1). 

Table 1. Why Change the Way We Teach

Traditional Teaching Problem-Based Learning

Teacher is expert Teacher facilitates and guides

Students often work alone Students work in teams

Content driven Problem-solving first, content second

Emphasizes memorization Emphasizes analytical skills and problem 

framing and solving

Didactic instruction may 

reinforce naive view of 

learning (passive)

Interactive learning process that encourages 

critical thinking, teamwork, resource 

identification, and network development

Learning capacity oriented 

around passing test

Capacity-oriented: e.g., developing lifelong 

learning and leadership skills 

Source: Chief Steven Pitts, Reno (NV) Police Department

The PBL style of teaching recognizes that police officers are adult learners that bring to the classroom 

professional knowledge and experience. Many have college degrees. Most have worked in some other 

profession before joining law enforcement, and some come into the field with a military background. When 

looking at officer safety and wellness issues, an agency may find that the PBL approach is a more effective 

way to examine problems and find solutions.

The use of PBL has experienced slow but steady growth since its introduction to policing in 2001. The Police 

Society for Problem-Based Learning, established in 2007, contains a list of more than 50 featured agencies 

and four police academies in the United States and Canada that have adopted its Police Training Officer 

model as of late-2007 (PSPBL 2012). 
15

In addition to the presentation on PBL, the OSW Group took the opportunity to hear from Pitts on a 

wellness program introduced in the Reno Police Department in 2008. The department chose to focus on 

developing resiliency (e.g., maintaining good health and promoting exercise) as a path to wellness, as it 

found the traditional model of wellness that addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of living 

inadequate to meet the needs of police officers. The agency created a preventative-type model to health and 

wellness that includes the following components:

◾ Advance testing of blood work: Officers are asked to participate in having their blood drawn and 

analyzed by a laboratory to identify any endocrine imbalances or other body wellness issues that 

indicate precursors to or possible heart disease and diabetes. Examples of routine blood laboratory tests 

include lipids (e.g., triglycerides and cholesterol), the thyroid, inflammatory markers, hormones, insulin 

resistance, and metabolic syndrome.

◾ Emotional survival: Reno Police Department developed a wellness initiative that includes early 

intervention for substance abuse, annual physicals and fitness, and psychological and emotional services. 

It also made annual wellness clinics available to officer to ensure they are not at risk for Post-Traumatic 

Stress Disorder, depression, or other factors that could have impacted their emotional wellbeing during 

the past year and to assist officers if they may be having a difficult time. In addition, interventions are 

conducted immediately following high-risk, stressful events.

◾ Nutrition: The departments recommend its officers follow a low inflammatory diet with higher protein 

and lower carbohydrates, as opposed to the standard diet recommended by the American Dietetic 

Association.

◾ Exercise: The nature of policing is primarily anaerobic, and therefore agencies should make exercise 

mandatory for officers’ safety, health, and wellness. The Reno Police Department trains its officers in a 

manner that prepares them for the diverse demands of the job. This training includes alternating interval 

training with basic weightlifting and running to keep officers in good physical condition.

◾ Lifestyle management: The department encourages its officers to balance their job with their home and 

personal life to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

◾ Family: Family members are allowed to participate in the wellness clinic and all assessments of the 

individual officers to help provide encouragement and support to officers in staying healthy through 

proper nutrition and exercise.

◾ Organizational leadership: The departments’ leadership models health and wellness and builds this 

model into its budget; being knowledgeable about the programs, providing organizational support, and 

targeting these areas as agency-wide priorities are key to successfully promoting health and wellness to 

officers.

The Reno Police Department has experienced some interesting results since the adoption of this preventive 

model. In assessing the impact of the new program with an initial group of 15 officers, nine of whom were at 

high risk for future health problems, the department compared the projected cost of medically retiring these 

officers to the cost of offering a health program that would help them become healthier—the latter option 

showed a projected $9.9 million savings. 

Furthermore, the state of Nevada tested 750 public safety employees and learned that 26 percent were 

at a high risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other health risks. Based on this information, the 

Reno Police Department applied this percentage to their current number of officers and, based on their 

projections, estimated the program cost of $1600 per employee per year is returned many times over 

compared to the cost of not having the health program. 

Wellness, being an important issue to the OSW Group, will be the subject of its own meeting in the future. 
16

Discussion and action agenda

Based on the research, case studies, background reading, individual expertise, and discussions throughout 

the day, the OSW Group broke into three smaller groups to discuss and identify recommendations and 

observations for police agencies to consider that might help reduce officer deaths and injuries. The three groups 

discussed vehicle operations, risk management, and problem-based learning and other training. The OSW 

Group meeting facilitator, Bascom “Dit” Talley, asked each group to respond to the questions outlined below in 

terms of research, policy, training, and practice/programs; examples and additional details have been added to 

the groups’ comments and recommendations for clarification:

Vehicle operations

Research

Question(s)

◾ What are the gaps in the existing research for police vehicle operation? 

— Do we know the demographic profile of officers with higher crash risk?

— Do we understand the impact of distractions—phones, radios, computers, patrol observation?

— What do we know about officer driving behavior? 

Comment(s) and Recommendation(s)

◾ Regarding demographics, officers involved in crashes tend to be white, male, and younger with 

approximately 6 years of experience on the force and older with 20 years of experience. One reason could 

be that younger officers feel more invincible and older officers’ reactions times and ability to mitigate an 

accident are slower, but research is unclear.

◾ The data currently available is preliminary; more research is needed to define the problem (e.g., officer 

demographics, crash rates, and distractions in the officer’s car that impact vehicle operations). 

◾ A lot of information is available about serious/fatal accidents, but the day-to-day accidents need to be studied 

and demographic data needs to be collected from those incidents. This level of information is missing.

◾ Questions that should be addressed include the following:

— What are the thought patterns of officers who are willing to engage in high-risk vehicle maneuvers? (For 

example, if police physiologists could identify such patterns, then an agency could screen officers for 

them, allowing an agency to take proactive steps through officer selection practices, training, policies, 

and procedures.)

— Is there a personality profile that police psychologists could develop to identify thought patterns 

associated with hazardous driving behavior? (If so, then those officers could be further evaluated for 

patrol competency, ensuring they drive safely. Knowing an officer’s propensity toward risky driving 

behavior may also flag a need for increased supervisory monitoring.) 

— What are the differences between officers involved in crashes and those who are rarely or never 

involved? (Understanding the driving practices of these two groups of officers would inform best 

practices in training and policies. Researchers could also look at various factors that may increase the 

odds of an officer crashing a vehicle, such as shift time, fatigue, or stress.)

— What can be learned from military, fire department, and trucking research regarding crashes, sleep 

deprivation, and other factors that can be used to study law enforcement crashes?

— Why are more males involved in crashes than females? (Such an understanding could help develop inservice driving training geared for male officers.)

— What are the driving habits of returning military veterans? (For example, no research identifies whether 

veterans engage in riskier driving habits or are safer drivers, and it is important to understand possible 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder triggers that could occur while driving on police duty. 

— Are agencies collecting the data that will help in understanding the problem? (The type of data described 

above may be collected by agencies, but how many agencies do so and what their findings are remain 

unclear because there is neither a standard for what should be collected nor a central depository for this 

information.)
17

◾ Areas that require further research include the following: 

— Reaction times (e.g., an officer’s ability to react quickly to road conditions)

— Glare (e.g., minimization methods)

— Dusk and other low-light situations

— Changes to officers’ shifts (e.g., to determine possible effects on crashes)

— Officer aggressive driving behavior (e.g., enforcement tactics) 

— Officer “struck by” incidents (i.e., officers killed by a passing vehicle; NIJ is currently funding MIT 

research in this area)

— Multi-tasking effects on patrol performance (e.g., using mobile digital computers and license plate 

readers)

— Impact of vehicle equipment on officer safety (e.g., wearing seat belts for protection versus not 

wearing for a quicker exit)

— Two officers in a cruiser (e.g., best practices and research regarding whether a one- or two-officer 

occupied cruiser enhances safety)

◾ Considering the cruiser is like a mobile command center, how much information does the officer really 

need to know while driving versus what the officer needs to know at the scene? Furthermore, how does 

an officer balance what he or she needs or doesn’t need to know?

◾ Should the word “multi-tasking” replace the term “distractions,” as the word “distraction” has an 

unintentional negative connotation?

Policy 

Question(s)

◾ What vehicle operation policies should agencies have in place to improve officer safety (e.g., general 

maintenance)? 

— What emergency vehicle operation policies are needed for patrol officers (e.g., those regarding 

speeding, pursuits, running lights, and sirens)?

— What policy guidance is needed in response to calls for service?

— What policy guidelines are needed for supervisors and managers (e.g., how many mobile units 

should be engaged in a pursuit, when should mobile units be added to the pursuit, or when should 

mobile units stand down)?

Comment(s) and Recommendation(s)

◾ Policies regarding situations in which officers respond to officer-needing-assistance calls and self-deploy 

to the scene, especially when these incidents involve multi-jurisdictional responses, should be clearly 

defined. 

◾ Supervisors play a critical role in ensuring their officers observe policies and thus need to do the 

following:

— Monitor and manage call response

— Send consistent and frequent safety messages

— Explain policies to officers and ensure they are understood

◾ International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) model policies are a source for agencies when 

developing policies. Agencies can also contact other law enforcement agencies to inquire about and learn 

from their specific policies. 

◾ For example, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) implemented a policy that 

requires officers to not exceed 20 mph over the speed limit while driving under emergency conditions 

other than pursuits. Other agencies have implemented similar policies.

◾ Do agencies require officers to wear reflective vests at night when conducting police work? Are they 

enforcing these policies to ensure officer safety? 
18

Training

Question(s)

◾ What type of training do officers need? 

◾ Are there in-service and/or recruit training programs that have shown to be effective in reducing vehicle 

crash deaths and injuries? 

Comment(s) and Recommendation(s)

◾ Training should be based on research findings; however, that is not what occurs in most law enforcement 

agencies. Although there are gaps in the research, many law enforcement agencies still invest significant 

resources in both entry-level and in-service training. 

◾ Determining the effectiveness of this non-research-based training continues to be a challenge for law 

enforcement, as few national studies examine its effectiveness and how it improves officer skills when 

out on the street. Most training evaluations are done by the agency that conducts the training, which is 

process oriented; various tests measure the knowledge and skills gained from the training during and at 

its conclusion. 

◾ Officers with in-service driving simulator and/or behind-the-wheel training had lower crash rates than 

officers without (California POST 2009). (Thus, agencies should engage in more driving simulator 

training.) 

◾ The LVMPD requires officers successfully complete their Emergency Vehicle Operations Course 

annually for the first three years and then every other year thereafter along with annual online training. 

The department believes this training—along with an educational campaign—has contributed to a 

reduction in officer-involved crashes.

◾ Behaviors contributing to officer involved crashes include unsafe speed, red light/stop sign violations, 

and improper turning—all behaviors that can be influenced by training (Young Noe 2011).

Practice/programs 

Question(s)

◾ What specific practices or programs should departments have to reduce deaths and injuries from vehicle 

crashes?

Comment(s) and Recommendation(s)

◾ Vehicle maintenance was not addressed in the meeting presentations or conversations. This topic needs 

further discussion.

◾ Dispatchers could send calming messages in an effort to alert officers to drive safely. This was suggested 

as a possible innovative approach to messaging officers about the importance of driver safety. However, 

some practitioners felts that, while it has never been tried, radio time is so precious that it would take up 

too much airwave time.

◾ Creative messaging and holding officers accountable are the most important things a leader can do to 

impact officer safety. These distractions will always exist. For example, LVMPD has campaigns, like 

“buckle up” messaging, through creative means such as car stickers and roll call reminders. This should 

also be followed up by daily safety tips. Officers may tend to get complacent and feel too safe inside their 

car, and thus line supervisors and command staff should be ensuring consistent safety messaging.

◾ Families are untapped and should be included in reinforcing and providing constant messaging to 

“parent officers” about safe practices through education and information. 

Risk management

Research 

Question(s)

◾ What do we know about the impact of risk management programs on police agencies? 

◾ Have risk management programs shown their effectiveness in reducing deaths and injuries to officers?
19

Comment(s) and Recommendation(s)

◾ Few police agencies have their own risk management programs. The value of these programs should be 

examined on a national level. 

◾ Data on officer deaths and injuries is typically not available from one agency to the other. Steps should 

be taken to collect data that agencies could use to benchmark their agency’s risk management program 

against other agencies. 

Policy 

Question(s)

◾ What policies should guide the development of risk management programs? 

◾ In which area of the agency should a risk management program be placed to have the greatest impact? 

Comment(s) and Recommendation(s)

◾ Agencies that do not have their own risk management programs should explore creating one by working 

with the city program or collaborating with other agencies such as the Municipal Pooling Authority in 

Walnut Creek, CA. 

Training

Question(s)

◾ What type of training should risk management personnel have? 

◾ What role does risk management play in officer training? 

Comment(s) and Recommendation(s)

◾ The risk management field has training (e.g., identifying and analyzing at-risk safety issues) that should 

be applicable to law enforcement in terms of process for identifying problems, analysis, and developing 

responses (e.g., training, policies, and procedures that reduce or eliminate injury or loss of life, as well as 

the costs associated with such injuries or tragedies). 

Practice/programs 

Question(s)

◾ What specific risk management practices or programs should departments have to reduce officer deaths 

and injuries? 

Comment(s) and Recommendation(s)

◾ Successful risk management systems typically include clear awareness of risks (e.g., monitoring risks and 

practices that create injuries or safety problems for officers.), supervision (e.g., a critical component in 

ensuring officers follow safety policies and procedures), measurements of success, and policies tailored to 

an agency’s size and need.

◾ Key components to be incorporated into risk management programs include the following: 

— People (e.g., those committed to mitigating injuries and safety problems for officers)

— Policies (e.g., reviewed and properly implemented to minimize injuries and safety risks)

— Training (e.g., ongoing, consistent training that ensures proper deployment of procedures and police 

operations)

— Supervisors (e.g., those committed to proper deployment of policies and procedures)

— Audits (e.g., to determine if officers are properly following policies and procedures and to identify 

training needs or targeted in-service training)
20

Possible barriers to overcome when implementing a risk management program in an agency include 

the following:

— Divisions fearful of sharing data and being compared or judged on performance

— Officers perceiving risk management in a negative/punitive connotation

— Officers possibly concerned that the data will be used in a punitive manner 

— Officers and leadership needing to buy in to risk management to ensure cooperation and support

Problem-based learning and other training

Research 

Question(s)

◾ What are the gaps in the existing research on the impact of recruit and in-service officer training? 

◾ What are the most effective methods for training officers in risk situations?

Comment(s) and Recommendation(s)

◾ Task analysis studies are conducted by most states to determine entry-level training standards.

◾ The Royal Canadian Mounted Police found that new officers taught using problem-based learning (PBL) 

were 6 to 12 months more advanced than officers trained with traditional methods. 

◾ Officers should measure the effectiveness of training in the field. However, most of the measures 

currently used to evaluate training do not assess if the training translated to behavioral change.

◾ Training academies providing practical exercises and more hands-on training are better (e.g., officers are 

trained with the agency’s specific policies and procedures).

◾ Less seasoned officers should ride and patrol with experienced officers for increased training 

opportunities in an action-oriented environment.

◾ Researchers can conduct studies to determine what method works best in specific situations, such as 

simulations, scenario-based training, online training, and after-action reports. Debriefings are also 

needed. 

◾ Law enforcement agencies should consider examining military training to determine its application to 

law enforcement: e.g., The Navy Officer Performance Evaluation System from the Naval Special Warfare 

Command’s Navy Professional Development Center (which conducts assessments and prepares fitness 

reports on officers and chief petty officers. These reports are used for promotion, advanced training, 

specialization or sub specialization, and responsible duties) (Military Advantage 2012).

Policy 

Question(s)

◾ What policies should guide law enforcement training for risk situations? 

◾ How does training fit into the disciplinary process to modify officer behavior? 

Comment(s) and Recommendation(s)

◾ Policies in risk areas such as pursuits and use of force should be based on research and reinforced in the 

training environment.

◾ Officer’s training in an important behavior modification tool.

◾ Officers need to train and re-train on making decisions and judgments in various situations.

◾ Officers should be debriefed on their behavior so they can learn how to improve their behavior in risky 

situations.

◾ Traditional practices should be evaluated to determine if there are safer methods of doing police work: 

e.g., officers approaching the passenger’s side during traffic stops.
21

Training 

Question(s)

◾ What are the measures of effectiveness for officer safety training programs and objectives? 

◾ What training should supervisors receive to enhance the effectiveness of officer safety programs?

Comment(s) and Recommendation(s)

◾ Measurements to determine if training was effective in changing behavior and practices should include

the following:

— Determining improved performance based on organizational standards

— Identifying a reduction in the number of complaints

— Tracking officer absenteeism to determine if it has reduced

— Collecting injury information to demonstrate reduction 

— Counting the number of use of force incidents to determine if it has reduced

— Demonstrating traffic crash reduction by collecting accident data

— Recording lost work time (e.g., to demonstrate that healthier behavior reduces the amount of sick 

time an officer takes)

— Tracking civil suits to identify reductions in filings

— Documenting costs to the government (e.g., workmen’s compensation and reduction in litigation 

settlements)

◾ Supervisors should receive training in the following areas:

— Coaching, mentoring, and accountability 

— Decision-making and judgment process

— A “model of thinking” (i.e., a standard for sergeants to think about safety practices that will help 

them supervise more effectively)

Practice/programs 

Question(s)

◾ What specific training practices or programs should departments have to reduce deaths and injuries? 

Comment(s) and Recommendation(s)

◾ Agencies should develop and implement education programs aimed at reinforcing good driving behavior 

(e.g., wearing seat belts). Daily safety tips are a part of many agencies’ educational programs. 

◾ Agencies should consider assigning mentors or driving coaches to assist officers who have experienced 

problems driving in a patrol environment. Other training areas agencies should look into include 

simulation training for firearms and driving, scenario-based training, and practical exercises of high-risk 

situations.

◾ Agencies should also focus on wellness programs with annual physicals to help officers be physically fit.

◾ The department should look at risk analysis and ask, “What is determining our training needs?”

◾ Agencies should also focus on changing the culture of the police department (e.g., through problembased learning when officer injuries or deaths arise). 

◾ Agencies should have training practices or programs that look at situational awareness (e.g., time and 

environmental conditions that contribute to injuries or safety risks). 
22

Conclusion

Because gaps remain in current officer safety research, law enforcement agencies should both support and 

participate in the research that will fill those gaps. Debriefing after serious incidents can assist an agency in 

identifying steps to improve policies, training, and practices to save lives and lessen injuries. 

There are other steps agencies can take right now to help reduce deaths and injuries. For example, to reduce 

the frequency of car crashes, departments should implement policies that require officers to wear seat belts 

at all times and provide guidance regarding speeding during emergency situations. 

Law enforcement leaders need to create a risk management program in their agency, if it does not already 

have one, to monitor and analyze trends and develop mitigation steps. Agencies have become adept at using 

crime statistics to address specific problems—the same can be done with data on injuries, sick time, and 

vehicle crashes. 

To consider adopting a problem-based learning process is another way in which law enforcement agencies 

can help improve officer safety. While law enforcement agencies have become better with incorporating 

scenarios into their training methodologies that remind officers of the reality awaiting them, problem-based 

learning recognizes that adults bring professional knowledge and experience into the classroom and thus 

emphasizes enhancing officers’ analytical and problem-solving skills. 

The most important step a law enforcement agency can take is to make officer safety part of the top set of 

goals for the agency and continuously engage in efforts to monitor progress toward creating an environment 

where everyone in the organization accepts responsibility for operating in a safe manner. 
23

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25

Appendix A: OSW Group meeting agenda

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

810 Seventh Street, NW

Washington, DC 

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

8:30 – 9:00 AM Participant Arrival

9:00 – 9:15 AM Welcome

by Denise O’Donnell, J.D., Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance 

by Bernard K. Melekian, Director, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

9:15 – 9:30 AM Meeting Purpose and Overview of Previous Meetings

Facilitator: Darrel Stephens, Executive Director, Major Cities Chiefs Association

9:30 – 10:00 AM Introduction of Participants

Facilitator: Bascom “Dit” Talley, Faculty Coordinator, Johns Hopkins University 

10:00 – 10:15 AM Break

10:15 AM – 12:00 PM Vehicle Operations Panel

California POST Officer Crash Reduction Initiative

Presenters: Geoffrey Alpert, Ph.D., Professor, and Jeff Rojek, Ph.D., Professor, University of 

South Carolina

Crash Reduction Policy and Training Case Study

Presenter: Marc Joseph, Deputy Chief, Las Vegas Metropolitan (NV) Police Department 

Driver Distraction Research

Presenter: Teena Garrison, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor, 

Facilitator: Bascom “Dit” Talley, Faculty Coordinator, Johns Hopkins University

12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch (box lunch provided but paid for by participants) 

Remarks: Mary Lou Leary, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs

1:00 – 1:45 PM Risk Management Case Study

Presenter: Hugh Ferguson, Superintendent, Toronto (ON) Police Service 

1:45 – 2:30 PM Problem-Based Learning Presentation

Presenter: Steven Pitts, Chief, Reno (NV) Police Department 

2:30 – 2:45 PM Break

Coniinued on next page...
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2:45 – 3:45 PM Education and Training: Discussion and Action Agenda 

Participants will address the following issues in the context of vehicle operation, risk 

management and training:

Research: What are the gaps in the existing research on vehicle operation training? 

Policy: What policies should guide law enforcement in dealing with these issues? 

Training: What type of training do officers need? (Examples of department and other 

training that is available or needed) 

Practice/Programs: What specific practices or programs should departments have to 

address these issues? 

Facilitator: Bascom “Dit” Talley, Faculty Coordinator, Johns Hopkins University 

3:45 – 3:55 PM Next Meeting Focus: Leadership and Safety Practices

Participants will identify issues in this area in preparation for the next meeting. 

Facilitator: Bascom “Dit” Talley, Faculty Coordinator, Johns Hopkins University 

3:55 – 4:00 PM Closing Remarks

by Darrel Stephens, Executive Director, Major City Chiefs Association

4:00 PM Adjourn 
27

Appendix B: OSW Group meeting attendees

Geoffrey Alpert, Ph.D.

Professor

University of South Carolina

Karen L. Amendola, Ph.D.

Chief Operating Officer

Police Foundation

Michael N. Becar

Executive Director and 

Chief Executive Officer

International Association of Directors of 

Law Enforcement Standards and Training

Pamela J. Cammarata

Associate Deputy Director

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Joshua A. Ederheimer

Principal Deputy Director

Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services

Gary L. Edwards 

Chief Executive Officer

National Native American 

Law Enforcement Association

Chris Feather

Assistant Director

Prince William County (VA) 

Criminal Justice Academy

Hugh Ferguson

Superintendent

Toronto (ON) Police Service

Craig Frasier, Ph.D.

Director of Management Services 

Police Executive Research Forum

Stephanie A. Garbuczuk

Law Enforcement Coordination Manager

United States Attorney’s Office – DC

Joel Garner, Ph.D.

Chief of Law Enforcement Statistics Unit

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Teena Garrison, Ph.D.

Assistant Research Professor

Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems

Mississippi State University

Herbert V. Giobbi, J.D.

Chief Operating Officer

National Law Enforcement Officers 

Memorial Fund

William Glynn

Commander

Advanced Officer Training/Career 

Development

Prince George’s County (MD) 

Police Department

Rachel Hedge

Director of Government Affairs

National Association of Police Organizations

Dennis Hyater

Program Manager

Commission on Accreditation for 

Law Enforcement Agencies

Marc Joseph

Deputy Chief of Police

Special Operations Division 

Las Vegas Metropolitan (NV) 

Police Department

Nola Joyce

Deputy Commissioner and 

Chief Administrative Officer

Philadelphia (PA) Police Department

John Kenny, Ph.D.

Associate Director

Institute for Non-Lethal Defense Technologies

Applied Research Laboratory

The Pennsylvania State University

John King

Director of Education and Training Division

Baltimore (MD) Police Department 

Albert L. Liebno, Jr.

Deputy Director of Training and Certification

Maryland Police and Correctional 

Training Commissions

Baaswewe Frederick D. Maulson

Chief Warden

Great Lakes Indian Fish and 

Wildlife Commission

Bernard K. Melekian, D.PP.

Director

Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services

Dan Merkle

Chief Executive Officer

Lexipol
28

Brian Montgomery

Physical Scientist

National Institute of Justice

Denise O’Donnell, J.D.

Director

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Steven Pitts

Chief of Police

Reno (NV) Police Department

Michael Robbs

Chief of Basic Driving Branch

Federal Law Enforcement Training Center

Jeff Rojek, Ph.D.

Professor

University of South Carolina

Ellen Scrivner, Ph.D.

National HIDTA Director

Office of National Drug Control Policy

Darrel Stephens

Executive Director

Major Cities Chiefs Association

Bascom “Dit” Talley

Faculty Coordinator

Johns Hopkins University

Hope M. Tiesman, Ph.D., MSPH 

Epidemiologist 

National Institute for Occupational Safety 

and Health

Erin Vermilye

SACOP Manager

International Association of Chiefs of Police

Sandra Webb, Ph.D.

Deputy Director

Community Policing Advancement

Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services

Fred G. Wilson

Director of Operations

National Sheriffs’ Association

COPS/BJA Staff

Nazmia E. Alqadi

Program Analyst

Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services

Steven M. Edwards, Ph.D.

Senior Policy Advisor

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Robert Chapman

Supervisory Social Science Analyst

Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services

Mora L. Fiedler

Senior Social Science Analyst

Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services

Deborah Meader

Policy Advisor

Bureau of Justice Assistance
29

About the COPS Office

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is the component of the 

U.S. Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing by the nation’s 

state, local, territory, and tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources. 

Community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use 

of partnerships and problem-solving techniques, to proactively address the immediate conditions that give 

rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime. 

Rather than simply responding to crimes once they have been committed, community policing concentrates 

on preventing crime and eliminating the atmosphere of fear it creates. Earning the trust of the community 

and making those individuals stakeholders in their own safety enables law enforcement to better understand 

and address both the needs of the community and the factors that contribute to crime.

The COPS Office awards grants to state, local, territory, and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire and 

train community policing professionals, acquire and deploy cutting-edge crime fighting technologies, and 

develop and test innovative policing strategies. COPS Office funding also provides training and technical 

assistance to community members and local government leaders and all levels of law enforcement. 

The COPS Office has produced and compiled a broad range of information resources that can help law 

enforcement better address specific crime and operational issues, and help community leaders better 

understand how to work cooperatively with their law enforcement agency to reduce crime.

◾ Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to add community policing officers to 

the nation’s streets, enhance crime fighting technology, support crime prevention initiatives, and provide 

training and technical assistance to help advance community policing. 

◾ By the end of FY2013, the COPS Office has funded approximately 125,000 additional officers to more 

than 13,000 of the nation’s 18,000 law enforcement agencies across the country in small and large 

jurisdictions alike.

◾ Nearly 700,000 law enforcement personnel, community members, and government leaders have been 

trained through COPS Office-funded training organizations.

◾ As of 2013, the COPS Office has distributed more than 2 million topic-specific publications, training 

curricula, white papers, and resource CDs. 

COPS Office resources, covering a wide breath of community policing topics—from school and campus 

safety to gang violence—are available, at no cost, through its online Resource Information Center at 

www.cops.usdoj.gov. This easy-to-navigate website is also the grant application portal, providing access to 

online application forms.
30

About BJA

The Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) mission is to provide leadership and services in grant 

administration and criminal justice policy development to support local, state, and tribal justice strategies to 

achieve safer communities. 

BJA has four primary components: the Policy Office, Programs Office, Planning Office, and Public Safety 

Officers’ Benefits Program Office. The Policy Office provides national leadership in criminal justice 

policy, training, and technical assistance to further the administration of justice. It also acts as a liaison to 

national organizations that partner with BJA to drive policy and help disseminate information on promising 

practices. The Programs Office coordinates and administers state and local grant programs and acts as 

BJA’s direct line of communication to state, local, territorial, and tribal governments by providing assistance 

and coordinating resources. The Planning Office coordinates the planning, communications, and budget 

formulation and execution; provides overall BJA-wide coordination; and supports streamlining efforts. 

The Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program Office provides death and education benefits to survivors of 

fallen law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders and disability benefits to officers 

catastrophically injured in the line of duty.

BJA’s overall goals are to (1) reduce and prevent crime, violence, and drug abuse and (2) improve the 

functioning of the criminal justice system. To achieve these goals, BJA programs emphasize enhanced 

coordination and cooperation of federal, state, and local efforts. BJA’s objectives in support of these goals 

are to:

◾ Encourage the development and implementation of comprehensive strategies to reduce and prevent 

crime and violence 

◾ Encourage the active participation of community organizations and citizens in efforts to prevent crime, 

drug abuse, and violence 

◾ Provide training and technical assistance in support of efforts to prevent crime, drug abuse, and violence 

at the national, state, and local levels 

◾ Reduce the availability of illegal weapons and develop strategies to address violence in our communities 

◾ Enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies to reduce crime 

◾ Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of all aspects of the adjudication process, including indigent 

defense services 

◾ Assist states in freeing prison space for serious and violent offenders through the design and 

implementation of effective correctional options for nonviolent offenders 

◾ Enhance the ability of criminal justice agencies to access and use new information technologies 

◾ Encourage and support evaluation of the effectiveness of funded programs and dissemination of 

program results