Force Decisions: A Citizen's Guide

by Rory Miller

Overview

Winner – 2013 USA Best Books AwardFinalist – 2013 Book of the Year Award by ForeWord Magazine

In a free and peaceful society where so many have been taught that all violence is wrong, citizens are often confused and dismayed when officers use force, even when the force is perfectly lawful and justified.

This book allows you to ‘take' a basic USE OF FORCE class just as if you were a rookie at the police academy. Below are some highlights of what is included in ‘your' basic use of force class:

SECTION 1. TRAINING. I explain policy and laws that officers are taught. We examine use of force, how to define a threat, and the difference between excessive force and unnecessary force.

SECTION 2. CHECKS AND BALANCES. This section explains how an officer's decisions are examined if suspected of being bad decisions.

SECTION 3. EXPERIENCE. We explore how officers see the world that they live in. Somewhere in the fog between training and experience, the officer has to make a decision. Sometimes decisions will be made in a fraction of a second and on partial information. Sometimes a decision will change the lives of everyone involved—forever.

SECTION 4. ABOUT YOU. Review what you should have learned. Why does community action fail? What is it that can really be done? Know how to behave when faced by an officer. Until this section, I have tried to put you in the headspace of an officer, giving you an overview of his training and a taste of his experiences. Now I will try to let you feel like a suspect. That's a lot of mind bending for one book. Get plenty of sleep and drink lots of water.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594392443
Publisher:	YMAA Publication Center
Publication date:	04/01/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	206
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Rory Miller, former Sergeant, has been studying martial arts since 1981. He's a best-selling writer and a veteran corrections officer. He's taught and designed course on Use of Force Policy and Decision Making, Police Defensive Tactics, Confrontational Simulations, and he has led and trained his former agency's Corrections Tactical Team. Recently, he taught how to run a modern, safe, and secure prison at the Iraqi Corrections Systems, Iraq. Rory Miller resides near Portland, Oregon.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

About Me xvi

About You xvi

The Format of This Book xvii

Section 1 Training 1

1.1 The Bottom Line 1

1.2 The Three Golden Rules 6

Rule #1: You and your partners go home safely at the end of each and every shift 6

Rule #2: The criminal goes to jail 10

Rule #3: Liability free 12

1.3 The Duty to Act 14

Duty to Act When You Can't Do Anything 16

1.4 The Goal 19

1.5 The Threat 21

Levels of Force 23

1.6 The Force Continuum 27

The Levels of the Force Continuum 29

Level 1 Presence 29

Level 2 Verbal 30

Level 3 Touch 34

Level 4 Pain Compliance and Physical Control 35

Level 5 Damage 40

Level 6 Deadly Force 42

1.7 Factors and Circumstances 42

1.8 The Threat Is in Control 49

1.9 Scaling Force 52

1.10 The Final Note 55

Section 2 Neither Here Nor There 59

2.1 Checks and Balances 59

2.2 Skills Taught at the Academy 65

Use of Force 68

Defensive Tactics 69

Firearms 69

Baton, OC, and Taser 70

Confrontational Simulations (ConSim) 70

2.3 Force Law for Civilians 71

Section 3 Experience 75

3.1 Types of Officers 76

Eager Rookie 76

The Lop 77

Average Joes 78

Meat Eaters 79

Posers 80

Burnouts 81

On Burning Out 82

3.2 Concrete Thinkers: The Dilemma 85

3.3 Dark Moments: Will You Act? 91

3.4 What Constitutes a Lethal Threat? 96

3.5 Feelings, Pain, Damage, and Death 101

3.6 The Nightmare Threat 103

3.7 No More Mr. Nice Guy 110

3.8 Cultural Differences 111

3.9 Altered States of Mind 117

3.10 The Threshold 127

3.11 It's an Integrated World 129

3.12 Abuse of Power and Excessive Force 133

Questionable Force 135

Excessive Force 137

Unnecessary Force 141

3.13 Feelings of Betrayal 142

3.14 Totalitarianism 149

3.15 Interview with Loren Christensen 155

Section 4 About You 161

4.1 What You Didn't Know Before 161

4.2 Police Relationships with the Community 163

4.3 Dealing with an Officer 165

4.4 An Outside Perspective 167

The Hard Truths 169

Glossary 171

Annotated Bibliography of Further Reading 177

Index 183

Editorial Reviews

"I Commend and thank Miller for writing this important addition to the literature related to violence and law enforcement."

Alain Burrese

"Know your rights and your duties as a citizen…Read this book."

Wim Demeere

"In an entertaining and informative way, Miller explains how and why police apply force."

Steve Perry

"Understand the world police officers must live in, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week."

George Mattson