Tactical Rehearsals

What are YOU going to do?

World-class athletes often use sports psychologists to help them achieve peak performance in their particular sport. These athletes know that visualizing themselves performing their sport…and doing it well…dramatically increases the performance during a contest. Some studies suggest that visualizing a sport may be almost as beneficial as practicing that activity.

While athletes only have one type of event to conquer, police officers have myriad events they may encounter...and they won’t get any advance warning as to what the event might be. Instinctively, we know as cops that we have to “talk tactical scenarios” with each other so that we can perform better under stress. However, research is now showing that mentally rehearsing tactical scenarios will actually allow you to develop muscle and mental memory. When you are confronted with a tactical event similar to something you have already rehearsed, you will perform better. And, equally as important, because you have already considered many of the difficult decisions such as seeking cover, rescuing a downed officer, etc, you will decrease the lag time you experience in a critical incident.

The Tac Ops Newsletter provides you with a series of tactical scenarios. With your partners, work out your responses to the scenarios and mentally rehearse your tactical response as if you’re living in that scenario.

While Olympic athletes may be world-class, the consequences of their failure to perform is miniscule compared to when cops don’t get it right. Keeping in mind lag time, use the following scenarios to rehearse your tactics and achieve peak performance.

·        You and your partner observe a stolen vehicle being driven by a lone suspect. The suspect crashes after a short pursuit. The suspect flees and you and your partner give chase. As the suspect runs away from you, he turns and fires one round from a pistol striking your partner who immediately falls to the ground. The suspect continues running and disappears around a corner. What are you going to do?

·        You are working a one-officer car. You are driving down the street and see a suspect on foot shoot into a crowd. The suspect then runs into the crowd. What are you going to do?

·        You and your partner respond to a 415 man with a knife radio call. Upon arrival, you see a 16 year-old kid standing in the street holding a knife to his own throat. Several other kids are standing around him begging him to put the knife down. What are you going to do?

·        You and your partner are working vice and are in plain clothes. As you are driving by in a rental car, you see two gang members in the street, drinking and flashing gang signs at passing vehicles. What are you going to do?

·        You are working a one-officer car and conduct a traffic stop. As you walk up on the vehicle, the driver exits the car and shoots you, disabling your gun hand. What are you going to do?

From the Los Angeles Police Department, Tac Ops Newsletter, July 2006

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