Ten Deadly Errors

By Sr. Agent Cliff Comeaux

The following list is based upon the investigations of hundreds of law enforcement officer’s line of duty deaths.  These TEN DEADLY ERRORS have found to be the major cause of useless, unnecessary deaths. Will you make one of these deadly errors today or have you done so already? 

1. YOUR ATTITUDE... If you fail to keep your mind on the job while on patrol or you carry home problems into the field, you will start to make errors. It can cost you or other agents their lives. Do you wear your body armor? I know it’s hot, but not nearly as hot as lead as it rips through your flesh. It can save your life. Since its introduction it has saved over 2000 officer’s lives.

2. TOMBSTONE COURAGE... No one doubts that you are a highly trained agent who knows no fear. You have been trained to stand alone in the face of grave danger. But, in any situation where time allows wait for backup. If you have to put hands on someone wait for backup. There is no such thing as a fair fight I want the odds in my favor...3 or 4 agents against 1 violator sounds fair to me. There are only a few instances where alone, unaided you should try to make a dangerous apprehension.

3. NOT ENOUGH REST... To do your job you must be alert. Being sleepy or asleep on the job is not only against policy but you endanger yourself and your fellow agents.

4. TAKING A BAD POSITION... Never let anyone you are questioning or about to stop get in a better position than you and your vehicle. Keep your weapon bladed or shielded to anyone who you are talking to. Maintain the appropriate survival gap - 6’ or more from a suspect. Don’t let a suspect get between you and your unit, it’s your “life-line”.

5. DANGER SIGNS... As a law enforcement agent you will get to recognize “danger signs” movements, strange vehicles, mannerisms of a suspect, warnings that should alert you to watch your step and approach with caution. Know your district, your community and watch for what is out of place.
If you get an uneasy feeling about someone don’t ignore it. Stop. Evaluate the situation. Get help.

6. FAILURE TO WATCH HANDS OF A SUSPECT... Is he reaching for a weapon or getting ready to strike you? Looks can’t kill but the hands can. Where else can a killer strike but from his hands? Hunters carry guns, fisherman carry knives. What do criminals carry?

7. RELAXING TOO SOON... The “redundancy” of boating safety checks, the “rut” of checking a hunter’s license or bag can cause you to relax too soon. Observe the activity. Treat every stop as a potential lethal encounter. Have a plan to neutralize any threat. Never take any calls as routine, average or typical. It’s your life on the line. DO NOT BECOME COMPLACENT! After the stop don’t turn you back on the violator. It’s not over until he is gone.

8. IMPROPER USE OR NO HANDCUFFS... Once you have made an arrest handcuff the prisoner properly. Double locked behind the back. Double locked behind the back. (It’s worth repeating). See that the hands that can kill are safely cuffed .

9. NO SEARCH OR POOR SEARCH... There are so many places to hide weapons that your failure to search is a crime against fellow agents. Many criminals carry several weapons and are able and prepared to use them against you. Be aware of the 1 + 1 rule. “Where there is 1 weapon there is two...where there are 2 weapons there is 3”. Never assume that someone else has searched a prisoner. If you have to transport someone else’s prisoner search him again.

10. INOPERATIVE WEAPON... Is your firearm clean? Will it fire? How about the ammo? Field strip your weapon, ensure that all of your duty rounds will drop into the barrel and seat properly. This will eliminate nearly all misfeeds. Dirty weapons and faulty ammunition contribute to virtually all inoperative weapons. When did you last fire so that you can hit a target in a combat situation? Punching paper under a controlled situation is one thing, but being on target with an elevated heartbeat, a loss of fine motor skills and visual distortions (ie.tunnel- vision) is something completely different. What about your other weapons; your baton and pepper spray, are you proficient?

I saw a version of the ten deadly errors in my first POST academy 10 years ago. I’ve kept it pinned to my wall and about every 2 to 3 weeks while getting ready for work I’ll stop and read it. Remember, nothing is more important than getting home healthy at the end of a tour of duty. While at work, officer safety should be foremost on your mind, not what’s going on at the office or at home. Stay positive, focused, sharp and attuned to the scope of your duty as a Louisiana Wildlife Enforcement Agent, the greatest profession on earth!