Handing an officer a body camera and telling them to just do police-work can be disastrous. Yet, that’s exactly what most police departments do.

If you were trying to set your officers up for success, what training would you give them before issuing them a body camera?  What are the issues that body-cameras create?  How will they be used against the officer, or the agency?

If you are concerned about the training of your officers, and you should be, I have a training solution for your agency.

Controversial incidents cost dozens of Chief’s their job and hundreds of millions of dollars annualy.  If your agency is involved in municipal-type policing where officers have contact with and arrest intoxicated individuals, criminals and upset citizens, you will have a controversial incident.  Get up to speed faster, by training your people right from the outset and lower the chance of incidents become controversial.

American Patrolman’s solution is onsite class with two training sessions per day.  This allows officers to attend a morning or afternoon session.  Each class will show your officers real life examples of successes and failures by officers using body cameras, the importance of professionalism on video, and the many hazards of video.

The class is interactive, entertaining, and will keep their attention.

After policing without body-cameras for 12 years, I first started policing on video in 2011.  I use a body-camera daily.

For six years, a quarter of my career, it was my job to watch my agency police on video, frame by frame, second by second.  I investigated each force incident my agency had (hundreds a year), and each Officer Involved Shooting using forensic video software, and techniques that only come with experience.

After the State of Nevada mandated all officers that contact the public will wear body cameras, I was part of a small group of members that:

• Developed the concept of our agencies body & in-car camera system
• Met with each vendor
• Tested each proposed system
• Developed the department policy
• Solely developed all training & taught each class

If the only thing your officers learned was the importance of professionalism on video, this class would be worth it.  We’ll go beyond that and cover:

If your agency is going to body or in-car cameras and have any questions, or you are interested in hosting the Using Bodyworn Cameras class, please contact me below.  I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.