By Chris Hertig, IFPO Director and retired York College of Pennsylvania professor
Violence in our society is getting increasing media attention. It also gets attention in the law offices, HR departments, security departments and police/fire/EMS agencies. Violence is here to stay, and while a decidedly unappealing topic of conversation, it’s a conversation we must have. Terrorism isn’t going away. Neither are people with mental health issues. Both of these factors are amplified by media attention to them and create copycats; arguably the single biggest factor in wanton violence.
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Unfortunately, our traditional approach to active threats is wholly inappropriate — it’s backwards. A heart attack victim needs an AED and/or CPR within minutes to survive. A person facing violence needs help within seconds. The focus on police response for violence would be like looking to the ambulance or trauma center for help with cardiac arrest. It ignores the victim. If we approached medical emergencies like we do violence there would be no such thing as first aid or CPR.
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Active threats take innumerable forms: imminent danger posed by weapons, explosives, or the human body (hands, feet, heads, teeth, etc.). It’s not just shooting. And while we can’t prepare people for every contingency, but we can give them principles that are useful for most. Active threats are immediate problems which must be solved. To do this, the defender needs to understand certain things.
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First, responding to violence requires proper assessment and decision making. Factors of time and distance must be taken in to account. Some folks have difficulty with this; especially if they haven’t experienced an assault or armed encounter. The reactionary gap between seeing an assault and the time it takes to mount a defense is generally misunderstood. Bottom line: it takes more time to defend than attack. The Force Science Institute may be a good reference in understanding time and distance.
