Week 11

Week 11 of the 21^st Session Deputy Training Academy is down for the count. The trainees completed the first half of their two-week intensive Defensive Tactics (DT) training. This week focused on balance, good body mechanics, leverage, and the proper response to a variety of situations law enforcement officers find themselves in daily.

Defensive tactics is vital training for any law enforcement officer. Deputies must learn how to defend themselves, how to disarm a threat, and the correct ways to safely detain a combative subject. No weapons are allowed inside the Chesapeake Correctional Center, so deputies are trained to regain control of a situation using only their hands and their mouths (an invaluable skill you may remember they learned in week 3, IE. IPC skills).

“We teach them to use the right amount of force to handle the situation. Not more, not less; the appropriate amount,” stressed Defensive Tactics Instructor Master Deputy Janet Sims.

The week started with trainees experiencing their initial RedMan scenario. Before the candidates underwent any DT training, instructors acted out scenarios to show the candidates the intensity of the situations they could find themselves in. After completing their initial scenario, they spent the rest of the week learning techniques, control holds, and handcuffing maneuvers to help deputies quickly and safely get control of a potentially dangerous situation.

This training came easier to some than others (one trainee worked as a high school wrestling coach before joining the Sheriff’s Office), but they were all eager to learn.

 “This is a good group,” said Master Deputy Sims. “They did great, but it was definitely an eye-opener for them.”

Next week, they’ll prove how much they learned by undergoing the RedMan challenge a second time. To pass defensive tactics, they will have to safely and successfully complete five different RedMan scenarios.

Only 7 weeks to go, 21^st Session!