The other day, I saw an officer working a crash scene. He was talking to both drivers at the same time as he sat in the comfort of his patrol car. The cruiser door was open — one driver was squatting down beside the officer’s squad and the other driver was leaning in through the open passenger window of the squad.
I thought to myself, “This is the perfect way to get killed.”
It’s important to shed comfortable habits and be aware of potential threats, even when doing something as commonplace as an accident investigation or report writing. Get out of your car and hold a clipboard. Use an old fashioned pen and paper if you have to. When talking to multiple drivers, keep them near their vehicles, or in their vehicles (if the cars are safe to sit in).
Lazy actions are going to make for more police funerals. Young rookies and older veterans especially need to constantly vigilant of their surroundings because they can develop bad habits early, or have fallen into comfortable habits as they get older.
The officer that I witnessed sitting in his patrol car told me he “felt safe” because he had been talking to the drivers for a while. Officers should never “feel safe” — whether on or off duty. It’s that kind of thinking that allows officers to be caught off-guard in a dangerous situation.