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Steve “Pappy” Papenfuhs is the CEO of Battalion Defense which distributes premier armor, armor carriers, ballistic helmets and shields, and other tactical kit. Pappy retired as a sergeant after serving 29 years with the San Jose, California Police Department. During his career he worked Patrol, Field Training (FTO), Street Crimes, SWAT, Auto Theft, Sexual Assaults, Narcotics, Family Violence, and supervised the department’s in-service Training Division. He holds a Force Analysis certification from the Force Science Research Center, and is a certified instructor with the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) in several disciplines including: Firearms, Defensive Tactics, Baton, Force Options, and Emergency Vehicle Operations (EVOC). In addition to running Battalion Defense and teaching both academy recruits and in-service officers, Pappy provides expert witness consultation in police practices, use of force, and training issues.
While police operations can be based on acronym-based mission-planning methodologies such as OCOKA, SMEAC and METT-TC — here are three alternative ways of considering tactical thinking
Body language, situational awareness, stride, and walking pace are major precipitators for victimization
Since the mid-19th century, human reaction time and decision-making have made popular research topics for experimental and cognitive psychologists. In the 1950’s, Air Force Colonel John Boyd borro...
Proper training on the principles of the public duty doctrine and how it applies to police officers is essential to avoid liability on the part of the department and officers
FTOs play an important role in the development of young officers, such as in the instruction of maximizing advantage, minimizing exposure, and maintaining the ability to maneuver
Each of us has contemplated the necessity of responding to a threat with deadly force
Very few officers will have the opportunity to improve their tactical skills once they have graduated from the police academy
Proponents of the diamond formation compare it to a B-17 bomber that “self-protects” on a bombing mission
If an officer is like the dog chasing the car with no plan on what to do once he catches it, then the officer is not mentally prepared for this pursuit
I recently had the honor of presenting at the Defense Research Institute’s (DRI) Civil Rights and Governmental Tort Liability seminar. The 275 attorneys in attendance are all litigators who defend ...
The impact of human factors upon individual performance must coincide with timely and fair discipline — both in a positive and a negative sense
In a previous article, I presented the acronym TRACED as a tool to assist in the articulation and documentation of any use of force. As a reminder, TRACED stands for Threat, Resistance, Active, Cri...
What can we do to fulfill the need of realistic training while also minimizing injuries?
The 'tactical error defense' in the case of a California couple's assault on a police officer sheds light on the importance of thoroughly documenting an officer's use of force
The recent release of a TASER-Cam video of a 64-year-old man being TASERed by Marin County deputies in his own home provides an abundance of critical analysis and learning opportunities. While supe...
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