After more than 50 years in law enforcement, I’ve seen simple, preventable habits repeatedly put officers — and their partners — in danger. These mistakes impact safety, communication and wellness. The good news? They’re easy to fix.
Turn off your siren at the end of a pursuit
Officers who fail to turn off their sirens at the end of a pursuit create a hazard for themselves and other officers. I see official agency videos where officers fail to turn off their sirens at the termination of a pursuit, with the following results: officers cannot hear each other, the suspect cannot hear or understand commands, and officers cannot hear radio traffic. In one case, I saw an officer discharging his firearm, but other officers in front of the patrol car did not detect the gunshots because of the siren noise. This is a well-known issue that affects officer safety, yet I still see this frequently. Turn off sirens when the pursuit or other action ceases!
Don’t scream commands — speak with purpose
Incidents involving officers screaming commands are common. The problem is that if shouted commands do not work after a few tries, they are unlikely to work with additional screaming. I suggest that once the suspect’s attention is gained, stop shouting and use a loud enough voice to communicate — without yelling or screaming. This is common sense, but some officers seem to lose their ability to think clearly in stressful situations.
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Designate one voice for suspect control
Multiple officers shouting conflicting commands confuses the suspect and escalates risk. In some incidents, contradictory orders have led to use-of-force decisions when compliance appeared delayed or inconsistent. Avoid the chaos. One officer should be assigned to communicate, while the others cover and support.
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Keep your radio tone calm, not chaotic
Screaming into the radio during pursuits or “shots fired” calls may be instinctive — but it’s counterproductive. Yelling distorts speech and can make critical updates hard to understand. Compare that with military and aviation communications, where calm, even-toned transmissions are maintained even in life-threatening moments. Officers should train to adopt a composed, conversational tone under pressure.
Lighten your load to protect your back
Overloading equipment is common. I see officers wearing external body armor packed with gear. One agency modified its external body armor by replacing the uniform shirt–style vest with one that included MOLLE mounts on the lower half. The idea was to move items from the gun belt to the body armor for better support. What happened, however, is that officers moved items to the vest but left the original gear on the belt. This agency allows officers to customize their gear as long as the items are from an approved list. Some officers are carrying a portable radio, two flashlights, four pistol magazines, a rifle magazine, two knives, a CED, three tourniquets, nitrile gloves, an N95 mask, an expandable baton, three pairs of handcuffs, battle dressing, a protective plastic lab-type coat, a naloxone dispenser, two cellphones and more.
I’m familiar with several research projects investigating long-term back injury risks related to the gear cops carry, along with published data suggesting that officers are carrying too much weight. The recommendation is to reduce gear when feasible to help prevent chronic back issues. My suggestion: carry only what is required or truly needed and eliminate items that are unlikely to be used.
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Training tip for new officers
Ask your FTO or supervisor to review your loadout and provide feedback on what’s required, what’s useful and what’s overkill. Proactive evaluation early in your career can save you years of pain later.
