Training to protect and serve

Tom Milstead
Posted 10/23/19

Law enforcement is one of the most scrutinized professions on the planet.

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Training to protect and serve

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TORRINGTON – Law enforcement is one of the most scrutinized professions on the planet. 

In 2019, every move an officer makes is recorded – by bystanders with cell phones, and by camera systems on the officers themselves. In the years after an officer shot and killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. – an incident that caused mass protests and put police tactics nationwide under the microscope by the general public and national leaders, it’s more important than ever that an officer knows how to handle them self. And the best way to learn that, according to Torrington Police Chief Tim Hurd, is through appropriate training.

Since he became the chief of the Torrington Police Department, Hurd has increased the training budget tenfold – without ever raising the overall budget, he said. It’s important because it keeps officers safe, it keeps the public safe and it helps accomplish the TPD’s main goal – to protect and serve the people of Torrington. 

“When these situations come up, it minimizes injury not only to the suspect, but to the officer,” Hurd said. “The more people see that their officers are ready for that physically, mentally and education-wise, they also understand that we are striving to be the best midsize agency in Wyoming and to give them the best service that they’re paying for.”

Tight budgets

In other smaller police departments across the country, budgets are being slashed, with training usually the first thing to hit the cutting room floor. Hurd credits Mayor Randy Adams and the Torrington City Council for supporting his mission to make the TPD one of the bests prepared departments of its size. 

“They understood that philosophy and why I wanted to do that,” he said. “We want to have the best mid-sized department in the state of Wyoming and training is a huge aspect of that. It’s not only to protect the citizens or for the officers’ protection, but it mitigates higher liability issues. A lot of these lawsuits come from a lack of training or training that is not adequate.

“We believe we owe it to the community to not only protect them but to be the best trained midsize agency … with the resources that we have. Fortunately, I have a good mayor and council that understand my philosophy and they support that philosophy.”

That’s why Hurd decided to bring in world-renowned law enforcement trainer Jim Olson to put his officers through a week-long gauntlet of hands-on instruction and training. 

On Thursday, the hottest day of the last week, four TPD officers were in the department’s training room with sweat rolling down their faces. 

In full “battle rattle” – their full uniform including vests, which are built to withstand gunshots, not to be breathable – the officers were taking turns blocking wild punches to the head from their partners. Olson paid close attention to the officers’ every move, weaving in and out of the drill like a high school wrestling coach, but the techniques he’s teaching don’t win matches – they save lives. 

“Let the art fit the times – that is the concept,” Olson said. He’s created the Olson Combat System techniques by using pieces from traditional martial arts including aikido, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and wrestling and combining them into a system of Krav Maga designed for law enforcement officers. 

“We teach them to do realistic things, especially with the officers and the restrictive gear in their vests,” Olson said. “There are movements that we can’t replicate out on the street that we can do in the gym or the sports arena. It is a proven combat system that we do.”

And Hurd has a good reason to believe in Olson’s method. 

During the Torrington City Council Meeting on Oct. 15, Hurd introduced Olson to the assembly, and explained why he is a believer in Olson’s techniques. 

“I was attacked by two individuals,” Hurd said during the meeting. “They wanted to do nothing less than kill me. Because of his training, I’m standing here today. That is why Mr. Olson is here today.”

Varied skills

On Thursday, Olson was working with the TPD on how to react to a sudden, close-quarters attack. The patrolmen had started the week with firearms training, where Olson taught them quick-draw techniques and gave them tips on hitting targets with speed and precision. The officers underwent the Wyoming Police Officers Standards and Training firearm qualification course, then Olson’s personal qualification course. 

“We went through some extra skills and I put them through my personal qualification course,” Olson said. “The course that I put together, in my mind, is a little more realistic for what they have to be expecting to do if they get involved in a gunfight.”

On Tuesday, Olson put the TPD through vehicle training – not just high-speed maneuvers, but through some basic procedures that officers do every day. 

“The second day we worked on vehicle operations,” he said. “Not just high-speed chases, but normal everyday driving like turning corners. Most law enforcement accidents happened at slow speeds.

“We worked on those and then we gradually increased it to high-speed evasion techniques, like if a child were to run out from between cars. We worked on swerving to avoid that but to getting back into your lane to avoid crashing into another car.”

On Wednesday, the training took on a more serious tone. 

“We did a course called ‘Below 100,’” he said. “The idea is to reduce the number of law enforcement deaths, preventable, line-of-duty deaths, and keep it below 100. It’s about remembering to wear your seatbelt, wearing your vest, driving at safe and appropriate speeds. Those are all things we can do proactively to minimize the danger to the officers.”

And then it was time for medical training, hand-to-hand combat, and more life-saving lessons from one of the premier law enforcement trainers in the world. 

Retention is key

This is the second year Olson has come to Torrington to work with the TPD. According to Hurd, his officers were grateful for Olson’s experience and knowledge. 

“These officers came forward last year and said that they really like Officer Olson and they like his training,” Hurd said. “We enjoyed his training and we like what we’re getting. We enjoy learning from him and the skills are being kept and retained. That is what a chief looks for – the retention. You can bring instructors in from all over the world and if the people they train don’t retain the information, it is worthless.”

But the TPD has retained Olson’s lessons – and Hurd has seen it while working night patrol with his officers. The training has helped the officers feel and appear more confident in doing their duty, and Hurd said that helps keep Torrington that much safer. 

“You can see the confidence and readiness,” Hurd said.