“There is no such thing as a routine traffic stop.”Take it from a veteran police officer that has handled pulled over “a thousand” vehicles.
“I can’t stand the term ‘routine,’” said Marlow police officer Tony Lynch. “It’s the most dangerous and common thing I do.”
Lynch, and the rest of the staff at the Marlow Police Department, spent part of Tuesday in a dark room inside the armory with a training module administered by the Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group.
The 8-foot-by-8-foot screen showed different scenarios of which law enforcement officers become involved. Officers are equipped with a specialized gun and taser.
The scenarios ranged from a traffic stop to a gas station robbery to active shooters inside a school. The interactive software program allows the scenario to adapt to decisions that the officer makes. If “lethal force” is required, where the suspect was shot can also be displayed.
“It is a tool that is used to identify the needs of the officer, and provide a look inside situations that don’t come up everyday,” said William Carter, who administered the program Tuesday in Marlow. “This program shows the officer how he or she will react in certain situations, and give them an opportunity to think about things they can improve and go out and practice.”
In addition presenting a number of scenarios to the officers, Carter also gave them a test.
“Sort of a refresher on what the law actually says,” Carter noted.
For Lynch, and all law enforcement officials, responding to a horrific scene is not ideal, but could be part of the job.
“You have to think about these things everyday,” Lynch said. “It’s part of who I am, whether I am in uniform, or just out driving with the family.”
And, working in Marlow doesn’t change the need to be prepared.
“You can’t afford to be complacent,” Lynch noted. “Even though Marlow is a small community, things can, and have, happened here. The potential is there no matter where you are.”
Scenarios in the program explore several areas of police work, from entering a warehouse with a possible break-in, to a robbery in progress at a residence.
Carter said it is best to know what to do within the law, while observing the surroundings.
“We really try to have the officers use strong verbal commands,” Carter said. “In many cases, the verbal commands can keep a problem from escalating.
“At the same time, it is important to observe what is happening, and what is being said because that will be important for the officer to report in an affidavit or a trial,” he added.
It’s why training is an important part of law enforcement.
“This program is a way to sharpen skills for these officers, and present scenarios that, thank goodness, aren’t a part of the normal course of what we do everyday,” said police chief Jimmy Williams. “It’s good to deal with such issue to see how we’d react, and explore better ways to handle ourselves in case such situations arise.”
“This program is excellent,” Lynch said. “You react how you train.”
Carter said the program has been scheduled 27 times since being introduced in April.
“It’s been all over the state,” Carter said. “It has received a lot of positive feedback.”
Unfortunately, not all officers get what they want out of it.
“Our number one response is ‘why don’t you just leave that here,’” Carter said smiling. “They want to use it quite a bit. We just hope it helps them on the job.”