Get home alive?

[sgtredleg]

Hey all,
I am not a Certified Peace Officer. However, I am a badged Ranger whose duties include the general safety and security of our park and it's patrons.
I've been doing this for several years now and I am pretty good a de-escalating situations before violence can erupt. We are not authorized to carry firearms, pepper spray or any other self defense equipment or restraints, and every so often I have to deal with potentially explosive situations using nothing but presence, verbal judo, and other non-violent methods. Police response can generally be expected within a 5-30 minute time-frame, ( a long time). If all else fails I can defend myself with some basic hand-to-hand that I have learned over the years, (unauthorized of course).
Talking to police officers, in my agency and otherwise, they generally all say: "do what you can as long as you get home alive."
Well, to begin with, whatever I do I intend to get home alive. But I also think that is a quick out for a situation that may warrant a more assertive response on my part. I would find it hard to live with myself if a woman or child received grievous injury or death due to a "Get Home Alive" response on my part.
What do ya'll think?

 

[BLB68]

Sounds like an observe and report situation. In your circumstances, I'd treat it just like an unarmed security gig and not get involved in any way in a potentially volatile situation. Call the guys with the tools to do that job if needed. Until they get there, be a good witness.

 

[lemaymiami]

The advice given by BLB is very valid (although I'm sure it's not what you want to hear). You're in a difficult situation - and it was designed that way by the folks you work for....

As a retired cop who worked the streets as a patrol sergeant, then watch commander (and got tasked wtih many unpleasant jobs including personnel matters...) I was forced to learn how my city (and others) dealt with gray areas where officers acted in good faith but outside their jurisdictions or in off-duty situations. My advice is to stick within the guidelines you're given and always consider how your superiors will respond if they think you've exceeded your mandate. None of this is good stuff - but I've seen cops who were not covered after being injured because they were outside their jurisdiction, or off duty, or exceeded their authority (as judged by liability types long after the fact..).

By the way, you sound like a great officer candidate... You might want to consider a job change where you actually have some ability to stand up for others.... Good luck.

 

[MedWheeler]

Your situation is essentially no different than that of any other unarmed person who wishes to "do the right thing" in a time of a witnessed crisis. Where you have some advantages is that you do likely have at least some training (either formal, "duty-leaned", or both) in situational-awareness, de-escalation, and communication. It is impossible to determine for how many "saves" these tactics are responsible, as most instances in which they are used will offer no real evidence that death or serious injury to an innocent would have otherwise occurred. So, you may have already done far more good than you even know. But, yes, these are the limits of your capabilities, and that carries into what I say below.

If adopting a "get home alive at all costs" position feels selfish, retrain your mindset to a "if something happens to me, I'm no good to those I'm trying to protect" attitude. If some wack-job kills you before killing innocents, they're still just as dead when he does.