Risk Management

ALTERNATIVE AVENUES TO
SUPPLEMENT TRAINING FUNDS

RISK MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT PAYS FOR ITS OFFICERS'
TRAINING AS A RESULT OF DRAMATIC REDUCTION IN INJURIES

October 30, 2008

How many times has your municipality's Risk Management Department offered to cover your training expenses? The instructor staff at McKinney Police Department (located just outside of Dallas, TX) found out the easy way that such a thing can happen.

Since they adopted the Controlled F.O.R.C.E. system in December 2007, McKinney PD has seen immediate and dramatic results. According to McKinney's lead DT Instructor, Sgt. Jason Norton, by March 2008 the department had already seen a significant reduction in Response to Resistance Reports (Use of Force), which Administration attributed to the implementation of Controlled F.O.R.C.E. throughout the department.

In their attempt to further their development in the Controlled F.O.R.C.E. system, the McKinney PD instructor staff sought funding from within their department to attend the 9th Annual U.S.N.S.T.A. National Training Conference, but were consistently advised to find other assistance in funding due to the high costs of out-of-state training. When the Risk Management Department learned that Sgt. Norton and his staff were unable to find adequate funding, they offered to cover all officers' registration fees. Their reasoning for such generosity: "since officer injuries have decreased since the implementation of Controlled F.O.R.C.E., we got ya covered."

When Sgt. Norton found out how his department's adoption of the Controlled F.O.R.C.E. system was actually expanding their funding options for training, he wanted to spread the word. "Once I heard the news," Sgt. Norton informed Controlled F.O.R.C.E., "I wanted your staff and other agencies to know of another resource to pull from within their governmental systems."

SGT. NORTON'S ORIGINAL E-MAIL TO CONTROLLED F.O.R.C.E.

Controlled Force Staff:

We recently were attempting to find funding for the USNSTA Training Conference this December and kept running into budget restraints. Even though the Controlled Force Staff gave a gracious discount for swat teams, we still had to come up with airfare and perdiem funds. Our Chain-of Command then contacted our Risk Management Department and they stated they would cover ALL officers’ registration fees. Once I heard the news I wanted your staff and other agencies to know of another resource to pull from within their governmental systems. It was put to us something like, “a knee surgery is ten times more expensive than yawls registration fees, and since officers injuries have decreased since the implementation of Controlled Force, we got ya covered!” With that said…see you in December. (10-24-08)

JW Norton
Patrol Sergeant
McKinney Police Department

McKinney PD's successful implementation of the Controlled F.O.R.C.E. system corresponds to a larger movement in the Metroplex Region of Texas (the area in and around Dallas / Ft. Worth) to replace programs based on pain compliance models of subject control with the system of Mechanical Advantage Control Holds™ (M.A.C.H.). Collin County Sheriff''s Office, often looked to as a leader for training innovation in the region, re-wrote its Use of Force Policy in early 2008 to reflect its progression from a pain compliance based program to a M.A.C.H. based program. Furthermore, the Tarrant County College Criminal Justice Training Center in Ft. Worth has long utilized the Controlled F.O.R.C.E. system, and hosts instructor courses on its campus throughout the year.

McKinney PD Instructor Staff and area Police Officers receive Controlled F.O.R.C.E. training.
CF Instructors: Don Roberts, Heath Jackson, Jim Roncal.

About the U.S.N.S.T.A.

The U.S.N.S.T.A. (United States National Standards of Training Association) holds an annual training conference to bring law enforcement, correctional, military, and security personnel together to identify common problems and develop training solutions. This year, the U.S.N.S.T.A. is offering the Controlled F.O.R.C.E. Xtreme Training Track to help officers improve their environment control and tactical entry skills. For more information, visit www.usnsta.com.