Our Story
“Society has changed and as a result, there has been a dramatic increase in drug overdoses, violent crimes and assaults on First Responders in our communities. There is a gap in survival tactics training and a missing survival gear element in the First Responder Community and we are going to fill it.”
Survival Tactics
Through years of active involvement in Law Enforcement training and talking to Officers across the country about their real life experiences, we have learned that Law Enforcement Defensive Tactics training (due to several reasons including funding and "old school" beliefs) is falling behind. This is what we found:
When we talk about defensive tactics, we are talking about controlled defensive and offensive body movements of police officer's that are used to respond to a subject's aggression or resistance. No weapons. This would be needed for the officer to defend their self, defend someone else, and take a subject into custody when the use of a higher force is not necessary or legal.
Police Academy’s across the United States include basic fundamentals of defensive tactics training in their curriculum. The standard however, is different and the quality and quantity of training is based upon what the particular academy defensive tactics instructors and the agency administration believe works. State standards, policies, state laws and case laws set the rules, boundaries, and limitations that limit what agencies and individual officers can do and how much they can do it. Either way, academy training is designed to give recruit officers the basic understanding of techniques.
After graduating from the police academy, the average police agency only requires officers to attend defensive tactics update training four hours every two years. Some agencies require more and some require less. Considering every personal encounter for an officer is a potential assault, which is truly unacceptable. Some of this issue comes down to funding and what agencies are willing to spend on training rather than looking at it as an investment.
Officers have two other options after graduating from the police academy. The first option is that they can attend defensive tactics training electives which are sometimes held at the academy a few times a year. A lot of officer’s have told us that they do not attend these because they only remember is getting beat up in the academy. Other officers said they feel the techniques are not adequate and have not worked in the past. The second option is that officers join a local martial arts training center and pay for a membership. Some officers have told us that the training environment was not always the most police friendly which resulted in unnecessary injuries and fear to train. There is also an upward cost of $150-$200 a month membership which can deter already underpaid officers from continuing to train.
Police Officers are captured on video daily and sometimes using “force” to affect an arrest on someone. The officer is instantly judged and labeled as a cop using excessive force. Sometimes it is true but more often than not it is false. Keep in mind what you have just read. They are not assumptions. They are facts from officers and administrators (Chiefs) from various agencies in various sectors from various states. So what can we expect from officers with insufficient training? This is what an HSDF member came up with and it makes sense:
“When officers with minimal training face a stressful situation with a violent combative person and rapidly evolving circumstances, they will generally experience a fear based response. This means that officers may immediately revert to a weapon or deadly force as an instinctual option or officers could hesitate or use ineffective tactics which results in the officer becoming a victim of a violent crime.”
Military Police Officers receive combatives training but this seems to be standard for all soldiers which means Military Cops are dealing with other soldiers who know the same tactics and counters as they do.
For those reasons the HSDF shares simple and effective jiu jitsu knowledge through free workshops which compliment civilian/military Police Officers defensive tactics and provide basic fundamentals for EMS Professionals. We also sponsor certified Civilian and Military Police Officers to attend the 5 day Gracie Survival Tactics Level 1 or Level 2 courses held throughout the United States. Please check out our Survival Tactics section for more information.
Law Enforcement Canines
Unfortunately, a lot of police canines units are considered non-essential by their agency and are not always supplied with the equipment they need. As a matter of fact, approximately 90% off all K-9 units rely on donations to purchase necessary equipment, toys and essentials. Canines are called upon to apprehend the most violent criminals in the most dangerous situations, but they are not always afforded the same protection as human Officers. This results in many of our four legged heroes engaging these dangerous conditions with no body protection. We recognize this deficiency and work with Law Enforcement agencies to determine the need for canine ballistic/knife protection vests. We work with a reputable company that provides custom made vests at a discount of $1,800 each so we rely heavily on sponsors to help with these purchases.
Much like human Police Officers, Canines are also sometimes injured in the line of duty while apprehending suspects. The road to recovery can be tough so the HSDF has partnered with Tanners Endless Love and Concord Pet to send care packages to injured police canines throughout the country.
How cool is that!
The HSDF is Veteran run by volunteers ensuring that 100% donations received go towards the mission. You will be able to see how your contribution is helping. You may see your local First Responder or Canine equipped with it or use it save a life.
Stay up to date via our website and our Facebook page @HeroesSelfDefenseFoundation
From all of us here at the Heroes Self Defense Foundation,
Thank you for listening to our story and we appreciate your support!
Sincerely,
The Heroes Self Defense Foundation Team