Photo By Carlos Guerra | Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow Police Department maneuvers through a simulated...... read more read more
MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif. - Chasing down a suspect is just one of the dangerous situations where police officers need to drive defensively, and drive well under pressure.
This is why the Marine Corps Police Department on Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow takes the opportunity every six months to train its police officers in defensive driving.
“The MCPD goes through the best driving course in the Marine Corps,” said Lt. Justin Witcher, the accident investigator and supervisor with MCPD on MCLB Barstow. “It’s a 24-hour course that is broken up into two days.”
The training the police force goes through is the best because they are put into real world situations, he added.
“The training helps with multiple aspects of their driving as well,” Witcher explained. “It helps with route planning and handling of the vehicle.”
They also go through 10 hours of defensive driving tactics that include route planning techniques and are evaluated to see how well they understand the knowledge they received, explained Witcher.
Route planning is a defensive tactic used by police officers; this way they can be one step ahead of the suspect who maybe fleeing.
If they are one step ahead, they can catch the suspect more efficiently and minimize the danger to innocent bystanders, themselves and the suspect, said Tom Streeter, the lead instructor for Homeland Security solutions on MCLB Barstow.
During the course, they are also taught how to handle their police vehicle and different techniques to maintain control of the vehicle while pursuing a suspect, said Witcher.
“After the officers are done with their classes, they then go out to the parade deck, on base, to do a practical application,” said Witcher.
The practical application is part of the course where police officers get the chance to put what they learned to use. The practical application helps them practice and perfect their driving skills as well, he added.
The MCPD does this course twice a year to keep its police officers refreshed and make them more efficient when it comes to chasing a suspect and catching them, said Levi Baker, a watch commander with MCPD on MCLB Barstow.
“The police officers are put into a situation where they have to chase down a suspect,” said Witcher. “The decoy suspect runs through the course at high speeds while the police officer has to follow them.”
The police department calls the course they drive through "the serpent" because of all the sharp turns and u-turns in the course, expressed Witcher.
“The driver then has to travel through the course and minimize the amount of cones they hit or run over by using the skills they learned in the classes,” Witcher said.
This course also helps police officers become more aware of their surroundings and teaches them how the vehicles will respond while chasing a suspect, he added.
The police force on MCLB Barstow spend countless hours training to ensure they can uphold the safety of the base and everyone on it.
| Date Taken: | 08.08.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 08.08.2013 18:37 |
| Story ID: | 111605 |
| Location: | BARSTOW, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 276 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, MCPD practices defensive driving for base’s safety, by LCpl Norman Eckles, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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