Читать книгу Force Decisions. A Citizen's Guide to Understanding How Police Determine Appropriate Use of Force онлайн

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Duty to act not only puts more moral pressure on the officer, exposing him or her to ugly, no-win situations, but also increases the complexity of those possible situations. It requires a broader base of skills than are needed by people who can choose to simply leave.

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Sometimes, there is nothing the officer can do. Or nothing he or she can safely do. Or there is a good chance immediate intervention without proper training, equipment, and support will make matters worse. In cases like these, the duty to act can be satisfied by getting to a safe place, keeping an eye on the threat, and calling for help.

Very few officers are trained in hostage negotiations, for instance. When a lone officer stumbles into something that either is or becomes a hostage situation, it is safer for everyone, in most cases, for the officer to pull back and call the specialists. Amateur hostage negotiators can make matters worse. Storming a barricaded subject, with or without hostages, is a dangerous specialty. Individuals being heroic can quickly become hostages themselves.