POE Defensive Tactics

No profession is more intensely scrutinized by the public than law enforcement. Citizens look to law enforcement agencies and their peace officers to exercise sound judgment, decisiveness and courage in ensuring public safety and consistent enforcement of our nation's state and federal laws. There is no higher calling than that of public service and law enforcement is clearly one of the most dangerous professions one can choose. On a daily basis, law enforcement officers encounter the unknown.

Today, law enforcement officers must contend with a number of complex issues when dealing with aggressive contacts. Never before have peace officers been asked to balance competing interests of public welfare against their own well-being. The Colorado State Patrol recognizes this and also prioritizes the safety of our members and their rights to protect themselves and their responsibility to protect third parties from harm. While law enforcement training standards require proficiency in defensive techniques, it is also strongly encouraged that all law enforcement officers remain physically fit to ensure that they are able to contend with the unknown.

The Colorado State Patrol has developed the Defensive Tactics and Arrest Control (DTAC) program to meet the needs of our members and the types of aggressive acts they may encounter on a daily basis. We have designed the program to be broad, general and inclusive. It includes techniques and tactics from a number of disciplines and programs that are currently being utilized by agencies throughout the nation and are widely accepted within the law enforcement community. The tactics and techniques comprising the Colorado State Patrol DTAC Program were chosen to meet Colorado P.O.S.T. requirements and the needs of our members. They were chosen to be simple and effective. We feel confident that the tactics and techniques contained within our manual are effective, appropriate and applicable to the wide variety of situations and real world encounters that our members face on a regular basis.

The knowledge and the confidence gained by the cadets through their defensive tactics training will enable them to expect the unexpected and always be prepared to deal with the situation at hand. The cadets will do this by incorporating all of the training that they receive at the Colorado State Patrol Academy.