Book Review: ‘Street Survival Skills’
| Published date | 01 December 1998 |
| DOI | 10.1177/146135579800100312 |
| Author | Alan Beckley |
| Date | 01 December 1998 |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
International Journal of Police Science &Management Volume 1 Number 3
Book review
'Street Survival Skills'
by M. J. McBridge
(Police Review Publishing Co. Ltd, London; First Edition, November 1996;
ISBN 0 85164 076 1; £17.85)
Page 328
This
book
is essential
reading
for
every
police
officer in
the
land.
They
owe
it to
their
service
and
force, colleagues, families
and,
particularly,
themselves
for
their
own
professionalism
and
confidence.
Backed
by
senior
police
officers
and
endorsed
by
the
Police
Federation,
each
chapter
is
well
set
out
with
useful
key
points
at
the
begin-
ning
and
a
summary
at
the
end
with
instructive
photographs
illustrating
prac-
tical
techniques.
Assaults
on
police
are
not
acceptable
behaviour,
but
they
occur
and
officers
should
respond
with
profes-
sionalism
and
good
training.
The
book
begins
with
a
good
overview
of
its
contents
and
introduces
the
five
physical survival skills.
It
moves
on
to
the
elements
of
survival awareness
along
with
fitness
and
development.
There
are
practi-
cal hints
on
use
of
body
positioning
and
body
language
to
ensure
safe
and
successful
communications.
There
follows a
guide
to
assessing risks in
operational
policing
ac-
tivities
and
the
importance
of
tactical
think-
ing
to
weigh
up situations.
Data
are
given
relating
to research
extracted
from
over
200
assaults
on
police
which
guides risk assess-
ments
of
activities.
There
is
technical
ad-
vice
on
stop
checks
using
physical
contact
skills
where
appropriate.
It
is suggested
that
communication
skills
are
extremely
important
to
operational
police
officers
who
should
manage
anger,
act assertively
and
adopt
an
empathetic
approach.
This
is
emphasised
by
what
is
called
the
'survivor's
trinity'
of
being
an
effective
communicator,
use
of
verbal
com-
mands
and
assertiveness
techniques.
A
con-
fiict
resolution
model
is
recommended
to
manage
the
correct
use
of
force.
The
level
of
force
used
not
only
must
be
a
reasonable response to resolve
the
conflict
incident,
but
police
officers
must
have
detailed
evidence
to
justify
the
use
of
that
force.
Good
practical advice is
given
for search
skills
using
tried
and
tested
techniques
and
building
in
survival
techniques.
Methods
are also
covered
outlining
ways
in
which
quickly
but
effectively to arrest persons
and
escort
them
as
appropriately
and
discreetly
as possible so
that
there
is officer
and
prisoner
protection.
A
major
area
of
important
advice is
con-
tained
in
the
sections
on
firearms
and
edged
weapons.
Police officers are advised to create
distance, use
cover
and
call for assistance
from
colleagues.
Following
this is a section
on
emergency
first aid for self
and
casualty
and
officers are advised to
keep
themselves
physically fit to
be
better
able to
cope
with
the
dangerous
streets. A
health
warning
is
given
against
police
driving
which
is
per-
ceived
as a
major
training
need
as
many
officer casualties
occur
through
vehicle
pur-
suits
and
other
road
traffic accidents.
The
book
concludes
that
there
is no
magic
key
to officersafety,
although
it
can
be
achieved
through
the
inputs
of
good
train-
ing, physical fitness
and
effective
equipment
which
will result in
the
outputs
of
higher
morale,
fewer
assaults
and
sickness.
Care
must
be
taken
to
protect
the
police service's
greatest asset - its
human
resources.
Alan
Beckley
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