Battlefield New York City

What can we learn from the tragic deaths of twotraining for auxiliary officers. While many view close
young volunteer police officers?combat training only useful for military personnel, many
It is not easy to be emergency services anywhere, butof the tactics were indeed developed for law
in New York City it takes a special breed.enforcement activities.
In the past few months, lone police officers have hadEven in medieval Japan, the samurai who practiced
to deal with shootouts, stabbings, riots, and unrulyJujutsu spent much of their time performing law
protesters. While events like these are all in the line ofenforcement duties. They understood not every
duty in New York City, they shockingly routine.situation could be settled with swords when dealing
What should never be part of the routine though is thewith a hostile population, and Jujutsu was effective
deaths of police officers. On the evening of March 15,even against an armored opponent.
2007, the city lost two of its bravest in a hale ofAnother great contributor to police close combat
gunfire.training was William E. Fairbairn. A British police officer
That night they proved they had courage, but lackedin the Shanghai Municipal Police (SMP), Fairbairn
training.worked his way up from patrolmen to commissioner
Buried with full honors, the greatest tribute to theirduring the city's most violent period.
courage can be improved close combat training.Having fought in over six-hundred street fights and
Nobody is exactly sure what David Garvin's motivationreceiving his black belt in Judo at the Kodokan,
was for the brutal shooting that started the killing spree,Fairbairn went on to write the close combat classic
but it is clear he was ready for a fight. He wasDefendu to help police officers. Meant for self-defense
carrying two semiautomatic firearms and over oneit concentrated on disarming and restraining opponents,
hundred rounds of ammunition.but allowed for lethal force when necessary.
Unfortunately auxiliary officers Nicholas Todd Pekearo,The New York City police department has to adapt its
28, and Eugene Marshalik, 19, who were first toauxiliary program or events like what happened March
respond, were only armed with radios. When they15, 2007 will inevitably happen again.
ordered Garvin to drop his bag he complied, but thenGarvin had already killed one unarmed man by the
realized they were unarmed and took off.time he encountered the officers, so in his mind the
The officers gave chase, but Garvin turned on themonly option left was to fight. If the auxiliary officers had
and shot Marshalik in the back of the head and shotbeen taught even the most basic of close combat
Pekearo repeatedly after diving behind a car formethods they could have overtaken the killer when
cover. Armed police officers arrived quickly andthey first confronted the criminal.
engaged Garvin who died trying to make a stand in aThe 4,500 brave men and women that serve as
store. As with any in the line of duty deaths questionsauxiliary police officers in New York City deserve
are raised about what could have been done tobetter then to be cut down in the street. Regardless of
prevent such a tragedy.whether police personnel are volunteer or paid they
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly spoke well of themust be given the same training because they share
fallen officers and promised he would reexamine thethe danger.