Think It Through AMAURY MURGADO
ROBBERY IN PROGRESS You walk in on a convenience store armed robbery. How do you respond?
I
PHOTOS: AMAURY MURGADO
n every call for service, you should think things through before you begin your response. Each call can be broken down into three phases: pre-response, response, and post response. The following scenario is designed to help you think things through rather than give you a specific way to handle the call.
SITUATION It's 10:00 on a Sunday when you arrive at a convenience
store to get a cup of coffee. You pay attention to officer safety considerations and drive up from an angle that allows you to see the parking lot and inside the store. You take a few seconds to look around, don't see anything suspicious, and you decide to park. You call dispatch to advise them you will be checked out at the store for a few minutes. You park on the blind side of the building and get out of your patrol car. As you approach the store's entrance, you realize the clerk is being robbed at gunpoint. As far as you can tell, no one else is in the store. You also note that there are two people getting gas at the pumps and there are no other people around.
INITIAL THOUGHTS You have several things in your favor. You parked your patrol car out of
view, dispatch already knows where you are in case things go bad, and you haven't been seen by the suspect yet. Though you can't see anyone else in the store, you can't confirm there isn't another employee in the back or someone in the bathroom. You are fortunate that there are only two people at the pumps getting gas. Because there is no one else around, you can focus on what's going on inside the store. You have to make use of your time because there is no telling when the suspect will leave or if he will decide to hurt someone. 16
POLICE FEBRUARY 2015
Contact dispatch when leaving your car even if only for a short moment.
PRE-RESPONSE
Think It Through: 1. Do you have a clear picture of the situation thus far? 2. What are your priorities? 3. How do you plan for now and yet consider what might happen later? 4. Do you set up to rush-in or wait until the suspect comes out? In order to get a clear picture of what you are facing, you need to take inventory of your situation. Take a quick 360-degree look around so you know what to factor in. Right now the only thing you know for sure is what you see. Your priorities always start and end with the preservation of life. Focus on the now and plan for contingencies if you have time. Though you don't know the full intentions of the suspect, you do know the suspect has covered his face, hasn't hurt the clerk, and has not fired his gun in anger. Your experience tells you that more often than not, under these circumstances, the suspect Make use of your time to plan your will take the money and run. For actions and understand your priorities. your planning and decision-making