Like anything you’ve done ten thousand times without incident and without injury, simply getting into your squad car at the start of your shift can be dangerous if you let ‘complacency’ take over.
What if you have a take-home vehicle? I was talking with a law enforcement friend who told a tale of a cop who one day before going to work came upon their take-home squad car — which, importantly, was not equipped with a back-seat cage — to discover that one of the back doors was ajar. Checking, they found no stow-away lurking, lying in wait for an attack, so this incident turned out to not be a threat. However, had there been an assailant in the back, and had this officer not noticed the issue with the slightly opened door, an attack from behind on that LEO could well have been possible.
We’ve previously discussed the importance of checking your squad car before rolling out on patrol to ensure that your all the mounts are solid and your MDT (or anything else, for that matter) doesn’t become a dangerous projectile in the event of a crash.
Further, if your department has shared (hot-seat) squad cars, it’s a really good idea to do a detailed assessment of the car, looking especially in the customer compartment for any weapons or other contraband that may have been left there during a previous shift. Before leaving the motor-pool parking lot, it’s also a great idea to inspect tires and other equipment necessary for the safe operation of the vehicle. Follow the words of Ronald Reagan when thinking about your maintenance people — trust but verify their work.
While the abovementioned incident occurred with a take-home car away from the PD, the same type of scenario could be possible even in the busiest agency parking lots.
And remember, if you have a take-home car, check for booby traps rigged to hurt or kill you — remember this incident in Florida where a man rigged a trip-wire to a board studded with feces-smeared nails.
While we’re on the topic of take-home squads, here’s one more thought. If possible, park in such a way that the vehicle is not visible directly in front of your home. A garage space is ideal, but when that’s not available, try to park in a safe location within a reasonable walking distance to your place (and no, don’t park in front of the neighbor’s place who you don’t like).
