By Shannon Lukens.
Local law enforcement officers will be back taking special driving classes Wednesday, Aug. 9. They have had one day of training already, which involves vehicle safety and professional police driving, and training for a high-risk traffic stop. Here’s Detective Gregory Griffin with the Steamboat Springs Police Department.
“We’re just working on some tactics to keep officers safe in high-risk situations that may arise from high-risk contacts, stolen vehicle contacts, high-risk warrant contacts on the patrol level, just trying to talk through the planning and train through it ahead of time to keep our officers and the public safe, when we’re out there on the street.”
Community Service officers are also taking the training.
“It’s important for our non-sworn officers to know our tactics as well, or how we position things, in case they needed to shut down traffic, or assist in perimeter areas or anything like that with high-risk situations.
Training is in the parking lot at Strawberry Park Elementary and Steamboat Springs Middle School, so the parking lot will be closed all day Wednesday, Aug. 9.
Press release from the City of Steamboat Springs.
Law Enforcement Goes Back To School For Driving Training
School Parking Lot Closed To Public During Training Sessions on Aug 2 & 9
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO-July 25, 2023-The Steamboat Springs Police Department (SSPD) and the Routt County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) will be headed back to school, specifically, Strawberry Park Elementary and Middle Schools, for a special training class for law enforcement on driving tactics in early August. School parking lots will be closed for all public use during training sessions.
“Training is a mainstay among law enforcement agencies across the country,” commented Chief Mark Beckett. “Our officers undergo a variety of training to ensure they have the tools and skills necessary to stay safe while working to make our city safer.”
The SSPD, RCSO and other agencies will be conducting agency Officer Driving Training at the Strawberry Park Schools parking lot on Wednesday, August 2 and 9, from 9am to 7pm. These parking lots will be closed for all public use; however, trail access in the area will remain open.
The training focuses on pursuit driving, vehicle safety, professional police driving, driving techniques, and emergency driving techniques. Behind the wheel, officers are exposed to a variety of courses designed specifically for law enforcement drivers.
“We’re fortunate to have officers within our department who have been certified in instruction across a variety of disciplines including driving instruction,” continued Beckett. “Additionally, we’re able to have multiple agencies participate right here instead of having to leave the Yampa Valley.”
Officers typically spend six to eight hours a day in their patrol vehicles. Motor vehicle-related incidents are a leading cause of line-of-duty deaths for law enforcement officers in the United States. In the last 10 years, on average, an officer per week has been killed on the nation’s roads.