Cover and Concealment

As I travel around the country teaching police officers and military personnel about use of force and survival strategies, I am constantly dismayed that some of them either do not utilize cover and concealment, or use it ineffectively. Those of us that have been involved in shootings and critical incidents need no reminder as to the importance of having something between you and the bad guy. We have "been there and done that." My experience has been that there are two groups of officers that are the most difficult to reach when trying to impart knowledge concerning safe tactics: first, the young, macho-types; and second, the salty, old veterans.

Bulletproof Cops

These cops are hard chargers; they are very aggressive in everything they do. Many of them have what some refer to as a "bulletproof" mentality. That is a good thing. Confidence is an excellent attribute in our business, but pragmatism needs to be part and parcel of that mindset as well. The bulletproof cops feel invincible; anything they encounter they will be able to handle. As a result, they take many unnecessary risks and make numerous mistakes. They get away with this type of behavior for awhile, but eventually they are rewarded with an unfavorable consequence that changes their modus operandi. Hopefully, the incident that generates this change in tactics does not result in injury to themselves or a fellow officer. But short of that, there is just no talking to them about tactically unsound behavior. They are fueled by television and movies, which in turn, feeds their own expectations of how they should perform. They oftentimes see fellow officers using poor tactics that lead to favorable outcomes as well. This further reinforces their dangerous behavior.

Salty Old Veterans

The second group is sometimes just as difficult to reach. These guys and gals do not like to hear any criticism, and will quickly remind you of their status. "I've been doing this for 18 years; I don't need you to tell me how to make an arrest." I have heard that refrain ad nauseam. My sense is that the vets confuse constructive criticism and a desire to keep them safe with someone challenging their status. Another possibility is that this group of officers just does not want anyone to see that after all that time on the job, they have not grasped the concept of having the tactical advantage. To facilitate a change in either group takes an experienced, tactful instructor with an insight into human nature and a familiarity with adult learners.

Cover and Concealment

So what is the difference between cover and concealment? Simply stated--cover will stop bullets, whereas concealment will not. Crouching behind the refrigerator is cover; crouching behind the cardboard box that it came in is concealment. Both are mandatory tools to keep in your tactical tool bag. Cover is paramount when dealing with a potential shooting situation. Indeed, the best place for you to be during a gunfight is behind cover. Cover gives you a superior position, a tactical advantage over your adversary. However, this basic precept continues to escape the comprehension of the aforementioned officers. Such a simple, life-saving technique seems rudimentary to most of us.

Just for a moment, put yourself in the role of the bad guy. For whatever reason, you have decided to assault a cop. As you draw down, here is the picture that you see--your adversary is hunkered down behind a Jersey wall, barking out commands in a clear, concise manner. The only thing that you can see is his weapon and shooting eye. You quickly assess your chances, which are exacerbated by the fact that you are standing out on front street. To comply with his commands allows you to live, anything less means you will be DRT (dead right there).

What if you have no cover? Concealment is the answer. What, then, is concealment? Anything that allows you to hide yourself from your opponent, or impairs his ability to get a clear shot at you. The mind is sometimes too complex for its own good. Many times, when we cannot clearly see our target, we either hesitate, or do not shoot at all. This small break in the decision making process helps us to catch up on the power curve that always favors the bad guys. Remember the principle of action versus reaction? That small break in the action may be just what we need to put us on a level playing field with our subject.

One other thing--whenever we feel threatened and pull our weapon--that action should always be followed up with going to cover immediately. If you have your weapon drawn, you should either be looking for cover, or at cover. Those two actions go hand in hand. If you train to always marry up coming out of your holster at cover or looking for cover, you will fight the same way. Mastering and including cover and concealment improves your chances of surviving a gun battle.