What training resources am I providing to empower officers to perform safe, simple, quick roadside assists?  NOTE: Basis for all of this is my extensive experience from performing well over 2,000 roadside assists free-of-charge as a hobby.  In light of recent riots and extremely strained public relations with police, this information is particularly urgent as means for Law Enforcement agencies to: 1) Win Hearts and minds of the public, and 2) Improve officer morale.

I have produced a 50-minute video which can be used in-house by law enforcement agencies to help train officers to perform simple, safe, quick roadside assists with the agenda of winning hearts and minds in communities they serve – much needed in today’s too-often toxic social climate.  Several measures are pro-active.  Please check out the video at this link: 50-minute training video.

The complete training system I am offering includes:

1) the book: see “The Book” page of this website (as a foundation, it provides many details);

2) a supplementary list of Tips and Equipment for Police Officers, to take them beyond the book, especially with advanced tire-related assist issues (Click here)- with estimated cost of each item); and

3) the video – which summarizes the book and integrates the list.  The list and video are free.  Agencies would acquire recommended assist equipment items independently from me; I have zero involvement except to recommend them. 

The book is available at bulk rates far below retail; see the attached pricing schedule: (Click here).  I recommend that as a minimum trainers administering training using the video study the book in order to field inevitable trainee questions.  Ideally, all officers who will perform the assists should have studied the book; even better, they would have a copy.

The video stipulates that officer roadside assists should occur only when operational priorities allow and that traditional law enforcement duties clearly have a higher priority.  Considering that officers would perform roadside assists only if they were already doing something less urgent, “lack of sufficient manpower” is not a great reason for not doing them at all.  The video specifies that the only assists I propose are changing tires and bringing gas (not carrying gas in the patrol vehicle, but fetching it if there’s time).  Also that I’m 76 and have never been injured – because I use proper methods and equipment and take safety precautions shown in the video.  My book (and I) routinely deal also with lockouts, dead batteries (with related electrical issues), and overheating.  But the video specifies that these are not part of the training for law enforcers since they increase liability risk.

The video also suggests that for officer safety, two be present – one to perform the assist and another in “overwatch”.  Assisting officers may have the owner/driver of the disabled vehicle sign a liability waiver before any assist work begins.

What if your agency already uses a fleet of dedicated roadside assisters?  

Your agency may have a fleet of vehicles dedicated to assisting broken down motorists – which would be great.  But sometimes the most efficient way to do a job like assisting broken down motorists isn’t always the best for PR.  One big reason for doing roadside assists anywhere, especially in urban areas, is to win hearts and minds, community trust, and cooperation with law enforcement – considering the toxic relations in many cities between law enforcement and primarily minority communities.  An in-service officer who, when priorities allow, can participate hands-on in the assist – even if all he does is to loosen some tight lug nuts (and not merely summon a wrecker or a member of a fleet of rescue vehicles) – will make a bigger, better impression on the assist recipient as well as all others in the area who witness the assist as he/she promotes community engagement and dialogue. 

If your officers already provide roadside assists, they could do them safer and quicker using my methods. Guaranteed.  Officers also could do more to be pro-active and help drivers prevent breakdowns (examples are in the video).

We can agree that my initiative is “outside-the-box”, but so would be the positive reaction from assist recipients as well as many others in the area who would witness the assists.  Sometimes difficult problems justify outside-the-box solutions!

I believe that such a policy, implemented by officers trained and equipped via my system, would help law enforcement departments gain respect and cooperation from served communities, making law enforcement easier and more productive in the long run.  Wouldn’t this represent a “Win-Win” for all?  What do you have to lose?  If “Carrot and Stick” can be applied to law enforcement, simple roadside assisting can be part of the carrot, while proactive deterrent measures on the street can be part of the stick.  Just imagine where this could lead in our polarized society. 

What is the positive effect on officers who perform roadside assists?

Personal gratification and positive self-therapy from rendering assists is immense; this is a big reason I keep doing them.  Some law enforcement agencies have problems with manpower, including retention and recruiting.  Most people in law enforcement came there because they are service-oriented.  Performing occasional roadside assists can help cops feel good about themselves – which should help retention and recruiting.  Perhaps officers’ doing an occasional rewarding assist would help counter the disturbing trend of higher rates of officer suicides.  Officers performing assists likely would adopt more of a genuinely caring attitude toward the public – exactly what is needed now!.  

Examples of officers’ winning hearts and minds:

In February, 2017, in Texas, I met a Grimes County Sheriff’s deputy already stopped to help a motorist with flat tire.  The deputy was a good, experienced guy with best of intentions, but he simply lacked the knowledge and tools to finish changing the tire.  After I helped him and the motorist with my tools and advice, and after I described my initiative for officers to assist motorists, he bought two copies of my book on the spot and handed one to the rescued motorist.  Read details here.

Here’s a short segment illustrating the positive impact of an in-service officer in Montgomery, Texas, helping a woman change her flat tire: (Click here). The woman, RoseMary Atanga, said her first instinct was “Lord here is another white officer, help me.”  But she soon realized that officer Steven Squier was an “angel who God sent.”  

This is exactly the kind of response your officers can expect when doing roadside assists – which would lead to increased trust and cooperation from supported communities.  Similar heartfelt expressions of thanks for my 2,000+ assists are what made me believe that this has great potential for law enforcement too.  Officers like Squier would be even safer and more efficient doing such assists if they use methods and tools described in my plan. 

Another example of gratitude as a result of kindness of a police officer in Florida: (Click here).  Officer Jenkins stopped driver Chy-Niece Thacker because her brake lights were not working.  Instead of giving her a ticket he tried to fix her lights.  He didn’t know that she recorded his actions.  This type of assist is not included in my initiative, but the idea is.

The website for PoliceOne, #1 Law Enforcement resource for news, training and videos, has featured an article about why and how police can win hearts and minds by doing simple, safe, quick roadside assists: https://www.policeone.com/police-products/vehicles/articles/346620006-Why-police-roadside-assists-can-improve-community-relations/

What about cost of equipment recommended to empower officers to perform safe, quick, efficient assists?

Some law enforcement agencies may have difficulty affording the items I recommend for each police car (about $600 from scratch; less if officers already have some of the items) to do these assists.  NOTE: Although I recommend these items, I am not involved in any way with providing them.  Agencies may opt to acquire certain items initially and obtain the rest later when funds are available; also, agencies may initially outfit only a few vehicles per shift.

Some agencies are requesting grants; here are two suggested places I have found to start that process:  1) PoliceOne recommends:  https://www.policegrantshelp.com/; 2) DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance suggested using the Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program: https://www.bja.gov/Jag/.  The manager of the JAG program in Washington has told me that local agencies may apply for funding for tools to facilitate roadside assists.

“Sheriff & Deputy”, National Sheriff Association’s bi-monthly magazine, featured an article about my suggestion/recommendation in its July-August, 2018, edition (Click here) .  For the entire magazine edition, open this attachment, then scroll down to page 76 under “Community Policing”: https://roadsidesurvival.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/nsa_sheriffdeputy_julyaug2018.pdf

Here’s a beautiful example of where incorporating my system can go.  On August 22, 2020, one of my two assists was for a car with a flat tire, and we noticed that another tire was also flat; both were caused by apparent nail punctures in centers of the treads.  The donut spare was an option for one flat; however, donuts do not perform as well as regular tires.  So, I suggested that I plug both flat tires and reflate them (with my 12-v compressor) and not use the donut spare (which was almost flat before I reflated it), which would provide a better short-term solution until they could get to a tire store and replace the plugs with patches inside the tires.  After I finished both plug jobs, the assisted driver was helping me put my gear back into my trunk.  He looked at me and my gear there, and as we shook hands, he said, “You’re a hell of a dude.”  Wow! Your officers could garner the same kind of compliments, gratitude, and trust from doing such assists.  At the same time, your officers would experience the same therapeutic benefit that I receive each time.  You may have a policy to not plug flat tires, but you get the idea!

Last, but certainly not least: My take on PTSD and depression, common among military veterans and law enforcement officers. During the 2018 National Sheriffs’ Association Winter Conference Feb 10-13, 2018, (where I spoke briefly about winning hearts and minds with roadside assisting) I heard several committee participants talk about the incredible stress involved with being a first responder.  Around Veterans Day, 2017, I was speaker at several functions around Fayetteville and Fort Bragg, NC, where many soldiers present and past live.  My remarks, directed at soldiers, veterans (and first responders) suffering from PTSD and depression, opined that causes of PTSD and depression are complex; however, a universal antidote is to be a habitual giver.  Based on those presentations, I have written a published article which I believe can help officers with PTSD and/or depression: https://thewarriorsjourney.org/challenges/antidote-ptsd-depression-habitual-giver/ . Please take five minutes to read it. Then feel free to forward it to anyone you think would benefit – including your officers.  Here is a link to the same article in original format (easier to read): (Click here).  I’m no doctor, but it sure works for me!