Getting Below 100: A Common-Sense Path Toward Reducing Officer Deaths
the United States, and even Puerto Rico. Gordon Graham (risk management
expert and founder of Lexipol), Undersheriff Rob Beidler from Snohomish,
Washington, and Chief Jeff Smythe of the Burlington, North Carolina Police
Department all shared Below 100 best practices with the group. As National Law
Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) Safety Award winners, Beidler
and Smythe emphasized that Below 100 is not just contained in a four-hour
training class. Beyond the class, the possibilities of implementing the Five Tenets
are endless when it comes to managing a police department.
“These speakers told attendees how they incorporated the Below 100 tenets into
policies, training, and day-to-day operational policies that helped not only reduce
preventable deaths but also took $2 million in losses per year down to $250,000,”
Sellers said.
Below 100’s Benefits to Cities and Counties
Small actions taken by individual police officers can contribute to an overall
decrease in deaths and serious injuries. And leaders can be inspired by
Below 100 to further a culture of safety which lowers liability costs. Some of the
key benefits from participating in Below 100 and practicing its tenets include:
Saving lives
It’s a massive understatement to say that the mental anguish involved in burying
an employee or coworker can take a heavy, heavy toll on everyone in the
community. The grieving ripples through the department they served, the family
who loves them, and the community they worked so hard to protect.
With Below 100, law enforcement learns best practices that not only keep police
officers safe and free from injury but also increases the chances they will go home
to their families every night. Earl believes this is the greatest message of Below
100: Get home safely to your families.
“You owe it to your children, your wife, mother, father, brother, or whoever’s
waiting for you at home,” Earl said. “Do whatever is required to get home safely to
them. If you won’t follow the Five Tenets for yourself, do it for them.”
Reducing law enforcement shortages
The Below 100 best practices not only prevent deaths. They also prevent injuries—
especially injuries that will disable a police officer temporarily or permanently.
According to Sellers, “Departments benefit by the reduction in preventable
injuries. In times of significant manpower shortage, departments with officers who
regularly put on their seatbelts, wear their body armor, and speed less have less
people out with injuries.”
Reducing liability
With a reduction of preventable injuries, local governments experience a
reduction in claims. That lowers overall costs. “The Below 100 concepts are Risk
Management 101,” Sellers said. “The people who developed this training looked at
where line of duty deaths happened the most and addressed each leading cause
with a way to reduce officers from being killed.”
www.gachiefs.com • Page 14 • 1st Quarter Newsletter