schedule without putting additional pressure on department instructors. After consulting with
several facilities, the agency entered an agreement with a local gym to provide nine classes a
week that included morning, afternoon, and evening sessions as well as on Saturday mornings.
This schedule provided officers considerable flexibility to attend class.
To fund the project, the training had to be affordable. Currently, the department averages
between four and ten recruits in the program at one time, so the training costs fluctuate month-
ly. Every gym has a “drop-in” or daily rate. As part of the negotiations, the department was able
to reach an agreement with the gym that was within the allocated training budget. As a result,
the department has been able to train its recruits in the best martial arts in the world for law
enforcement for a few hundred dollars a month.
All recruits are required to complete 90 hours of training over a five month period at the BJJ
gym. Prior to being released from cadet training, each recruit is required to demonstrate their
ability to effectively employ their skills with in-house instructors as well as demonstrate their
understanding of the department’s use of force policy.
While many departments may not have the same resources as the Marietta Police Department,
there are a number of alternative approaches to successfully implement a similar program. For
example, agencies may consider partnering with neighboring departments to implement the
training and defray the costs. The training schedule can be modified to accommodate reduced
funding. Also, if there are no BJJ gyms located near the community, departments may consider
sending an instructor to a 40-hour Gracie Survival Techniques class.
www.gachiefs.com • Page 19 • 1st Quarter Newsletter