OSS Academy® Recognized by State of Texas

By Robert Norton, Public Law Enforcement Circular | Fri, 15 Mar 2013

The OSS Academy®, located in Spring Texas, recognized last month by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement [TCOLE] just announced that new distance learning courses are being designed for police and law enforcement officers who face specialized training needs.

In an interview, David Salmon, the Training Coordinator for OSS Academy, said new online course offerings will first target the “topics that officers most often get sued for.”  He went on to say that “… society today is more and more, becoming a society of victims.  In some cases, it is fashionable to claim that you were victimized by the police.”  He further explained that while he agrees that some lawsuits against officers are valid, a great majority seek to place blame on the police for their own poor lifestyle choices.  For example, a habitual drug abuser, arrested because police officers were responding to a violent emergency call for service.  Then, in turn, the habitual drug abuser sues the officers with false claims of excessive use of force.

Salmon said survey research indicates that the most common issues facing officers today involve allegations of:

  1. Patrol vehicle accidents & distracted drivers
  2. Vehicle pursuits
  3. Less lethal techniques, e.g. ECD, Taser®, OC, etc.
  4. Use of force & deadly force
  5. Mental & drug OD responses
  6. Secondary employment & off-duty jobs, actions, & powers
  7. Investigations, evidence handling, & exculpatory release
  8. Workplace & sexual harassment
  9. Restraints, positional asphyxia, & excited delirium
  10. Demonstrations & civil disobedience
  11. Motor vehicle stops & searches
  12. Immigration enforcement

The objective he said, is to reduce officer liability by providing officers with the latest high-quality training available, online and at a price they can easily afford.