Victoria Police officers query standards of combat training
POLICE officers are paying for private martial arts classes because they say the standard of hand to hand combat training in the force has dropped in the last five years.
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POLICE officers are paying for private martial arts classes because they say the standard of hand to hand combat training in the force has dropped in the last five years.
The Sunday Herald Sun has spoken to officers who fear that the current official training program is leaving cops on the street exposed.
One officer, who did not want to be named, said: “Our training has become quite soft since too many people were injured doing it.
“It used to be full-on, people would be padded up and you would really go for it.
She said now there was quite limited contact in training that did not prepare them for the reality of life on the beat.
“The reality these days is people are on ice and you are in a fight with people who are really punching on.
Instead of relying on force-approved training they are paying for classes that the elite Israeli Defence Force uses — which features moves from boxing, wrestling, aikido and judo.
Many police officers believe the physical training has been dialled down because the force wants to avoid legal action from members who sustain injuries.
However senior police dispute that and say training is delivered in a way that limits injury, ensuring as many officers as possible are out on the beat.
Victoria Police has denied there are any issues with its training program.
Assistant Commissioner Kevin Casey said officers are trained in the use of many nonlethal, tactical options.
“Our members are highly trained and skilled in using effective communication and other tactical options such as batons, OC spray, conducted energy devises (CEDs) (to) avoid situations where physical confrontation is necessary,” Mr Casey said.
“Where physical confrontation is unavoidable, our members undertake extensive training to deliver a safe resolution.
“Our physical training is rigorous and demanding in order to meet modern policing demands and ensure our members are adequately prepared for any scenario in the community.
“Necessarily, this training is undertaken in controlled conditions which allow our uniformed officers to learn and test their abilities while still providing them with a safe workplace, as is our obligation as an employer.”
Avi Yemini runs IDF Training in Melbourne CBD and Caulfield North.
The training focuses on Krav Maga, a military self-defence system developed for the Israel Defense Forces which uses a combination of boxing, wrestling, aikido and judo.
“We train many Victoria Police members,” Mr Yemini said.
“They come to us disappointed in their training.
“The (police) academy is so worried about ensuring no one gets hurt, that they neglect to prepare its frontline officers for the job properly.
“One officer told me that three officers were trying to restrain a crook who was off his face on ice.
“The three of them were struggling. They couldn’t keep the guy down and he was posing a great danger to them and the public.
“He remembered the basic technique he was taught at (our) course and told the officers to move over while he applied the restraining technique.
“He was able to control the suspect on his own. It was simply the training they were lacking.”
