Book Review: Garner, G. W. (2005). Surviving the Street: Officer Safety and Survival Techniques (2nd ed.). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, Ltd., pp. 302

• Date: 01 December 2007
• Published date: 01 December 2007
• DOI: 10.1177/0734016807310655
• Author: Jennifer L. Lanterman
• Subject Matter: Articles

Book Review(s)
453
Garner, G. W. (2005). Surviving the Street: Officer Safety and
Survival Techniques (2nd ed.). Springfield, IL: Charles
C. Thomas Publisher, Ltd., pp. 302
DOI: 10.1177/0734016807310655
Garner addresses the real-world, practical issues of police officer street survival in the
second edition of Surviving the Street: Officer Safety and Survival Techniques. He begins
by underscoring that despite officers’ mistakes, no matter how egregious, the ultimate
responsibility for the murder of police officers lies with the criminals who killed them.
Proceeding from this declaration, Garner acknowledges that one cannot ignore the reality
that police officers often facilitate their victimization by making themselves vulnerable to
attack through poor decision making, no decision making, or failing to put into practice the
safety principles that they know will help reduce the risk of victimization. Fatal law
enforcement situations are characterized by a set of attributes that are well documented.
Tried and true safety practices are established and available to police officers. The purpose of
this text is to reduce the risk of violent on-the-job encounters for police officers by teaching
them how to stay safe and survive their unpredictable occupation.
The text is organized into 19 chapters. The chapters cover various assignments, tasks, and
situations that officers will encounter, as well as the role that an organization’s management
plays in police officer safety. Each chapter begins with examples of in-the-line-of-duty
murders of police officers culled from Federal Bureau of Investigation reports. The focal
assignment is discussed and deconstructed into phases along with tips for reducing risk and
improving safety at each stage of an encounter. Each chapter concludes with a summary
and a survival checklist for that specific type of assignment.
Each type of encounter requires specific safety-enhancing measures, but Garner almost
universally recommends a few...