Survival Skills

Since the dawn of time,

society has been divided between those who follow the rules

and those who break them.

For the good people of Middletown,

only one thing stands between them

and a rising tide of violence and degeneracy... you.

Hello and welcome to Survival Skills,

a new training video from Survival Solutions

created specifically for the graduates of the Middletown Police Academy.

In the next hour we're going to be providing you with the information you need

to transition from your training into an active field position.

Now, I know you have a lot of questions and we'll get to them

but right now there's somebody I'd like for you to meet.

Hello. Do you know what your name is?

I sure don't.

- Your name is Jim, and you're a policeman. - Hmm.

I don't know if I have what it takes.

- Well, are you brave? - I think so.

- Are you compassionate? - Sure.

- Are you a hard worker? - You bet.

Then you'll be A-Okay.

The most important qualities a policeman can have

are honesty, diligence and a commitment to justice no matter what.

- That sounds like me. - Sure it does.

Now, Jim, we're going to follow you through your first year as a police officer.

And I won't lie, it's not going to be easy.

But at the end of it you will have learned some valuable survival skills.

And you will, too.

Now let's get started.

Welcome to Middletown, USA, population 34,000.

It's a typical American town,

89 percent white with a median income of 70,000 dollars.

In 1988, the town voted overwhelmingly for Ronald Reagan

despite the fact that he was not running for election.

This is the town Jim will call home.

We're putting Jim in a sensible two-bedroom house in the suburbs,

the kind of place no one would ever want to leave.

Now, first things first, let's get Jim dressed.

Oh no, that may work for the ball game

but it doesn't meet the high standards of the Middletown PD.

That's better.

What's this? Uh-oh.

Now, I know you're curious about that gun, Jim,

but that's another video.

You're not going to need that gun.

Something we often forget is that police officers are real people with real lives.

Let's give Jim a life of his own.

And what home would be complete without a lady of the house.

I make my own jam.

Now, let's get Jim to work.

- Wish me luck, honey. - Luck.

- You Jim? - Yes, Ma'am.

I don't want to be, you know, unkind or anything

but just so you are aware, I did not request you.

- Oh. - In fact, I requested not you.

- How old are you? - I'm 30.

Right. And you seem kind of keen for an old guy,

which worries me.

I don't need a bunch of fucking questions all the time.

Questions certainly can be annoying.

Okay.

I'm your FTO. I've been doing this a long time.

So just do what I tell you, follow the rules and you'll be fine.

I'm excited to learn.

- Whatever you say. - Whatever you say, boss.

Oh, my God.

10-4, 10-4, this is Unit 11.

The job of a policeman is unpredictable.

It could be a speeding stop or a cat stuck up in a tree.

Who knows?

Oh. Oh.

Oh, well, cadets, it's not all sunshine and lollipops out there,

sometimes you have to get tough.

And Jim's first assignment is about the toughest there is.

But before we get started, let's take a look at some basic principles.

Domestic violence calls are notoriously unpredictable, emotional, and deadly

and we've developed a five-step plan to help you navigate these tricky situations.

We call this the SMENS system.

The first step is S, safe approach.

Step two is make notes.

As you enter, make a note of everything that is or could be a weapon.

Step three is E, emotions.

Before you say anything, look carefully at the faces of any occupants in the room.

Step four is N, partition.

Try using an open armed herding technique like you'd use with cattle.

And finally step five, S.

S stands for solve.

Once they've calmed down, bring the disputants back together

and have a frank, honest talk about what happened.

Everyone is calm and no one gets hurt.

SMENS. Now, let's see how Jim does.

It's a misunderstanding that everything is fine.

Thank you for that.

Will you just stop interrupting people?

I'm gonna need you to move her upstairs.

A little goddamn help here.

Where were you raised? In a barn?

Fucking asshole.

So what was the fight about?

Nothing.

Nothing?

Look, I'm not proud of this but we were arguing and I was...

I was belittling her intelligence.

She never finished college, she's insecure about it. She...

She feels like she can't get a job. Like, she's dependent on me.

And sometimes I needle her about it when I'm stressed out at work.

But that's... that's no excuse. I... I know that.

Hmm.

So that's it?

Yeah.

Okay.

That was very stressful. Everybody was yelling at each other.

It was so loud.

I'm sorry.

Is it always like this for you here?

Don't worry, we'll get this sorted out.

He'll never hurt you again.

That's a promise.

Uh, are you going to ask me what happened?

Oh, uh, I don't know. Um, am I supposed to?

I... That's what they usually do.

Okay. Ahem, what happened?

You know, it's... it's funny, you know, where I'm from,

we... we would have fights like this all the time. It's no big deal.

So you're saying it was just an argument?

It's just stupid argument.

Are you sure that you don't want to...

You know, to be honest, I don't... I don't really want to talk about it.

It's... This is embarrassing.

And your daughter seemed pretty upset.

She, uh... she... she's actually my stepdaughter.

If you need anything, either of you, for any reason, let us know.

Absolutely, 100 percent.

- Thanks... - Thanks again.

Thanks, officers.

Um, I'm new to this, so I defer to you totally

but it seems to me and... and again forgive me if it's inappropriate...

Jesus Christ, kid.

I feel strongly that we were being lied to by one or both parties in there.

- Oh, do you? - And that abuse was, indeed, taking place

despite their assurances to the contrary.

- Well, thank God you're here. - Well, so can we arrest them?

- It doesn't work that way. - Well, it should.

Yeah. Well, if she's okay with him using her as a punchy bag,

there's a goddamn thing we can do.

- But if we separate them... - You're not listening to me.

- If there's a child involved, it's our... - Hey.

It is your first day. Maybe shut the fuck up for a minute.

I'm sorry. You seem upset.

Were you abused as a child?

Domestic violence cases present more than just physical danger for law enforcement officers,

the emotional strain of returning again and again to an abusive home

can take a toll on the officers themselves.

Officers can become so...

so heartbroken that they're tempted to break the rules

and contact the abused party.

And while this desire comes from a noble place,

it often leads to more heartbreak, more anger, and more violence.

But not every case is quite so grim.

Today Jim has been called to arrest a local shoplifter

who may be a little different than he's expecting.

I'm just so sorry. I mean this isn't him, you know. I...

But his mother just passed and... Oh, you, you know that.

I understand, Sir, but the store owner will need to be reimbursed.

I know. And... and we will pay every penny somehow.

Just, uh don't... don't drag the kid into this.

I could really go for a cup of joe.

Cup... Oh. Yeah, sure. I'll...

Hey...

would you like to race?

- Why not? - You sure gonna win.

Hmm. I bet you're right.

What if I race with the truck and you race the cruiser?

Yeah?

It's just great.

On your marks, get set and go!

Oh. Mine didn't go anywhere.

Go. Oh, you just hit me!

As a police officer, it's important to forge close ties with your community,

but it's also important to make sure

you remain professional and never personal.

- Do you even care... - care.

Ma'am, we can take care of this for you.

Thank you, Sir.

Let's give Jim something else to worry about.

Tonight's a big night for Jim. It's his first night on his own.

But it hasn't gone exactly the way Jim thought it would.

In nine hours on duty Jim has issued one speeding ticket

and responded to a call about a stolen bike.

If you ever find yourself getting bored on the job just think,

"Thank God no one's in trouble."

But why not give Jim a little excitement.

Sir. Sir, can you please return to your vehicle?

Care to remove your helmet?

Could you remove your helmet for me please?

You were going pretty fast, sir.

Got up to double the speed limit.

Kids could be playing around here.

License, registration and proof of insurance, please?

I would consider it a personal favor.