OSAT Provides Safety Training to Law Enforcement
June 22, 2021
It’s an ambitious challenge, but one the FBI takes a research-based approach to: preventing deaths and serious injuries of law enforcement officers.
The FBI’s Officer Safety Awareness Training (OSAT) Program provides free training for law enforcement agencies. OSAT staff created the training from information collected in four FBI research studies [Killed in the Line of Duty (1992), In the Line of Fire (1997), Violent Encounters (2006), and Ambushes and Unprovoked Attacks (2019)].
Project researchers identified incidents that resulted in the felonious killing or assault of officers in the line of duty. They collected vital information by interviewing the officers and offenders involved in the incidents. Then, they analyzed the data and created demographic and behavioral profiles of the interviewees. The training developed from the research analysis focuses on why the events happened and presents video interviews with interviewees, allowing attendees to hear their firsthand accounts.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, OSAT staff quickly adapted the program to continue offering the training in a virtual environment. More than 700 officers have received training since the start of the pandemic.
FBI personnel are now updating the OSAT program with more training resources to increase officer safety and seeking new ways to reach a larger audience. For more information about OSAT training, contact leoka.training@fbi.gov.