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TRAINING [everyone's] afraid they're going to go bad or become a duck. Because when it happens it's usually pretty dramatic." Agency leaders and supervisors should realize there is a huge difference between regular police work and the undercover realm, and take proper psychological care of their personnel. Fuller describes the uniform as "an electronic field" that keeps the bad stuff out. But when the uniform comes off, there's no shield other than one's own values and morals. On cell phones and screwdrivers Fuller speaks from his 27-plus years in law enforcement with expertise in undercover, electronic surveillance and training; and his time as a Special Agent with the ATF. He believes undercover physical tactics are a significant unrecognized need in law enforcement. "You have supervisors…test their patrol officer into an undercover unit, and they assume all those fighting tactics they learned at the academy will be what they need over there, and it isn't at all," he explains. In fact, the fighting changes in drastic ways when the badge comes off. For one, undercover officers don't get to start the fight. They also don't have the luxury of a vest, duty belt, a (readily accessible) gun, handcuffs, baton, OC spray, CED, radio, etc. Undercover trainers stress that, in the heat of the moment, officers probably won't get to their gun in time so it's best to find other means of defense. "Weapons of opportunity" might mean a cellphone, or a screwdriver lying on the floor of back seat of a car. Fuller points out most academies don't teach students how to fight in a car…however, given the nature of undercover deals and interactions that is precisely where a lot of assaults happen. And it's not enough to know that a cellphone can be deadly—it Circle 76 on Reader Service Card 24 Law Enforcement Technology August 2013 www.officer.com should be practiced, too. "Your brain can't go where your body hasn't been," Fuller says. "And your body has trouble going where your brain hasn't been. In a violent, physical confrontation, the first place the brain goes is to its training." Undercovers typically have a body wire, or one-way communication, and a gun concealed in a manner where the officer cannot get to it quickly enough. Although they may not have started the fight, these officers need to make sure they finish it. He teaches guys that "in a matter of moments, we've got to hurt [the suspect] so bad that he's the victim. Now [the suspect] doesn't have a plan…most agencies don't recognize the huge physical differences there." In a fight there's no holing off and defending until the rest of the team arrives; they might not show up. Swapping stories Many departments still do not have solid undercover policies in place, and they should. IAUO has a complete, generic policy that agencies might use as a guide when formulating their own. Well-penned policies can help prevent officers going into undercover work from feeling adrift or left to their own devices. It can also help agencies remain aware of necessary training, protocol and procedures to keep officers safe and on-task. Training is out there, too. In his training, Fuller and a range of instructors from across the country share strategies and tips on how to prepare and handle themselves psychologically. The classes also teach face-toface confrontation, what to say when offered drugs, using various fighting techniques, and electronic surveillance tactics. Course leaders strive to keep material current and share what they've learned from their own experience. "That gets me excited…when someone tells me how they dealt with a problem that I'd never heard before," he says. "It's really a personal thing," says Fuller of undercover work. "It's one-onone. You can have all the team-planning you want, but when you go there undercover it's my brain against your brain, that's it." ■