M Focus on: Public Safety
Many officers from the Marietta Police Department in Marietta, Ga., participate in ongoing regular training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at a local gym to keep their skills sharp. In 2019, the department became possibly the first in the nation to require all new recruits to receive Brazilian jiu-jitsu training. (Photo provided by Marietta Police Department)
Brazilian jiu-jitsu shows promise in reducing injury and excessive force By KEVIN KILBANE | The Municipal
If your community is considering whether to join the many others across the country that have embraced Brazilian jiu-jitsu training for law enforcement officers, you won’t find much data on whether the training will reduce officer and suspect injuries and result in fewer excessive use of force incidents. However, experts and anecdotal information suggest regular training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, or BJJ, can improve outcomes of officer interactions with the public. “It is just a tool I feel every officer needs in their toolbox for the safety of the officer and the public,” said Jeremy Butler, an assistant professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at Judson University in Elgin, Ill. A former police officer in central Illinois, Butler has been researching police training in BJJ and
22 THE MUNICIPAL | APRIL 2022
defensive tactics and how that affects officers’ perceptions of their performance when encountering a person who acts violently or resists arrest. The U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice recommends law enforcement officers “use only the amount of force necessary to mitigate an incident, make an arrest, or protect themselves and others from harm,” it said on its website, nij.ojp.gov. Interactions with possible suspects should start with conversation in hopes of gaining voluntary compliance, Butler said. If that fails,
