Reporting Hazardous Duty Statistics

Enacted: Jan 2004
Revised:

Introduction

Adult and Juvenile Probation, Parole, and Community Corrections officers are routinely exposed to hazardous situations in the performance of their duties. However, unlike law enforcement personnel, a repository for statistics regarding hazardous duty incidents does not currently exist for Parole, Probation and Community Corrections Officers. While various agencies, organizations and individuals have attempted to collect such information, as corrections agencies are not required to collect and/or submit hazardous duty information, a true picture of the types and extent of hazardous duty incidents cannot be compiled.

Position

The American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) considers the safety of Parole and Probation Officers of utmost importance and recommends that all probation and parole agencies have programs in place for the collection of hazardous duty statistics.

Recommended Actions

APPA recommends that each probation and parole agency establish a process for the collection of hazardous duty statistics annually, and should include the following categories:

• Animal Attack – list type of animal and any injury sustained by officer
• Armed Attack- list type of weapon used, distance of attacker from officer, time of day, and location of attack. i.e., office, field, offenders residence.
• Assaults-list type of weapon used including personal weapons (i.e., fist, open hand, feet, etc.)
• Attempted Assaults
• Auto Accidents-list any injuries incurred
• Auto Vandalism
• Bomb Threats
• Bomb Attack
• Communicable Disease Exposure-list type of communicable disease
• Direct Threat to Officer
• Hazardous Chemical Exposure-list type and location of exposure
• Hostage Situation
• Intimidation by individual
• Intimidation by two of more individuals
• Indirect Threat-list method used to make threat, i.e., phone, letter, verbal, etc.
• Murder of Officer-list method and location of murder and as much background information regarding assailant(s) as possible
• Office Vandalism-list type of vandalism and items taken
• Robbery of Officer
• Use of Force by Officer-list type of force used, circumstances of use, i.e., arrest, home contact, office contact, etc., any type of weapon or instrument used by officer, information regarding person on which force was used, and any injury to officer or person being subdued
• Other-provide details

Each agency should include an agency contact person that will be available for follow-up contact if needed.