Organizational Goals

The USDPTA was created in 1979 with the intention of unifying law enforcement officers across the country. We have grown in the ranks of officers and certified police instructors to its present status as the largest training organization of its kind in the United States. USPDTA is currently increasing its efforts to expand across the United States as well as internationally. Our goals include the following:

1) To create a national standard for law enforcement training in defensive tactics.

2) To set national standards for law enforcement instructors.

3) To assist law enforcement agencies in upgrading their departmental training efforts by serving as a resource for improving officer capabilities in responding to threat situations, thus also reducing the potential liabilities which may result from inappropriate actions during a conflict or violent situation.

4) By creating a networking system in which law enforcement officers, organizations, and affiliates can discuss mutual problems, improve training and receive instruction in the latest defensive techniques from around the country.

5) By creating a standardized Use of Force and Levels of Resistance Matrix.

It is the direction of the USPDTA to provide all student officers, military and security personnel with explicit guidance and help toward the decision making process in the use of force for engaging and disengaging a subject and for escalation or de-escalation in the level of force applied.

USPDTA will continue to fulfill these goals by increasing the availability of national seminars, clinics, and training courses to be taught at the convenience of the individual law enforcement agencies wishing to upgrade the quality of their services and training.