ABSTRACT
Officer safety is the most important factor to remember when working bus interdiction. As we have stressed in previous chapters, there is no amount of dope, money, or bad guys out there to justify you, your partner, innocent bystanders, or even the bad guy getting hurt. As in any consensual encounter, approaching the unknown is always a critical factor. Working commercial bus interdiction, this is very evident. This chapter will focus on officer safety within the confines of a crowded bus or in a bus terminal. The people involved in criminal activity such as drug trafficking are fully aware of the lack of safety conditions for commercial bus passengers, and that is why bus travel is so attractive for them. Travel on commercial buses, even if they are chartered or independently owned, is a much more time-consuming method of travel, but it is very popular and is probably the most inexpensive method of travel. Many people who do not want to fly due to the events of September 11, 2001, find bus travel a safe alternative.
