Media and Hosting

Law Enforcement Officer Performance And Reaction Drill
“L.E.O.P.A.R.D. Challenge”

The Leopard Challenge Finally, the law enforcement community has its own unique sports and fitness competition. From the creators of ESPN’s Firefighter Combat Challenge®, now comes the LEOPARD Challenge®: the Law Enforcement Officer Performance And Reaction Drill..

The LEOPARD Challenge is an intense, spirited head-to-head skills
competition based upon the physical skills routinely encountered in real life law enforcement. Unlike sports that exist solely for entertainment value, the LEOPARD is competition with a purpose; it’s about performing one of the most dangerous and demanding jobs safer and better. It is also an opportunity for the public to see what it takes to be a police officer in today’s uncertain world. As part of a nationally sponsored tour, the LEOPARD Challenge will prey on various cities around the country, setting the new standard for job-related policing skills and building respect for the men and women who ensure our public safety.

The Course: Wearing a uniform-style trouser and the common equipment of an Law Enforcement professional on patrol: vest, helmet, and equipment belt/w pistol, flashlight and hand cuffs, officers simulate the routine tasks of everyday police operations by sequentially negotiating a series of linked tasks. The course begins from the driver's seat of a patrol car, with hands positioned on the steering wheel at the 10 and 2 o'clock positions. At the start command competitors must first release the seatbelt, then exiting the vehicle scale a 6-ft. barrier. Upon clearing the barrier, competitors proceed to a culvert crawl, where they must illuminate a photocell target with their flashlight at the end of the 6-ft. long tunnel before crawling through the 2-ft. high culvert. After exiting the culvert, competitors simulate a building entry by moving through a 2-ft. by 4-ft. window ledge (30" from the ground) by opening the pane. At this point competitors have the option of engaging a pop-up moving target for a 10 second bonus before climbing over the sill. For the following task they scale and descend a 4-foot staircase. Next, competitors crawl through another 6 ft. culvert and then must engage a set of three targets, double-tapping (hitting twice) each target from a prone or kneeling position. Moving to the next station, competitors apply handcuffs to an arrest-simulator mannequin. Then it's on to the officer down rescue. This requires dragging a life-sized mannequin a distance of 50-ft. A successful rescue will bring the competitors to a second shooting scenario, where they must also engage a second set of three targets but now from a standing position, again double-tapping each target. Finally, competitors must re-surmount the 6-ft. barrier before crossing the finish line through a set of saloon-style doors. The course is scored as total time to completion with time penalties assigned for missed targets and/or failure to perform required tasks. the Leopard course platform is a 2500 square foot level non-slip surface.

The LEOPARD Challenge is a charismatic event filled with high energy and excitement and is fast becoming the talk of the law enforcement community. The LEOPARD Challenge is sure to leave its mark by posing the simple question; Can you meet the Challenge? Media members are invited to come test their mustard on the Leopard Course. The public is invited to support the men and women of law enforcement as they claw their way to the finish. If you want to host your own regional event contact us.

Contact me for further information.

John S. O’Connor, II, Ph.D.
Director, Leopard Program
Email
480-854-9955