Source record
Marietta Police BJJ Training Data
The Marietta Police Department reported 2020 comparisons between officers who took part in its Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program and coworkers who chose not to take part. This page records what the city said and what its article leaves unanswered.
Figures reported by the department
In its February 8, 2021 article, the department reported these comparisons for 2020:
- 48% fewer injuries to officers using force.
- 53% fewer injuries to people being arrested when force was required.
- 23% less Taser use.
These are figures reported by the department. The article does not provide the underlying counts or statistical analysis, so they should not be treated as precise estimates of program effect.
Program details in the article
- New hires had to attend at least one BJJ session each week through academy and field training.
- All officers could sign up for as many as three classes each week.
- The department said it paid officers for class time and covered class costs.
- The department named outside instructor Humberto Borges.
Limits of the report
- Officers chose whether to take part. The article does not describe random assignment.
- It gives no participant count, incident counts, exposure rates, or statistical tests.
- It does not explain how the department accounted for differences between participating and nonparticipating officers.
- The comparison cannot show that BJJ caused the differences or predict results for another agency.
Primary source
The city’s News Flash article was originally posted on February 8, 2021. It is the source for the three figures above.
Original citation: Marietta Police Department, BJJ Training Data Documents Reduction in Injuries (CivicAlert 3116, Feb 8, 2021). The original city link is archived.
Related reading
Chief Dan Flynn’s essay discusses the case for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in policing. It is separate from the city’s 2020 figures and does not provide the comparison data.
Read “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: The Future of Policing” (PDF)Explore law-enforcement training
Talk with Sensei Sandy BJJ about your department’s training goals and requirements.