The Pacific Institute of Defensive Tactics (P.I.D.T.) was established by Rod Sanford in 1983. The P.I.D.T. training center is located in Soquel, California, just four miles south of Santa Cruz on the Monterey Bay and forty minutes from San Jose International Airport.  The 6,000 square foot facility offers a gymnasium with almost 2,000 square feet of supermat.  A full classroom, locker rooms and offices.  The Institute offers a wide range of police tactical courses both on-site and throughout the State.  Most courses are P.O.S.T. certified.

After graduating in police science Rod Sanford joined the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office in 1968.  He served as a patrol deputy, field training officer and sergeant.  He worked in the main jail as a sergeant for a short while but spent most of his career as a patrol sergeant.  He was a member of specialized units including the search and rescue team, dive (SCUBA) team, mounted posse, and received training as a K-9 handler.  He served on the Sheriff's tactical (riot) team and became an instructor for that team.  He was also a team leader for the special weapons & tactics (SWAT) team and the bomb team.

Because of his martial arts background Mr. Sanford became the department’s defensive tactics instructor in 1969 and continued to teach in that capacity for over 25 years.  He also taught firearms, officer safety and car stops for the sheriff’s department.  As the department’s defensive tactics instructor he had the opportunity to study in-depth many systems of defensive tactics.  From the F.B.I. system to the Koga Method and others, he studied varied techniques and philosophies.

Mr. Sanford left the Sheriff’s Office to teach law enforcement tactics on a full time basis.  In 1983 he founded the Pacific Institute of Defensive Tactics.  He is currently the president and director of training for the Institute.  For a number of years he taught the Koga Method but gradually the P.I.D.T. Method became recognized as one of the legitimate comprehensive systems used throughout California. Today (through his Institute and as an instructor and consultant for a number of police academies and law enforcement agencies) he teaches the P.I.D.T. Method which includes integrated use of force training, arrest and control, self defense, tactical communications, altercation patterns, baton tactics, officer safety, crimes-in-progress, car stops, firearms, crowd control and civil disobedience, passive demonstrator tactics, emergency response team, defensive tactics for corrections and other related tactical training.  These courses are taught on a basic, in-service and instructor level.

Mr. Sanford regularly works with the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) as a subject-matter-expert.  He has helped develop guidelines, objectives, and tests in the areas of use of force, defensive tactics, civil disobedience, car stops, firearms and related subjects.  He is a well known author on police tactics and has developed a series of books, training manuals and police training videos on arrest and control, self defense, altercation patterns and baton tactics.

Mr. Sanford has studied adult education through the University of California and holds a California Community College Instructor’s Credential.  He has developed an extensive instructor training program in the P.I.D.T. Method that is offered through his own Institute as well as through police academies and colleges. In 1994 Mr. Sanford was nominated for the California Governor's Award for his contributions to law enforcement training.





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