Michael T. Rayburn The firearm you carry on your hip is a handgun, not a hand(s)gun. It was originally designed and built to be shot with one hand. I know what you’re thinking, “Two hands are better than one,” and you’re absolutely correct, but one-handed shooting is always going to be faster. If you have the opportunity, go ahead and use two hands for your grip. It’s certainly going to be more stable, but chances are you’re not going to…
THE CONTROVERSIAL USE OF SPIT MASKS BY LAW ENFORCEMENT – PART II John G. Peters, Jr., CLS, Ph.D. and A. David Berman, CLS, M.S. ©2021. A.R.R. The second part of this two part series discusses how to increase your safety using spit masks. The focus is on spit mask application, removal and storage guidelines, policy, training, and competency-based testing. Recall from Part I of this series that there are no scientific data to support spit masks stopping the spread of…
Mike Boyle A harsh reality of gun fighting is the fact that you may be hit by an incoming round. A hit doesn’t necessarily mean stop, nor does down mean out. Approximately 88% of people struck with handgun rounds survive, but to tip the odds back in your favor, you can’t give up and you have to immediately take the fight back to your assailant. Learning how to fight after sustaining a hit should be a part of every officer’s…
Ralph Mroz We require officers to be in shape to start their careers; why not require them to stay that way? A subject which has been discussed vigorously in police circles is that of career physical fitness standards for police officers. As disheartening as it is, some of the young men and women coming into police service today are in such poor shape that standards have had to be dramatically lowered in many places. Nonetheless, the idea has stayed alive,…
Mike Boyle These days, law enforcement officers are operating in an increasingly hostile environment. The past year has been particularly rough on law enforcement officers. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and large-scale social unrest, the police have been stretched to the limit and bear the brunt of public frustration. To further compound the problem, calls to defund the police have actually gained traction in some areas, although it appears this position is not widely held. One very disturbing trend largely ignored…
Todd Fletcher About five years ago, while teaching a class in Las Vegas, I overheard an off-the-cuff comment which has stuck with me since that time. We had just finished cleaning up after class and I approached a group of officers readying to take the range. They were standing around talking, prepping gear and making sure they had all signed in for the evening’s training session. Just being friendly, I asked one of the more “veteran” guys if he was…
Dr. Stephenie Slahor Your personal betterment, your career and your confidence can all be enhanced through education, but your first step is to determine what focus you want in your learning and which schools will best meet that goal. An associate two year degree program in law enforcement is a foundation for basic instruction. The coursework at that level will likely be cataloged by the school as 100 and 200 level courses. The associate degree is offered at community/junior colleges,…
Todd Fletcher For years, firearms instructors and officers have enjoyed the benefits of training with steel targets. The immediate feedback from steel indicates the successful application of marksmanship and it is one of the best features of training with steel targets. However, it doesn’t take long to figure out that a disadvantage of training with steel targets is that bullet splatter can come back towards the shooter, potentially causing discomfort or injury. The Fragshield, from Take Aim Targets, can reduce…
Ralph Mroz Many officers believe that, since they carry a sidearm, pepper spray, baton, or a TASER®, they are adequately prepared to defend themselves during an edged weapon attack. Many of us who were in law enforcement back in 1988 can remember Caliber Press’ excellent training video, “Surviving Edged Weapons.” At the time, it was a real eye-opener, one which popularized the “21 foot drill,” or the Tueller Drill. This was the concept put forth by Dennis Tueller, a sergeant…
Todd Fletcher As iron sharpens iron, competitive shooting sports can help officers sharpen their firearms skills. Practical shooting sports evolved from groups of law enforcement officers, military people and private citizens looking for ways to improve on the techniques, training and equipment of the day. Competitions evolved to test what had been learned and quickly became matches requiring competitors to deal with constantly changing scenarios while shooting rapidly and accurately. Many of the advances in firearms and firearm accessories can…