Training & Education

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…

Todd Brown As this technology continues to develop, there will be more realistic, more accurate, more valuable, and more “real” training available to our officers than ever before. Virtual reality is exploding all over. From entertainment to training NFL quarterbacks, new “reality” technologies are poised to change the way we accomplish many training goals in law enforcement. In fact, as a result of the worldwide pandemic we are dealing with, online, AR, VR, and MR technologies are quickly becoming a…

John G. Peters, Jr., CLS, Ph.D. Few people “live” through history changing events, yet alone be the target of them. The Revolutionary War, the American Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement are three examples when citizens “lived” the experience and saw massive changes take place before their eyes and during their lifetime. Now, we in law enforcement (past and present) are seeing and living through unprecedented changes in the profession of our choosing, in our communities, in our nation,…

Mike Boyle Without question, these are dangerous times for the law enforcement professional. Over the last several years, the rate of attack on officers has been creeping up along with a corresponding spike in serious injuries and fatalities.   To meet this challenge and to stay safe, many officers recognize that they have to take the initiative. To cut right to the chase, spending a few hours on the range or in the gym only when the department pays you…

Todd Fletcher The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cancelation of nearly all law enforcement training. This has affected in-service training, agencies hosting training courses and officers attending training conferences. As a result, it’s more important than ever to take responsibility for our own training needs.  Competence breeds confidence and many officers need more confidence in their skills to motivate them to practice voluntarily. The most skilled shooters are the ones excited about improving their skill level, even though the basic…

Dr. Chuck Russo and Kevin Duffy A quality college education can offer the highest return on investment for police agencies. The late sixties was a time of great political and social unrest. Racial tensions were high, Vietnam War protests were raging, and the lack of connection between police and their communities was the topic of the day. On July 28, 1967, President Lyndon Johnson appointed the National Advisory Committee on Civil Disorders, also known as the Kerner Commission. One of the many…

There has been a lot of press and a lot of research done on technologies which change our perspective of the world. Virtual reality is exploding all over. From entertainment to training NFL quarterbacks, from market research to design and manufacturing, new “reality” technologies are poised to change the way we accomplish many training goals in law enforcement. Whenever and wherever these technologies are utilized, people often describe the experience by stating things such as “It felt like I was…

Ed Nowicki Anyone who trains law enforcement personnel knows that you need to be at the top of your game to stand in front of a group of officers as an instructor. Presenting necessary information or assisting officers in developing new or improved skills can be more than challenging. However, officers may also be extremely appreciative if they see the benefits of what the instructor is presenting. There are no shortcuts to being a good instructor. There are a number…

Mike Boyle How important is a reasonably fast draw stroke? Although modern officer involved shootings bear little semblance to the imaginary gun duels of the Old West, having the ability to quickly bring the gun to bear on a threat remains an essential skill. Danger is unpredictable. What may appear to be everyday citizen contact can erupt into a life-threatening situation in the blink of an eye. In a perfect world, we could instantly evaluate each and every situation, never…