Blue Sheepdog

93.

I found out today that my department, the police department I chose to work for based on the amazing training program we have, is limiting firearms training to only 93 rounds per officer this year.

93 rounds.

That’s less than two boxes of practice ammunition. Heck, my neighborhood WalMart sells 100 round bulk packs of practice ammo in .40 S&W for less than $25.

While I understand that current budget cutbacks and the increase in ammunition prices have put the squeeze on our training dollars, isn’t a police officer’s life worth more than a single $25 box of practice ammo?

There are two basic reasons police officers train with their firearms:

1. Police officers train with their firearms to defend themselves and the public from criminals hell-bent on doing violence.

2. Police departments conduct firearms training to mitigate the agency’s liability after a shooting has happened.

Neither of these reasons can be accomplished with a mere 93 rounds of training ammunition.

As always, my partners and I have to make the same decision that police officers all over the country are faced with: how much of my own money do I have to spend to ensure that I will win the next violent encounter I find myself in?

It is sad that we are given a firearm and the authority to use it, but no one really wants us to be proficient with it.