Blue Sheepdog

These are a few of the many police, firearms, and training resources available on the Internet. Online video conferencing, podcasts, and voice-over-internet communication have revolutionized the way many people offer training. Here are a few of the sites I have found to be useful and informative.

www.Ayoob.com - The home page for Massad F. Ayoob, one of the world’s most prominent trainers for law enforcement and civilians in the use of small arms for self defense. Ayoob has trained thousands of officers and free citizens for more than three decades and has been instrumental in the officer safety movement that has significantly reduced the number of officers killed in the line of duty each year. Ayoob’s training schedule, books, videos, and more can be found here.

www.forcescience.org - Force Science Research Center. The Force Science Research Center scientifically studies the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers. For example, on one study. they proved how an offender shot in the back does not mean the officers made poor decisions. FSRC offers an e-journal, seminars, and conferences for law enforcement officer, trainers, and administrators. This is a great resource!

www.GunRights.us - A podcast program with frequent new episodes. The main thrust of this podcast is the political and historical arguments surrounding the right of individual free people to keep and bear arms.

www.ialefi.com - International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors. This is an international organization of and for firearms instructors. Membership costs are reasonable and it offers a lot of resources for trainers.

www.ileeta.org - The International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association. The Association is dedicated to reducing the risk to officers through better training. ILEETA is made up of law enforcement trainers from all over the world. Ed Nowiki is the executive director and the advisory board is made up of prominent instructors including Massad Ayoob, Dave Grossman, Phil Messina, and Brian Willis.

www.nafto.org - National Association of Field Training Officers. NAFTO is an organization offering resources to law enforcement field training officers. Membership is reasonably priced. NAFTO has an annual conference and numerous local chapters.

www.odmp.org - The Officers Down Memorial Page. This site was created many years ago as a tribute to a few local officers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their community. The page quickly expanded and is now a very valuable resource for information on law enforcement officers killed in the United States. On the front page is information about the most recent officers that have fallen. The search function allows a visitor to check by year, state, or agency for the officers who have died.

www.policemarksman.com - The Police Marksman is a law enforcement magazine that focuses on firearms and officer safety. What sets the magazine apart from all other law enforcement magazines, is this one offers real, hands-on training articles dealing with the things street cops face every day. Topics include things like building clearing, use of flashlights while shooting, traffic stops, warrant service, and more. Very rarely do I ever see an article about community policing, crime mapping software, or morale building. This magazine is the real deal. If you are serious about surviving your shift, do yourself a favor and pick up a sample copy of this magazine.

www.policeone.com - PoliceOne.com. This is a good site to start a general search for information. Some of the links on this page, I found through PoliceOne.com. They offer a free newsletter and are affiliated with Calibre Press and The Police Marksman. From the PoliceOne.com webpage: “PoliceOne.com is the One resource for Law Enforcement online. Our mission is to provide officers with information and resources that make them better able to protect their communities and stay safer on the streets. We provide a secure, trusted and reliable online environment for the exchange of information between officers and departments from across the United States and from around the world.”

www.posai.org - Police Officers’ Safety Association, Inc. POSA’s mission is to increase the safety and effectiveness of law enforcement officers and to enhance the security of our communities by offering free and low-cost advanced education and training to law enforcement officers. The Association offers free DVD-based training, a quarterly journal, and on-site training in New England.

www.StoppingPower.net - This is the website created by Evan P. Marshall. Marshall is a retired Detroit police officer with many years of experience in most aspects of police work. Marshall is an author and trainer and is probably best known for co-authoring a series of books on handgun stopping power. Marshall’s site links to his gun store, but the most valuable aspect of the web site is the discussion forum. Many prominent trainers and authors participate in the forum and everyone is welcome. As long as you follow the rules of the site (mostly meaning: be polite), everyone is free to join in.

www.theppsc.org - The Police Policy Studies Council