Basics. They can be boring to teach and tedious to practice. But, the basics have to be mastered and practiced to enhance your odds in a tough situation. If you think of your training as a pyramid, the basics are the foundation for the skill set. Without strong basics, the structure will collapse under pressure. Take handgun skills. The basics include … [Read more...]
Christmas Gift Ideas for the Cop in Your Life
Every year, my wife asks me the one question I try my best to avoid: "What do you want for Christmas?" I guess I am like most cops. I like toys, and cop toys are especially fun. It is hard for most of us to justify our spouses spending the money on gifts for us, so we tend to minimize the whole thing and we wind up with a sweater instead of the latest tacti-cool … [Read more...]
Advanced Vehicle Stop Tactics Book Review
I recently purchased and read Advanced Vehicle Stop Tactics by Michael T. Rayburn. I had previously read Advanced Patrol Tactics by Rayburn and thought it was a good book, so I figured I would give his traffic stop book a read also. Let me start by saying that Rayburn covers nearly any type of traffic stop you can imagine. This book of course covers low or unknown risk … [Read more...]
Crime, the Economy, and Congressional Spending: Yep, the Citizens Are Pissed
During the past few weeks, Americans have been watching their 401(k) and other retirement funds sink. Most people are just now starting to wonder how bad things will get. I'm no economist, but I suspect things are going to get a lot worse before they start to get better. Cops get to see a wide cross-section of society. We deal with people of all races, … [Read more...]
NRA’s Law Enforcement Activities Division
There was a time, not too long ago, that most police officers were hunters and NRA members. As the country has become more urbanized, there have been fewer officers that have been involved in hunting and the shooting sports. And while the National Rifle Association membership numbers have been climbing, it seems that fewer officers in my region have been actively … [Read more...]
Guns, Bullets, and Gunfights by Jim Cirillo: Review of the Excellent Book by a True Hero
I just finished reading Guns, Bullets, And Gunfights: Lessons And Tales From A Modern-Day Gunfighter by Jim Cirillo and was very impressed. Cirillo, a retired NYPD officer, was an exceptionally gifted shooter and police officer who won more armed confrontations than any other modern police officer I have read about. His insights and experiences are recounted in this … [Read more...]
Meth Lab Dangers: Who Enters First?
I had an interesting call tonight. A woman calls from a residence stating that she thinks her roommate is trying to cook meth. She tells the 911 operator that he is heating acid on the kitchen stove, lots of noxious smoke is in the house, and she and/or someone else inside the residence is having problems breathing. Dispatch sends three units plus the fire department is also … [Read more...]
Smith and Wesson M&P Pistols Adopted by More Departments
Smith and Wesson has always been a mainstay in the police sidearm market. Smith and Wesson's latest pistol series, the Military and Police (M&P), has become wildly popular with officers and citizens alike. To date, more than 330 police departments have issued the M&P pistol as the standard handgun in 9mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP. The newest department to adopt the … [Read more...]
Foot Pursuits: Use Care When Chasing Suspects
Police officers receive a lot of training in vehicle pursuits, yet most cops get very little training in foot pursuits. The reason comes down to lawsuits. If an officer initiates a vehicle pursuit and subsequently the suspect or officer strike an uninvolved citizen, the officer's city will be facing an expensive lawsuit. If the same officer engages in a foot pursuit, there … [Read more...]
Field Training Officer Burnout: A Real Problem in Many Agencies
Field Training and Evaluation Programs (FTEP) are the foundations that police agencies use to build quality, career police officers. When a recruit officer is teamed up with motivated, knowledgeable field training officers, that recruit stands a very good chance of becoming a motivated, knowledgeable officer also. The often overlooked benefit of a quality FTEP program is the … [Read more...]