Welcome to our resources page. Being a police officer is hard, and you frequently need to supplement your department training with outside education. From firearms training to staying up on the latest legal briefs, you need to invest your time into improving yourself so you win on the street and in court.
We’ve assembled a few of the many police, firearms, and training resources available on the Internet. Online video conferencing and other internet communication types have revolutionized the way many people learn.
We have also included some traditional training sources that we’ve found to be incredibly useful. Feel free to let me know of anything you’d like to see included.
Firearms and Use of Force Training
While the vast majority of police encounters involve no use of force at all, I can tell you that some will require the rapid use of force to both apprehend dangerous criminals and to protect the public. You are responsible for your own safety, which means you need to know how to use your duty pistol, rifle, shotgun, Taser, baton, pepper spray and other tools you are authorized to carry.
Equally important, you must know when it is appropriate to use them as well how to document your use of them.
Massad Ayoob Group – This is the training company founded by Massad Ayoob. If you do not know of him, Ayoob is one of the world’s most prominent trainers for law enforcement and citizens in the use of small arms for self defense.
Ayoob has trained thousands of officers and free citizens for more than four decades and has been instrumental in the officer safety movement that has significantly reduced the numbers of law enforcement officers killed every year in the line of duty.
Force Science – The Force Science Research Center scientifically studies the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers and conducts performance experiments to understand the dynamics of violent encounters. For example, in one study, they demonstrated 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 both for educating yourself and law enforcement agencies.
IALEFI – 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.
ILEETA – 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.
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Field Training
Field training is one of the more important aspects of law enforcement. How we train up new officers to carry out their duties in a safe and ethical way within the constraints of the U.S. Constitution is critically important. It takes a lot of work. The following resource may help you do a better job with it.
NAFTO – 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.
General Law Enforcement Information
ODMP – 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.
Equipment
Tactical Flashlight Reviews – If you are looking for a tactical flashlight for duty use, you should check out my reviews at GunsHolstersAndGear.com. I cover -real- runtimes, drop tests and more.
Recommended Products
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Cybersecurity and Computer Investigations
We are currently evaluating several possible sources of training related to computers, IT and cybersecurity. Once we complete these evaluations, we will let you know what we recommend.
Terrorism and Homeland Security
Beyond the articles we offer on BlueSheepdog, there are a number of quality sources for additional training and education related to homeland security topics. These include response to disasters and terrorism.
FEMA Independent Study – The Federal Emergency Management Agency offers a range of independent study courses that are accessible to law enforcement professionals. Many of these classes teach you the best practices when responding to multi-jurisdictional emergencies like wildfires, terrorist attacks and hurricanes. There is a broad range of classes that can help local law enforcement officers in the field (such as those on hazardous materials). Other course may be able to help you advance your career (such as the Public Information Officer classes.)
College Education
A college education may be helpful both in getting hired and in gaining promotions within an agency. However, the long hours and bloated expenses of traditional college are unreasonable demands on most police officers. There are, however, all kinds of resources for helping you get a regionally accredited degree at an accelerated pace and for a lot less money than you might think.
We will have additional information on this shortly. (Including how you can use the free FEMA Independent Study courses mentioned above count toward your degree.)