Free Learning for Cops at SHOT

The SHOT Show has been value-added for law enforcement attendees for several years – if you have paid attention. In addition to the profession’s range day up at the Las Vegas Metro P.D. range and the Show itself, there is the Law Enforcement Education Program (LEEP).

LEEP is a project of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). Each day of the Show, there are multiple presentations. Some are one-time only, others are repeated.

 

In 2022, there were a total of ten presentations. Fifteen took place during the 2023 show. The good news is that you can tell your boss you are spending time listening to several subject matter experts. The bad news? The only thing I can specifically think of is that you must register for the program.

One Example

Pre-COVID, Don Alwes from the National Tactical Officers Association (N.T.O.A.) gave one presentation that really stood out. The subject was the idea of the tactical patrol officer. Not SWAT light, but specifically street cops and road deputies with additional, specialized training to help patrol bridge the capability gap for patrol and until trained tactical elements can arrive. Alwes’ proposal identified the need for advanced training in patrol rifles, active shooter response, tactical combat casualty care, street leadership, and additional skills.

Last year, I had just stepped into the editor’s role here at American Cop. That meant I had no time to catch any of the presentations.

 

Monday Night

The program starts Monday evening with a reception upstairs in the convention center that well-known firearms manufacturer Daniel Defense has hosted.

How long are the seminars themselves? They run for one to two hours each.

2022’s Courses

In 2022, you could learn about:

–      Public Communications in this era of civil unrest from Law Enforcement Today;

–      Trijicon presented Law Enforcement Handguns and Reflex Sights;

–      Inveris covered best practices for shooting range maintenance;

–      Why we need to train officers like athletes was covered by Lon Bartel and VirTra Systems;

–      Daniel Defense looked at the Roles of the Law Enforcement Sniper;

–      Troy Acoustic had a session called The Business of Noise – Firearms Ranges and the Bang Factor;

–      The Training Triangle – Training facilities to provide comprehensive use of force training was presented by Clark Nexson;

–      Augie Kim with the Tactical Night Vision Corp spoke about night vision technology and thermal imaging;

–      Attorney Eugene Ramirez, from the firm of Manning & Kass, Ellrod & Ramirez, presented a session called “Qualified Immunity Reigns Supreme.” I have attended previous SHOT Show presentations of his, which are excellent.

 

2023’s Offerings

The 2023 courses included:

–      Use of Wound Simulation in Stop the Bleed Training, was sponsored by both A.D.S. and Phokus

–      Trijicon again covered pistol optics with “Red Dots on Pistols – fundamentals and philosophy;”

–      Three presentations from ’22 were re-done with Clark Nexson doing their Training Triangle talk, Troy Acoustics once again hit The Business of Noise and InVeris’ range maintenance;

– “It is time to S.C.O.R.E. with High Impact Training” was done by VirTra;

–      Saber Torch makes I.R. and white light reflective insignia; they talked about how to increase officer safety in low visibility situations;

–      Law Enforcement Today discussed “The Culture War on Cops – Why they are losing and How to turn the tide;”

–      Protection Plus Tactics looked at threats taking place within five feet of you during their Close Quarter Combat Techniques and Tools block;

–      Creating a Precision Environment: Techniques & Processes for the Law Enforcement Sniper was hosted by Daniel Defense;

–      KiloGear sponsored a discussion on how to revolutionize training on functional movement techniques;

–      De-escalation will be a regular part of any discussion soon, and Bounce Imaging facilitated a discussion on how to use technology to accomplish it;

–      Body armor seems to be a little understood subject for something we count on as much as we do, “Survivability – The truth about ballistic protection” was covered by Armor Force.

Class Titles and Descriptions

The titles do not do the courses justice with many of these classes. When looking at this year’s offerings, rather than just skimming the title, look at the written description well. Also, while the sponsors are important and the program would not happen without them, look at the individuals presenting each block. They may not be commonly known, but they are up there because of their subject matter expertise and their ability to convey that information.

Signing Up

N.S.S.F. is releasing the initial sign-up information this week. Please look for that information showing up here on American COP and on the various social media channels that N.S.S.F. and we use. I look forward to seeing and meeting you all during the year’s Law Enforcement Education Program during SHOT – at least when you aren’t on the show floor looking at the new offerings.