OFFICER SURVIVAL | Perception
The rain was pouring down on us as we took up positions of cover on the quiet residential street. We’d responded en-masse to deal with a deranged man who’d just stabbed his father — luckily [...]
Avoid Being Complacent
After more than two decades in police work, I sometimes struggle not to get complacent on patrol. After you have conducted thousands of traffic stops and, most of the time, nothing bad has occurred, you [...]
SHOOT TO KILL | Explaining Deadly Force Can Be Tricky
This “bad guy” is presenting a very large target, so a center of mass shot would be in order. Kids can ask the damnedest questions. I’ve stood in front of a variety [...]
CARS AND CRASHES | Traffic Stops: Drive Side Or Ride Side?
We’ve all heard the two most dangerous parts of our job are the domestic violence (DV) call and the traffic stop. Parking in front of the DV house isn’t a smart thing to do and, [...]
Principles of Protection
Why reinvent the wheel when formal training in elite protective services began even before the introduction of the praetorian guard into the Roman Empire? The principles of protection are the same today as during the [...]
STREET LEVEL | Looking Versus Seeing: The Art Of Perception
You’d never tag Amy Herman as a law enforcement trainer. Tall, chic and sophisticated, you might guess she’s an expert on fi ne art, working for a major gallery or perhaps a Manhattan corporate attorney. [...]
Hands On!
The consummate professional does everything possible to avoid a violent physical altercation. Adopting an appropriate mindset and applying good situational awareness are integral aspects of being prepared. However, applying even the most diligent of proactive [...]
Predictable Patterns
Kidnapping is big business overseas, both inside and outside the continental United States. As a result, predictability is one of the most dangerous behavior characteristics you can exhibit, especially abroad. Customarily, beginning their attack at [...]
Roka Arms’ Downrange Tab and Training for Off-body Carry
Most of us carry concealed firearms in or on our beltline, whether with a strong side hip holster, inside the waistband, or “appendix-ish” carry. At least one American Cop writer advocates for carrying smaller revolvers [...]
REALITY CHECK II | Plastic Practice
Probably one of the biggest shortcomings of law enforcement is the lack of training or time in the area of firearms. Mainly, it’s due to budgets, manpower and lack of range facilities. Here, I won’t [...]
The Behavior Management Psychology Of Patrol
The vast majority of what we do as police officers is to interact with people. So it’s safe to say our inter-personal and communication skills will dictate our effectiveness. Any of us who’ve been on [...]
SHOOTING WITH X-RAY VISION PART I | Vital Shot Placement In Dire Curcumstances
My partner and I just finished teaching an advanced pistol class. One of our students came over to me, frowning. “Doc, I feel a lot better about my shooting skills after this class,” he said [...]
Project Triage
By Ben Douglas Life-Saving Tourniquets. On August 18, 2012, St. Croix Police Chief, Christopher Howell and his partner, Officer Elsworth Jones, an experienced SWAT officer, were working a recent armed robbery series when they responded [...]
MANTIS LASER ACADEMY | Affordable High-Tech Firearms Training at Home
It takes time and practice to become proficient with firearms. It’s an art that needs to be developed. And no matter how finely tuned a shooter you have become, shooting is a perishable skill. This [...]
MAXIMIZING YOUR CCW PRACTICE WITH A CO2 PISTOL
Most of us don’t get to the range as we’d like to or should. I know I don’t. Few of us live where we can just step outside and shoot. Even when we do get [...]
DRY FIRING DONE RIGHT
If you have been shooting for more than a day, chances are you already know, dry firing can improve one’s marksmanship and weapons manipulation. So just how much dry firing does it take? To effect [...]
S&W 3RD GEN DAO’S | Autos For Revolver Guys
Smith and Wesson introduced Double Action Only (DAO) variants of their 3rd generation semiautomatic pistols in the first few years of the 1990’s. They were envisioned as a solution for agencies struggling with transitioning officers [...]