Street Cop Tactics
Over the years, I’ve watched what’s been written about tactics and their application by cops. I noticed much of the material is geared toward SWAT and specialized units. Perhaps this is because the perception is [...]
THE ARROGANCE OF IGNORANCE | Are You That Good … Or Just Lucky So Far?
There’s an old saying you can’t fix stupid, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying. I started pondering that issue the other day, following an interesting discussion I had with an officer. He’s one [...]
A SHOOTING STORY | Should I Feel Bad About Not Feeling Bad?
You could see it in his eyes; he was definitely one mean old SOB. The business ends of two Beretta 92F’s and one MP-5 were pointed at him from about 10' away, and yet he [...]
DEATH AT WHOSE HANDS?
GOOD AFTERNOON MA’AM! It’s day two of the police academy. I’m the shrink lecturing right after lunch. Great. I have an hour to talk to these shiny young faces about the toll a police career [...]
Training Rule #2 and Don’t Shoots
Someone once said - know the rules well enough so that you can know when to break them. However, there are some rules we should not break. Gunsite's Four Safety Rules can be on [...]
STREET LEVEL | Morale Building: No Programs, Please!
Somewhere in the basement there’s a cigar box contain-ing military medals and commendations. The only mementos of that period on display in my home are the lone surviving photo of my best friend, killed on [...]
Managing Expectations
When learning any skill, it is incumbent upon you as an apprentice to also manage your expectations regarding how much and how long it will take to achieve the desired skill level. Before learning a [...]
Is “Tactical” Overworked?
Is there anyone besides me who thinks we may have reached the point where “tactical” as a description of what we wear, carry and how we work is perhaps becoming just a bit overused? Or, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
AMERICAN COP | Through The Centuries
My first trip to the American Pistol Institute (now known as Gunsite) was in 1976, shortly after it was founded by Jeff Cooper. When asked how many times I have been there I honestly answer, [...]
DESIGNATED MARKSMEN | The Need And The Training
The Designated Marksman (DM) concept is nothing new. “Sharpshooters” were used as far back as the American Revolution, with better shots assigned to target officers. My father jumped on D-Day with the 101st Airborne. One [...]