Carrying? When Impaired?
When do you carry? When don't you? What is impaired? Throughout the training community, regardless of where one gets their paycheck, there is a tremendous emphasis on shooting, followed by how to do so quickly. Accuracy concerns follow that to various degrees. Interestingly, in the research I look at, there is a consensus that "we" collectively overemphasize shooting speed—a speed that is driven by an auditory stimulus rather than a visual one. Additionally, there [...]
Familiarity Breeds Contempt — We Must Do Better
I stopped at my local gun store recently to check what they had in inventory. There was a newly released pistol underneath the glass; the guy behind the counter asked if I wanted to handle it. I said yes, so he bent down and retrieved it. He locked the slide [...]
Tactical — Not A Dirty Word
The word "tactical" has been co-opted by the sales industry and has largely lost its meaning. Tactical is not just a word you attach to something to sell; its meaning has driven success for as long as humans have been around. It has nothing to do with your clothes or [...]
The Creeper In The Woods — A Lesson In Situational Awareness
After a recent run in the woods, I got to practice my self-defense skills. Here is what happened. Pulling into the parking lot, I looked around and noticed a man by himself. He was moving around aimlessly. Besides him, a young couple at the boat launch were making lovey eyes [...]
Giving Commands
Recently, body-worn camera (BWC) footage from a police department on the West Coast was sent to me. While the sender wanted to discuss something else, the commands given were of interest to me. Or, I should say, how they were given. (Note: this is not a criticism of the officers, [...]
Where Did These Words Hurt You?
Anytime two or more shooters get together, there will be disagreements, discussions, or differences on something, just like with any other group. The discussions between those shooters can be more spirited because of their emotional attachment to certain phrases. Let’s look at a few of them, shall we? Don’t Look [...]
Where Are They Taking My Gun? — Post-Shooting Forensics
Whether you work for a department having civilians or sworn in charge of your forensic investigation unit, there are certain common denominators throughout the country. Understandably, no matter what the circumstances of an officer’s shooting are, he or she will be justifiably upset, anxious, stressed, or worse. Now, let’s give [...]
The Significance Of S.H.I.T.T.
Perhaps the most gratifying thing a police supervisor can hear is one of his officers telling another, “Yeah, the sarge really has his shit together,” or any of those other scatological allusions which convey the message that you are a master of your craft — and your troops recognize and [...]
August is Shooting Sports Month
Do you know what month it is? If you answered August, you are correct. However, you are not completely right. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), has designated August as National Shooting Sports Month. Why does that matter at American COP? In an era when law enforcement continues to [...]
Command Posts
Coordinating And Containment — Simplified “All that it takes for evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.” Henry David Thoreau might not have been referencing command posts when he said that, but he could have been. Depending on who’s in charge, their level [...]
Off The Beaten [Training] Path: Wisdom Is Where You Find It
When I was promoted to sergeant in 1974 I went from Investigations back to Patrol and took over a squad on the graveyard shift. The squad’s senior officer, I learned, was Gene Chouinard. He had been a San Diego cop for only 4 years less than I had been alive. [...]