Rant from LE Firearm Instructors

[garryc]

I wish we could be so dedicated. We let the shooters get away with all kinds of stuff. Our qualifications are suppose to be OPOTC approved. That includes time limits on stages. When the order to fire is given there is never an order to cease fire. All you hear is the instructor saying,"Finish your rounds". And they count too! Time limits mean nothing.

Then there is safety. We have a rule that uniform personnel may not have finger nails more than 1/4" past the finger. We had several women show up with those add on nails 2-3" long. They could not handle the equipment safely, couldn't even draw from the holster. The instructor, a woman and a darn fine shooter, told them to cut them or be disqualified. They refused and she removed them from the range. They went upstairs and called her a racist because she only removed black women, the fact that they were the only ones in violation carried no merit. She was removed as an instructor and those women were taken out by a supervisor in a special class and qualified.

Most of our instructors want to run it by the book, management won't let them. The failure to qualify rate would be too high and they won't have that. Politics has no place on the range.

I'd like to see OPOTC start randomly showing up at quailifications to monitor.

 

[James K]

As a former LEO, I would like to comment from both sides.

First, as a LEO and part time instructor, I found that most police officers are NOT "gun people." Those who are, fire on the police pistol team or become instructors. To most officers, the gun is a drag, an inconvenience, and a PITA. They don't think they will ever need it, and don't care about being competent in its use.

I have equated the police firearm to a carpenter's hammer. I do not expect a carpenter I hire to collect hammers, or fondle them in the night, but I do expect him not to smash his thumb or batter my dining room table in frustration if he can't drive a nail in the wall. In other words, I expect him to be competent in the use of a tool of his trade. I expect no less from the police.

And then, there is another group, which some police will deny exists but which does. These are the officers who want to use their guns, who became police because of the power and the idea that they can shoot people with impunity. They are not "gun nuts", they are just nuts. They stomp around, hands on their guns, deliberately intimidating "civilians."

These are the kind who love to play dressup in black "tactical" uniforms, with helmets and dark visors concealing their identity. I watched such a "show" by police, not in a drug gang shootout, but at a peaceful July 4th band concert. Officers carrying MP5's, all in black, visors down, pushing "civilians" off the sidewalk as they strutted around proving that they were "protecting" us. From what, the fireworks? What justification was there for those faceless "robocops" sending children running away screaming? None at all. Just "super macho" types who forget they are public servants, not an occupying army.

We have come a long way from "Officer Friendly." More and more police departments are staffed with military veterans who adopt an "us and them" attitude, ready to kill everyone not in police uniform. More and more police departments are training as military forces, even purchasing armed aircraft, frag grenades, mortars, belt fed machineguns, and armored cars; one department reportedly has a 105mm howitzer, just the thing when a cop spies a holdup at the 7-11.

Some of the more paranoid on this and similar sites believe that there is a master plan for police to raid homes and slaughter gun owners and their families in some massive gun control effort. I doubt that is true, but the fact is that too many police and too many police departments act like they are already at war with "civilians." The sneer of contempt with which many officers address citizens, the nasty attitude toward even the most harmless request, the refusal to understand that they are not the Gestapo and that this is not Nazi Germany. (It is obvious that many officers wish it were.)

When a proposal was made to identify gun owners in the motor vehicle records, a state police officer explained to me that if they knew when they pulled a car over that the owner might be armed, they could just machinegun the car to "neutralize" the threat and protect themselves. Nice going, Officer Friendly!

Jim

 

[GlockJockey]

I have equated the police firearm to a carpenter's hammer. I do not expect a carpenter I hire to collect hammers, or fondle them in the night, but I do expect him not to smash his thumb or batter my dining room table in frustration if he can't drive a nail in the wall. In other words, I expect him to be competent in the use of a tool of his trade. I expect no less from the police.

Well put. There's much in what you say.

 

[Brit]

Gdi Mate, ow ya goin?

Sorry Glock Jockey, couldn't resist that bit on top!

Spent 3 years in Sydney, loved it! Had a Wife who hated it, bought her three tickets back to England! Sold them off, at a profit! She smartened up then, made life a little more bearable, but we ended up moving to Canada, anyhow.

THEN! got divorced, a bit mixed up yes? Had some great nights out in Kings Cross, a good tip, if you ever move to an other Country, right away, join a gun club, you now have a bunch of instant Buddy's, who have lived there all their lives, helps if you are a real good shot, and help your fellow gun club members (I am and did) being able to walk around Queens Quay on a Sunday morning, great!

Do you carry 9mm? Glock 19 best pistol in the World, a couple of wee modifications needed, sorry guys, just a chat to a Digger.