Firearms Competition: A driving force to officer survival

"Serious participation in competitive shooting enhances your chances of survival while on duty. In fact, each competition you participate in is a step in the right direction, driving you toward improvement, and making you more prepared for the hazards of law enforcement. The skills, knowledge and attitude which are required to handle firearms safely, confidently and accurately during competition are the same skills, knowledge and attitude that are essential to all armed law enforcement officers while on the job. The fundamental proficiency and wisdom that you gain during firearm competitions are invaluable to your livelihood.

Opinions vary as to which type of firearm competition is the most practical and job-specific. In my opinion, this argument only bogs us down. In reality, each and every one of the firearms competitive events and styles are capable of providing reinforcement and training in law enforcement firearms proficiency. That’s what is important, the fact that you practice with your firearms. At the particular moment that a lesson (learned in training) is applied while on-duty and under pressure, we come to realize that no other area of law enforcement instruction is as critical as the skills learned in firearms training. Your own life, the life of a brother officer or fellow citizen may be affected by the manner in which you use your firearm..."

Stop the music...

They don't get-it and never will. The more make-believe "training" law enforcement participates in, the less capable it would seem that they actually become with regards to hitting their targets in the field. Every last "Academy" pummels its recruits with lawyer'ese until there isn't a chance of dealing with conflicting input while under duress, and thats the difference between the one way and the two way range. Know one ever knows how he or she will react to a genuine gun battle, but they certainly are aware of the myriad do's and don't's or how else do you explain the pitiful marksmanship coming from people who's job it is to draw and hit something in an accurate and timely manner.

Fact is, an untrained convenience store clerk has a better chance of shooting an armed aggressor without taking out half the neighborhood and thats because there isn't a long list of caveats between the trigger finger and the deed. Adrenaline makes you faster, stronger, visually acute to the 9's, and this is a good thing unless the lawyerization kicks in and makes that same adrenaline nothing more than a bother and something to make you shiver and not deliver.

Dispense with the affirmative action bullswaddle, employ dedicated, well trained officers who's job is to protect and defend rather than to become lord and master. It's as much the politicians fault as it is the cops but no one is drafting officers into service and if they as a group stood up to be counted there'd have to be a change.