By John Farnam
Ft Collins, CO –-(Ammoland.com)- “In a universe so full of wonders, they have managed to invent boredom!” ~ Terry Pratchett
This from a student and colleague, who works with a state agency:
“Assisted at our state police academy for the past few days.
It was like entering a time machine!
Techniques are all thirty years out-of-date. Never any mention of actually fighting with a gun. Mostly what we did was prepare young officers to pass the very standard, and antiquated, ‘qualification course,’ which is also thirty years out-of-date.
In four days, students got only twelve hours of productive training. The rest of the time was squandered!
‘Cold’ range: Constant unnecessary unloading of guns and other unnecessary gun-handling, wasting time and dividing attention. Only unloaded guns allowed in holsters. Guns were locked-up when breaking for lunch. Heaven forbid we would eat while armed!
‘Mother-May-I?’: Students were sternly admonished never to do anything on their own initiative, but always to wait for command. Do nothing unless/until instructed to do so. Mind you, these are fully-sworn, uniformed officers, currently on patrol in marked patrol units, not folks that were hired yesterday.
Every drill had a predetermined number of rounds to be fired, in the prescribed amount of time, at the standard qualification target. Again, the subject of actually fighting with a gun was never mentioned.
No provision for remedial training, nor any other deviation from ‘the plan.’
There were many times when a group would finish an exercise a half-hour ahead of schedule. I suggested the extra time be used productively repeating the drill, or even dry-practice. I was told that is never allowed. Everyone must receive the exact-same instruction as everyone else. No deviation, ever!
In private, officers indicated they had no respect, professional nor personal, for their ‘instructors’ (who don’t even carry guns while on the range) and regarded them all as incompetent clowns who can’t cut it in the street.
I had to agree with them!”
Comment:
This particular agency is more retarded that most, but the foregoing is exquisitely illustrative of the difference between private and public enterprise.
These “trainers” obviously don’t trust officers with guns, although those same officers carry guns every day while working. The moment they set foot on the range, officers are told, in so many words, they are not trusted, and that they are not there for any other purpose except to receive a check in the box next their name where it is listed on a roster, and also to provide gainful “employment” for a gaggle of ossified, otherwise unemployable, retired-in-place loafers!
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When you contemptuously treat adults like children, they seldom disappoint!
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When you treat adults with sneering disrespect, you will predictably receive it back, in spades!
What is described above is a quaint, self-serving institution, unchanged in thirty years, cranking-out a hopelessly out-of-date curriculum. Nothing that remotely resembles “training” takes place there!
These officers desperately need effective training on how to fight with guns. Instead, they are alternatively scared to death, then bored to death!
As we see, encrusted bureaucracies need to be shaken-up now and then, lest they forget who is working for whom!
/John
About John Farnam & Defense Training International, Inc
As a defensive weapons and tactics instructor John Farnam will urge you, based on your own beliefs, to make up your mind in advance as to what you would do when faced with an imminent and unlawful lethal threat. You should, of course, also decide what preparations you should make in advance, if any. Defense Training International wants to make sure that their students fully understand the physical, legal, psychological, and societal consequences of their actions or inactions.
It is our duty to make you aware of certain unpleasant physical realities intrinsic to the Planet Earth. Mr Farnam is happy to be your counselor and advisor. Visit: www.defense-training.com
well,ya haffta find SUMTHIN’ ta do for the faddarsed incompetents to keep them of the streets (they’re a danger out there) AND on the (padded) payrol so they can qualify for their fat pensions, right? WHY ELSE do we have police unions anyway?
“Author: Rick Ellison Comment: I am an NRA instructor as such I never allow firearms or ammunition in my classroom (except the firearms I have for the class and have cleared before hand and recleared with student verification)…” In Kansas the law requires that a KS AG Approved Concealed Carry Class not have any ammunition in the same room during the class BECAUSE the students may be complete beginners.The concealed carry license class is about the Use of Force Laws and general firearms handling and maintenance, it is not a shooting skills test. The student does fire a qualification at… Read more »
I am an NRA instructor as such I never allow firearms or ammunition in my classroom (except the firearms I have for the class and have cleared before hand and recleared with student verification). When firearms are passed around in class you do not want any possibility of an accident. While I do not tell people not to carry their firearms to lunch I do require tight controls on the range. Training can always be improved and time should be spent wisely but some of the most dangerous people on the range are those that think they are above common… Read more »
“These “trainers” obviously don’t trust officers with guns, although those same officers carry guns every day while working. The moment they set foot on the range, officers are told, in so many words, they are not trusted”
If it is Chicago, I don’t know if I’d trust them either.
Must have been in Chitcago !
I think that we all have stories about things that happen on the range. Some of the reasons for so many stories are the unseen lawyers that require, by lawsuit, all testing (failure at which, could get a LEO or Fireman removed from their position) must be related to the job. And that makes sense, but proving changes to testing, and therefore training for the testing, is a difficulty (read pain in the ass.). Thus the bureaucratic answer is to never ever update training or testing. Another problem is the students. Not all of them, but rather a minority that… Read more »
Sometimes you have too wonder who decided these clowns should be instructors. In most cases we were fortunate to have up to date training but a couple of “instructors” had too make you wonder. i.e. We were having magazine problems and were issued three (3) new mags for duty and told to use the old mags on the range. I had to argue with an “instructor” for over 15 minutes because I was told I was not allowed to use the new mags during the first qualification. We were actually expected to carry with untested mags, because if they were… Read more »
John Farnham: As a former LEO I understand respect (and all that other PC crap that we spout when writing a story) but there is absolutely no reason not to name the agency involved. Sometimes public shame is a powerful motivator. I also wonder if this agency accepts Federal funding.
Fat fingers will make typos on phones every single time. Apologies for mangling your name, John :).
“In four days, students got only twelve house of productive training. The rest of the time was squandered!”
It would be better to train in houses than to waste hours on a cold range. 😉