This, plus the "cost saving" measure of sending cops to qualify twice a year, and the range instructors stabbing the targets with their pens as they score them to make more "bullet holes" and pass the officer.

If they don't pass them, they can't go back to patrol and that means less cops on the street. Right before 12/31/99, the word went out that EVERYBODY passes to insure full manpower at Times Square and throughout the city.

The job liked to brag that every officer is entitled to one free box of ammo a month to practice on his own, but the practice had to be done at one of the department ranges. There were 4 of them throughout the city. And try to find parking at any one of them. So I took advantage of that MAYBE twice. Driving 2 hours to shoot 50 free rounds just wasn't worth it.