21st Century cops.

Question, because I iz not a cop and don't even play one on TV.

If you're being presented with that "bad guy with a gun pointed" target, isn't the correct response to move and get to cover? I mean, shooting him is great and all, but not getting shot is even better.

Do you think you can move to safety FASTER than the bad guy with the drawn gun can pull the trigger?

What kind of flowers would you like me to send to your funeral?
 
Our qualification targets look fairly close to this...

target.jpg

I lied. Here is our qualification target, except our “lines “ are drawn differently on his body. I call the target “mustache Mike”.

wisc-doj12_l.jpg
 
Question, because I iz not a cop and don't even play one on TV.

If you're being presented with that "bad guy with a gun pointed" target, isn't the correct response to move and get to cover? I mean, shooting him is great and all, but not getting shot is even better.

A lot of us train to shoot on the move. Also when I draw my gun it is engraved in my head to a step to the left or right while doing so. It sounds funny but th slightest movements can throw off a bad guy, especially since most of them don’t go to the shooting range to practice. With the exception of close contact shots, I think most people who get shot by bad guys are hit because the bad guy was just lucky or missed his intended target and hit someone else by mistake.
 
I deleted 26/50 posts.
The topic is changes in being a cop.
If you can discuss that without going into politics, racial issues, your toilet habits, and plumbing history, have at it. ;)


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Disrupt their I-Phone service ..... they will quickly become disorientated..... and curl up on the ground in a fetal position.......

slap them on the butt with a rolled up newspaper (if you can still find one)and give them a "time out".




Philly Patriot...don't shoot.. you target is "one of us"...... he's got a revolver and it looks to be a 3" 65.....


:D
 
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All these millennials everyone complains about were raised by us (or by parents who were raised by us). They didn't give themselves participation trophies or decide on their own it was too scary to walk to school alone.

I do backgrounds for a local medium sized police department. I am always amazed at the quality of the applicants we get, and surprised that anyone would even want to be a cop these days. We have the luxury to be very selective, and frankly the guys and gals we get are better than a lot of my contemporaries were.

I do miss seeing cops with hair. The shaved head thing is strange to me.

iWhctJp.jpg



Pcikm7y.jpg


Once your hair fell out, you could join the plaid coat club.

JqMXZ84.jpg
 
I do miss seeing cops with hair. The shaved head thing is strange to me.

Well, it works for guys who are losing their hair or have already gone bald. Plus, it's all part of the paramilitary look that's become so popular in police departments across the country. The shaved head, the buzz cut, the shaved/buzzed cut on sidewalls and back of the head, leaving only hair on top...it's all part of the look. Goes along with the bulked out gym rat look, enhanced by the uniform shirt tailored to fit tightly over the shoulders and biceps. It's a look designed to intimidate people.

Once your hair fell out, you could join the plaid coat club.

JqMXZ84.jpg

And you could moonlight as a used car salesman after hours and on off days.
laugh.gif
Check out the guy with the plaid tie and plaid pants! Bet that tie took at least eight hours to recharge.
 
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Well, it works for guys who are losing their hair or have already gone bald. Plus, it's all part of the paramilitary look that's become so popular in police departments across the country. The shaved head, the buzz cut, the shaved/buzzed cut on sidewalls and back of the head, leaving only hair on top...it's all part of the look. Goes along with the bulked out gym rat look, enhanced by the uniform shirt tailored to fight tightly over the shoulders and biceps. It's a look designed to intimidate people.



And you could moonlight as a used car salesman after hours and on off days.
laugh.gif
Check out the guy with the plaid tie and plaid pants! Bet that tie took at least eight hours to recharge.

Or I have a buzz cut because I have had one my whole life and don’t like the feeling of hair touching my ears, I don’t feel like spending the time to do/comb my hair, and I hate sweating while having longer hair.

It’s always good to stay in shape so I don’t understand why you criticize LEOs who go to the gym. A lot more of us should go to the gym, but between work, family, and a house it’s difficult to make time. That being said we should be in reasonable shape not only because of our duties, but shift work, lack of sleep, poor eating habits, and stress beat up our bodies and overall health.

I don’t wear a traditional uniform, but if I did, I’d want to look professional. Sometimes your appearance while getting out of a car will determine the amount of respect you get even before you open your mouth.
 
RE: Silhouette Targets vs Realistic/Photographic Targets

I've seen the need for more realistic/scenario based training to overcome years of indoctrination. Some have never had ANY firearms exposure; some were taught NEVER to point a gun at another human (he was a hunter, grew up with toy guns but only allowed to point them at animals/objects). I remember the 1st time I looked through my scope at a real live human & could see the emotion in his eyes. It kinda took me back, but I was ready & able to take the shot. Luckily, he soon surrendered & I didn't have to.

I believe Dave Grossman talks about it in at least 2 of his books. We need to teach/learn to kill a human.
 
Being an old guy I grew up being taught to respect police officers. Even when they were wrong. Now days I kinda feel the shaved head paramilitary look is an intimidation technique for many police officers...and they use it as such with most citizens they have to deal with. Don't need to try to intimidate me or most people you deal with..so why do it? I'm not a cop although I did do fire investigation. Wouldn't want to be a cop 24/7. Yep dealing with the public is not an easy job. Looking(and acting) the way many cops do nowadays loses a lot of respect from law abiding people. JMHO
 
I do miss seeing cops with hair. The shaved head thing is strange to me

Well, it works for guys who are losing their hair or have already gone bald. Plus, it's all part of the paramilitary look that's become so popular in police departments across the country. The shaved head, the buzz cut, the shaved/buzzed cut on sidewalls and back of the head, leaving only hair on top...it's all part of the look. Goes along with the bulked out gym rat look, enhanced by the uniform shirt tailored to fit tightly over the shoulders and biceps. It's a look designed to intimidate people.

It’s always good to stay in shape so I don’t understand why you criticize LEOs who go to the gym.

I'll be as brief as possible here. You see the comment I replied to above, and then you see my comments about it.

Please point out to me and any other forum member who's interested where I "criticize" anyone or where I'm being "critical" of law enforcement. Putting it as simply as I know how, you're reading something into my comment that isn't there. You're putting words in my mouth. I made no judgement on cops, whatsoever.

What I said in my reply are facts as I know them, whether you like it or agree or not.

I have five friends who are police officers in this city. It's a large city. One of them is SWAT, another is K-9. They told me more or less the same thing. I can't quote them because the language isn't acceptable on this forum. So I combined and paraphrased what they said about the haircuts and tailored uniforms. They refer to themselves as gym rats (among other things), and all agree that their appearance sometimes goes a long way to getting on top of the street punks and other hoodlums they deal with every day. Their physical appearance is imposing, and the fit of their uniforms kicks their appearance up a notch. To paraphrase one of them...he said, while pointing a finger at me, "We're the good guys to people like you. We're the bad (expletive deleted) to somebody else."

They have no reason to lie to me. That's it in a nutshell. Me being critical? No, not even in your dreams. That's all I have to say about it. Seriously.
 
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Well, it works for guys who are losing their hair or have already gone bald. Plus, it's all part of the paramilitary look that's become so popular in police departments across the country. The shaved head, the buzz cut, the shaved/buzzed cut on sidewalls and back of the head, leaving only hair on top...it's all part of the look. Goes along with the bulked out gym rat look, enhanced by the uniform shirt tailored to fit tightly over the shoulders and biceps. It's a look designed to intimidate people.



And you could moonlight as a used car salesman after hours and on off days.
laugh.gif
Check out the guy with the plaid tie and plaid pants! Bet that tie took at least eight hours to recharge.

And there is a cop smoking!!!
 
Do you think you can move to safety FASTER than the bad guy with the drawn gun can pull the trigger?

What kind of flowers would you like me to send to your funeral?

Re-reading the post that I made, a bit after midnight, I was a mite too harsh. Yes, if you have enough time and it is close enough, you should seek cover or concealment.
 
And there is a cop smoking!!!
I do remember when most or many people smoked. Cops and firefighters both. I quit right after I retired. for the last time. 23 yrs ago. I also mostly quit carrying a gun about that time too.
 
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I do remember when most or many people smoked. Cops and firefighters both. I quit right after I retired. for the last time. 23 yrs ago. I also mostly quit carrying a gun about that time too.

When I started at the PD, I was on evening (2:45pm-10:45pm), I'd get there about 2:30 and there was one day shift officer who would usually be in the roll call room. He would be watching General Hospital, smoking a cigarette and drinking a cup of coffee.
 
Being an old guy I grew up being taught to respect police officers. Even when they were wrong. JMHO

I did also. I had (just) enough brains to respect anyone carrying a gun and night stick.

Unless the bad guy is mentally ill I simply find it impossible to understand why people will fight with police when given an order. And then the press goes haywire when the LEO shoots the suspect.
 
I did also. I had (just) enough brains to respect anyone carrying a gun and night stick.

Unless the bad guy is mentally ill I simply find it impossible to understand why people will fight with police when given an order. And then the press goes haywire when the LEO shoots the suspect.

When I was a badge toter in Alabama, there was an area nearby on the Warrior River. The good old boys that lived on the river often got into trouble. Now, it wasn't seen as a bad thing to get into trouble with the law, BUT it was considered unmanly to go peacefully. So, most of 'em would fight the po-leese. :)

Also, most of them that received a "donkey" whooping would not complain to the police chief about it, 'cause they felt that they had earned it. :D
 
Do you think you can move to safety FASTER than the bad guy with the drawn gun can pull the trigger?

What kind of flowers would you like me to send to your funeral?

I sure can't out-draw an already drawn gun, that's for sure.
 
Having survived three deadly confrontations in my 30 years I find this VERY troublesome. If these new officers are reluctant to shoot at a human photo target they might hesitate on the street and get themselves or someone else killed. The streets are tough and unforgiving, I’m surprised that upper management is caving into them.

It's been proven time and again you'll perform to the level of your training. Hesitate on the range and you'll do likewise when the excrement jumps off, which could mean a good guy dies. Maybe we should have a portion of the force that mirrors the old London Bobbies, armed with a truncheon, (I jest).
 
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