Police training

[Mitch10mm]

I'm curious. How much training does the average cop have with their pistol? Some mention how le is trained while us lowly civilians are not.

[Cherokee60]

Well, from what I understand, their practice targets include likenesses of dogs.

[Philadelphia]

My recollection is it used to be 40 hours total and then qualification test. That was a while ago; likely has changed.

In any event, it's not so much the quantity but the quality of who does the training and the motivation of the student to practice to proficiency.

Whatever the training requirement now is, it's not something worth bragging about.

[csmith]

They certainly aren't out there going through the Magpul Dynamics courses. Even if they were, none of it means anything if they don't practice and stay proficient.

Every time I see somebody make the statement that police are more proficient with or qualified to carry a weapon because they are trained it makes me want to puke. Most officers I have encountered only shoot when they have to qualify. I only know one who is a firearms enthusiast and shoots frequently. I can tell you that at my local club I have witnessed a uniformed police officer (who showed up in his cruiser) break the rules and do some of the stupidest things I have ever imagined on a shooting range.

[MOUNTAINORACLE]

Think it was a week but a lot of that time was not spent teaching shooting or marksmanship.

The qualification course that was used was a joke--if you weren't blind in one eyed and couldn't see out of the other you passed.

[Shodan]

I know budgets are tight everywhere, but if a LEO wants to seek out top notch training do they usually have that opportunity? I assume it would most often be at their expense.

[Mitch10mm]

That's what I was thinking csmith. I feel comfortable saying most of us that carry probably spend more time at the range practicing accuracy, handling, drawing our weapon and malfunctions than most in LE. And for that some people I know call me a wannabe or commando. About twenty five years ago, last year in High School, I worked Loss Prevention with a Millersville cop, he was the LP manager. He said he qualified once a year, shooting a target at 15 yards if I remember correctly. All shots had to be in a certain ring. I figured they get initial training but wasn't sure if it was ongoing and if they are held to a standard. Most of the cops I've talked with recently have no interest in firearms and had a college background, no military. That's fine but I think we have a different breed of police these days. More liberal, social work type mentality, sympathetic to the criminal, underlying causes to their criminal activities, blah blah blah. .Okay I strayed a bit. I just don't buy that these guys are weapon specialist and another reason why they shouldn't be disarming law abiding carriers.

[unclejumbo]

Cops are just like every other citizens when it comes to firearms. There are competitive shooters, highly trained CQB operators, hunters, shooting/gun enthusiasts and some that carry a gun that is unholstered once or twice a year depending on training requirements. PA requires yearly qualifications for police officers.

PSP shoots twice a year. In the spring is qualification involving a 300 (60x5) point handgun course with shooting to twenty-five yards. It also involves ARs and shotguns to 50 yards. There is also a night fire qualification.

In the fall is the stress course. It involves push-ups, a very short run, engaging targets from within a cruiser with the handgun, exiting and engaging with rifle and shotgun. There are also jam clearing exercises, one handed operation of the handgun with both strong and off hand. Tap rack and go, lock rip and run, SPORT. Shooting with gas mask and shield.

Total round count is about 300 per regular Trooper per year. The state also issued 1 box of practice ammo per year but that was ended due to budget cuts.

SERT (SWAT) trains 1 week per month. Their round count has to be in the several thousand per year.

[Metz]

My recollection is it used to be 40 hours total and then qualification test. That was a while ago; likely has changed.

Not to my knowledge. I believe it's still 40.

[streaker69]

There are some supplemental training that officers can take, with highly specialized targets.