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1 month ago | 
americancop.com | Dave Bahde |Erick Gelhaus |Kevin McPherson |John Hearne
(No Ratings Yet)Loading... One of the most common questions I get is about the difference between training for law enforcement and competition. Trainers and “experts” often cause confusion and uncertainty for many. Years ago, I developed the “certainty principle.” I’m not sure where or who it came from, so I probably stole it. It is the determining factor in the techniques I teach. The central idea is that what you do must increase the certainty the technique will work on the first attempt.
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1 month ago | 
americancop.com | Erick Gelhaus |Dave Bahde |Kevin McPherson |John Hearne
(No Ratings Yet)Loading... There is that quote by George Santayana about those who do not remember history. Every so often, we see evidence of this happening – again. One example of this would be significant failures with safety equipment. I can think of three right now – a handgun manufactured overseas when a weapon-mounted light was attached, a domestically produced patrol car with post-crash fire issues, and body armor.
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1 month ago | 
americancop.com | Erick Gelhaus |Dave Bahde |Kevin McPherson |John Hearne
(No Ratings Yet)Loading... Here are parts One and Two covering the Law Enforcement Education Program presentation at this year’s SHOT Show. How good do you have to be? No one will argue that you should not be as good as you can be. However, it is equally unrealistic to expect every officer to be a master-class shooter. When do you address other skills? AmericanCop writer John Hearne has tried to codify this.
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1 month ago | 
americancop.com | Richard Duarte |Dave Bahde |Erick Gelhaus |Kevin McPherson
(No Ratings Yet)Loading... Staying informed and communicating with others is essential, especially during a crisis. In our daily lives, most of us rely heavily on technology and service providers. Think of internet and cell phone service, as well as associated products that bring voice and data to our devices. During any power outage scenario, many will lose access to these services. Having a back-up communications plan is crucial during these moments.
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2 months ago | 
americancop.com | Erick Gelhaus |Dave Bahde |Kevin McPherson |John Hearne
(No Ratings Yet)Loading... By now, hopefully, most of you who went to SHOT have recovered from whatever infected them. I, your humble editor, am an overachiever, so I’m still dealing with whatever crud I had before the show. But it’s a dry cough. So, what was interesting about SHOT from my perspective, from a law enforcement and training perspective? As always, they have released (or will be releasing) several items, including clothing, footwear, and load carriage.
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2 months ago | 
americancop.com | Dave Bahde |Erick Gelhaus |Kevin McPherson |John Hearne
(No Ratings Yet)Loading... While most of life happens in the “middle,” it often occurs at the extremes. Given decades of training and studying officer-involved shootings (OIS), I find this still holds true. Some events occur at “typical” distances under “usual” conditions, but not all. If we only train for the typical circumstances, we do ourselves and our officers a disservice. We need to spend time on the “normal”, without ignoring the unusual.
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Jan 21, 2025 | 
americancop.com | Erick Gelhaus |John Hearne |Kevin McPherson |Dave Bahde
(No Ratings Yet)Loading... Springfield’s Prodigy line of double-stack 1911 pistols has been around for two years; they are producing variants. My previous reviews of the Prodigy are here Part 1 and Part 2. The variations we now see include ported models and those coming from the factory in different finishes — olive drab green and flat dark earth. Another version, and the one we will look at, is their compact, which just cleared a media embargo last week. The immediate difference is the frame.
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Jan 21, 2025 | 
americancop.com | John Hearne |Erick Gelhaus |Kevin McPherson |Dave Bahde
(No Ratings Yet)Loading... CMS’ Pistol-Mounted Optics Instructor classWhether you like it or not, a pistol-mounted optic (PMO) on an officer’s service weapon is becoming the accepted and expected standard. As this transition to the new normal occurs, many agencies are struggling to properly implement their programs. There are a wide range of programs that claim to offer that guidance.
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Jan 14, 2025 | 
americancop.com | Dave Bahde |Erick Gelhaus |Kevin McPherson |Clint Smith
(No Ratings Yet)Loading... One of the most difficult things for police firearms trainers to do is stay focused on practical training. Too often, training is focused on what will win contests. It’s one reason why I cringe when too much time is spent with a timer. Used properly, it’s fine, but some instructors are more concerned with how fast something happens versus how it is done. More importantly, what is being timed may be meaningless on the street.
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Jan 14, 2025 | 
americancop.com | Erick Gelhaus |Kevin McPherson |Dave Bahde |Clint Smith
(No Ratings Yet)Loading... This past October, the Mossberg crew hosted several gunwriters at Gunsite. More than a few of the group were or had been working street cops. We were all there to examine the newest additions to Mossberg’s defensive shotgun line. Rich Kirk, engineer Peter DuPerry, and law enforcement / military program manager Jeremy Stafford were Mossberg’s main representatives. Brad Gilpin from Blue Force Gear was there to support our use of their adjustable sling.
