Beyond Qualification: Add Real Training into your Use-Of-Force Objectives

Beyond Qualification: Add Real Training into your Use-Of-Force Objectives

In Law Enforcement, much of the work is based on statistics, numbers, and meeting “minimum” requirements. Think about it, how tickets, arrests, investigations, and other enforcement levels contribute to the work of police officers nationwide. In between, there are annual or semi-annual standards that are also required for an officer to fulfill. An important example is the firearms qualification standards every officer must complete, whether once, twice, or three times a year, depending on the agency state standards.

“Having some good, easy, and reality-based use of force firearms training should be part of your “standards” objectives.”

Here are some examples of what you can add into your range day qualifications training:

1. Explain to the officers the importance of striking vital body mass areas that are intended to “stop” the deadly force threat. Hitting the lower abdomen or focusing on the “Q” in training will lead to the focus of the same areas in real-time of a subject. However, the stopping power of the hits and their locations may not be sufficient. In other words, show them and teach the officers the importance of striking the upper thorax areas while also working the controlled pairs or rapid “double-tap” shots we also like to refer to as the “one-two punch” concept
2. Targets such as the IALEFI ring-based targets are great examples of working bigger body mass areas instead of just a small 50 cent piece “Q” target. Make sure as an instructor, speak to your officers and emphasize this important factor
3. Have them perform some static shooting exercises from ranges such as 5 yards, 7 yards, and 10 yards to keep them in the zone of simulated room distance or hallway distant shooting platforms. The goal for the officers is to work on the bigger target area indicators. If you are using the old “Q” targets, using spray paint colors can simply increase the size of the strike zones and get officers more familiar with the vital hit zone areas. Instructors at this point should once again emphasize that we live in a world of colors and not just black and white. Clothing can be a mix of assorted colors so why not teach that aspect that suspects in use of force encounters wear clothing which is later described in police land as “suspect description” to include clothing style, color clothing, etc.
4. Next, use an assorted variety of stimulus of fire and not just a whistle. Include things such as silent “visual stimulus.” Each stimulus of fire should consist of 2-3 rapid round shots, particularly in the 5-7-10 yard range. Have the officers work as one line group during these series of fire and emphasize the static portion of shooting, and making sure their stance, body positioning, and presentation of their weapons are in the area where they need to be
5. Upon completion, debrief with the officers and look for feedback on their thoughts from those series of exercises. Once completed, you can set up the MotoShot Mover exercises.

MotoShot: After officers have practiced their reps of a much smoother and rapid release of rounds, you can then pair officers side by side and place the MotoShot Target System to either side of the range with cones as markers for points of NON-Shoot zones. This will prevent officers from shooting beyond the point of the safe berm areas.

In our rifle instructor programs, we use terms such as Stationary Hold (waiting for the mover to come in their line of view), Tracking (the shooter keeping pace with the target), and Overtaking (where the shooter is initially behind the target). The MotoShot Target System now becomes your moving target while the officers hold their positions.  With one target positioned on the mover, create (2) different colored circle targets, and each will become a point of reference for each officer.  Upon initiating the mover across the range, the officer will focus on their colored target only and apply (2) accurate shots trying to hit their strike zones.  They will not fire any more than those two shots and wait for the mover to make its way back the other direction.

“Remember, being creative in your range training does not take much.  Put the time in to give your officers an educational yet fun way of enhancing their skills.”

Learn more about MotoShot Moving Robots

The article was written by Jose Medina March 2021