TheThe CaseCase HeadHead The Official Publication of the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors & Armorers Association

© 2009 MLEFIAA WINTER 2009/2010

Best Wishes for a Happy New Year © 2009 MLEFIAA Page 1 The Case Head The official publication of the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors & Armorers Association P.O. Box 253, Princeton, MA 01541-0253

MISSION STATEMENT The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors' & Armorers' Association was formed to promote pro- fessionalism, continuing education, improvement in training methods and techniques of the proper law enforce- ment use of firearms in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Association strives to promote and foster mutual cooperation between instructors. Through discussion and a common interest in law enforcement firearms training, officer survival and tactical skills, MLEFIAA hopes to keep the members at the forefront of firearms training. Through our monthly meetings and annual training confer- ence, we provide a means for the exchange of ideas and information regarding law enforcement firearms training, training methods, educational activities and new firearms technologies.

MLEFIAA currently has over 400 members. While mainly from Massachusetts, our membership extends interna- tionally to countries as far away as Sweden. The Association endeavors to secure new members from the law en- forcement training community who are engaged in the field of firearms training, maintenance, education or related fields. Our goal is to continuously upgrade the level of firearms training of law enforcement personnel here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION Membership is offered at two levels - Active & Associate. Active membership is open to all duly sworn law en- forcement officers of any local, county, state, federal or specialized law enforcement agency within the Common- wealth of Massachusetts; whose official duties include the training of law enforcement personnel in the proper use of firearms; or whose duties involve the maintenance and repair of firearms for their respective agencies.

Associate membership is open to sworn law enforcement firearms instructors and armorers from agencies outside of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, non-sworn firearms instructors & armorers working within an agency within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and representatives of private industry who are engaged in the de- sign, development, manufacture, or training in firearms, ammunition and other related technologies designed for law enforcement use.

Complete details can be found at our website: www.MLEFIAA.org

Articles & Letters to the Editor Articles and letters should be no more than 1000 words in length and submitted in MS Word. Any photos should be in JPEG format. MLEFIAA encourages a healthy discussion of training issues but we require that you keep it level headed and respect opposing views. You do not have to agree, but we will not publish articles that are in- flammatory or otherwise do not uphold the reputation of this Association.

Copyright 2007 Mass. Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors & Armorers Association The Case Head is the official publication of the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors & Armorers Association and is published quar- terly for the benefit of the membership. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written permission of the Editor and the Executive Board of the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors & Armorers Association. The articles, views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors & Armorers Association, the Executive Board or it’s members. © 2009 MLEFIAA Page 2 In This Issue MPTC Firearms Instructor Program News Page 2

Police on Police Shootings Taskforce Testimony Page 3 Monthly Back Up Weapons Page 5 Meeting

Calendar Recycle Your Old Body Armor Page 9 January 26, 2010 Basic Firearms Safety Course Ethics Question Page 10 Smith & Wesson Springfield, MA (elections) Random Thoughts On Handgun Reliability & Longevity Page 10 February 23, 2010 Maynard PD MPTC Firearms Instructor News By Todd Bailey needed. As the economy be- course of fire more than dou- March 23, 2010 As readers of the Case Head gan to fade and the state had to bles the officer’s exposure to Pending have seen over the past four cut back on training dollars, this valuable tool. years, there have been the need to share the work load Most recently the Recruit April 27, 2010 changes to the Municipal Po- became self evident as the Firearms Program was targeted Pending lice Training Committee’s training coordinator is only a with the intention of standard- firearms training program. part time position. izing training at this level May 25, 2010 These changes have roots The first job the committee across the state. It is presently Lancaster PD which go back even further received was to improve the in the final draft stages how- Instructor Recert when Jim Ring was the fire- basic instructor program to one ever when complete, entry arms training coordinator. which other states and agen- level firearms training will be June 22, 2010 Jim completely rewrote the cies would want to model their the same regardless of which Location Pending program to give the instructor program after. The end prod- academy is teaching the pro- Instructor Recert a solid teaching base and in- uct increased the length of the gram. There was also a call to cluded applicable case law to class from five to eight days include some level of firearms July & Aug 2010 support needed training. and added practical teaching training with the Reserve In- No meeting - When Jim had to step aside modules to help train the new termittent Academy program. Summer Vacation due to health reasons, Bill trainers. This program contin- Although these officers are Leanos immediately picked ues to be a work in progress slated to received less hours of September 2010 up the reins and has continued and is constantly being as- training than their full time Annual Training to update and improve the sessed and improved with the academy counterparts, it will Conference program. goal of turning out the best be more than they are currently The first of these changes firearms instructors in the mandated to get. October 26, 2010 was to give the handgun country. The Firearms Training Location TBA qualification course of fire a The Instructor Trainer pro- Committee has a lot on their long overdue overhaul. The gram was formalized into a plate in 2010. The most nota- Nov. 23, 2010 static nature of the course was five day class with required ble issues they will be dealing Location TBA discarded in favor of a dy- annual updates. Since instruc- with include standardized namic program with empha- tors who are selected for this training and qualification stan- December 2010 sized real world factors like level are already accomplished dards for service pistol, addi- Merry Christmas movement, pivoting and inte- marksman, emphasis was tional instructor levels, a grating defensive tactics into placed on train the trainer and Less Lethal program and the Watch your E-mail for the firearms training program. maintaining MPTC standards. implementation of online train- last minute changes and Bill then established a The MPTC Patrol Rifle ing. details steering committee of dedi- course was changed from a Having no standardized cated and experienced trainers basic 20 round course of fire to training and qualification for who would be his sounding a 50 round course which in- veteran police officers has board for new ideas and help cluded the same concepts as been a double edged sword. hammer out new material as the handgun course. The new Continued on Page 6 © 2009 MLEFIAA Page 3

Police-on-Police Shootings Task Force by Deputy Chief William Brooks Lt. Fred Leland is a frequent contributor the New England Narcotic Enforce- sion that the man must have done to the CASE HEAD and has his own train‐ ment Officers Association. something wrong. There is nothing ing company ‐ Law Enforcement & Secu‐ I must acknowledge that when I inherently wrong with that perception; rity Consulting (www.LESC.net). first began teaching about friendly it might make the officer cautious and The follow article is the testimony of Dep‐ fire, I found that the best information serve to protect him from harm. In fact uty Chief William Brooks when he ap‐ had been developed by the New York a citizen might think the same thing, peared before the NYPD Police on Police City Police Department. The NYPD and citizens have called the police to Shootings Task Force. It appeared on academy provided me with their les- report a gunman who turned out to be Fred’s website and should be of interest son plan and with a videotape that I a plainclothes officer. But the officer’s to all firearms instructors. still use today. perception that the gunman must be a The Causes of Friendly Fire criminal can also be problematic if the I want to thank Governor Patterson for For friendly fire to occur, two fac- man with the gun turns out to be an establishing this task force, and the tors must first be in place; a law en- innocent citizen or a law enforcement members of the task force for their forcement officer must be in plain- officer. service. In spite of the fact that law clothes, and the officer must have his/ Second, the sight of a man with a enforcement officers have tragically her[1] firearm drawn. This is the rea- gun can cause the patrol officer to been victims of accidental shootings at son that most victims of friendly fire focus on the gun itself. This factor, the hands of their brother and sister were either off-duty or working a called “weapon focus” in studies on officers for more than a century, this plainclothes assignment when they eyewitness memory, can cause the undertaking is, to my knowledge, the were shot.[2] It should be noted that officer to focus so intently on the other most comprehensive examination of both factors must be present. An offi- man’s firearm that he misses other police-on-police shootings in our na- cer who is in plainclothes but has his cues or details of his surroundings.[3] tion’s history. The breadth of your weapon holstered is highly unlikely Psychologists studying the phe- research is extraordinary, and I hope to be a victim. nomenon inattentional blindness have your recommendations will be em- Because there will always be cir- routinely demonstrated that an ob- braced by the entire law enforcement cumstances where a plainclothes or server, in this case the patrol officer, community. off-duty officer will need to draw his can completely miss a visible but un- Background weapon, there will always be a risk of expected object such as a police radio I have been a police officer for over friendly fire. The bad news is that in the hand of a gunman or a police 32 years. During that time, I led a de- there is no easy answer to the prob- shield clipped to his coat.[4] tective squad for 14 years and have for lem, no switch we can flip. But the The third problem has to do with the past 22 years led a multi-agency good news is that there are ways to the manner in which a handgun is drug task force on a part-time basis. I decrease the frequency of these sighted. As anyone who has trained have always believed that, in addition shootings; there are things we can do. with a firearm knows, a shooter must to the traditional threat of being as- Perhaps the most effective way to align his eye, the weapon’s rear sight, saulted by a criminal, my detectives understand the dilemma of friendly the front sight, and the target. If all and I were in danger at some level of fire is to break down a police encoun- four points are in line, the bullet being shot by police officers who did ter chronologically. In doing so, one should strike the target. But the way not recognize us. And so, years ago, I should examine the encounter from the human eye works, one cannot fo- sought to understand the tragedy of “both sides of the gun”, in other cus on the sights and the target at the police-on-police shootings, or friendly words from the perspective of the same time. One must be blurry if the fire. officer challenging a person he be- other is to be in focus. Someone unfa- In addition to my other duties, I lieves to be a threat, as well as from miliar with firearms can try this out have served as a police academy in- the perspective of the plainclothes or himself by pointing to an object in the structor for over 20 years. For more off-duty officer who is being chal- distance. You can put your finger in than ten years, I have conducted train- lenged. Rather than using the more focus and the object will be blurry, or ing that included the topic of friendly accurate terms of “challenging offi- you can focus on the object and your fire. I teach a half-day course on off- cer” and “challenged officer”, I will finger will blur. But you cannot focus duty issues to police recruits that in- refer here to the challenging officer on both at the same time. The same is cludes instruction on home firearms as the “patrol officer” and the officer true when you hold a handgun on a safety, off-duty encounters, the carry- being challenged as the “plainclothes target, as a handgun can only be accu- ing of police identification, carrying a officer”. rately sighted if the sights are in focus. firearm off-duty and friendly fire. I The first issue is something re- If the sights are in focus, details about have also taught about friendly fire ferred to above. A patrol officer who the target, such as facial features or during two week programs for new sees a man running with a gun in his even a police shield hanging around detectives and new narcotics officers, hand is often struck with the impres- the target’s neck, may not be discern- as well as at the annual conference of © 2009 MLEFIAA Page 4

Police on Police Shootings (continued from previous page) able. This might explain how an off- police officer, so long as he obeys the has sometimes been described in the duty Providence police officer could command to not move, he should be press as the victim officer not obey- have been shot and killed by a police safe. ing the instructions of an officer who academy classmate who knew him The close variation of “Police! gave clear commands. While it may well but did not recognize him.[5] Drop the weapon!” should be avoided seem unnatural, officers must train The sighting of a handgun causes a as it commands the subject to do themselves to lock their arms in place second and perhaps even more obvi- something immediately, rather than whenever they hear a verbal chal- ous problem. Police officers are taught freezing the action. This is a particu- lenge. to aim their weapons at “center of lar problem if the person being chal- The seventh and last issue explored mass”, or at the center of the visible lenged is a police officer because here is unintentional non-compliance target. The purpose of this is to en- officers are trained not to drop their by the victim officer. In some cases, hance the likelihood of hitting the tar- weapons. This unintentional non- the patrol officer has challenged the get. In most cases, the center of mass compliance may heighten a patrol plainclothes officer, but the plain- is the chest area of the target. But as officer’s fear that the subject is hos- clothes officer inexplicably disobeys soon as they pull their weapon up to tile. the instructions. In the case of the that level, their hands obstruct their The sixth factor in the examination death of Providence, RI police officer view of the bottom portion of the tar- of friendly fire shootings is perhaps Cornel Young, uniformed officers get. Again, a novice can simulate this the most difficult to correct. The had arrived on the scene and yelled problem by drawing an imaginary NYPD in its training materials has for Young, who was off-duty and in handgun and pointing it at a target. As dubbed it “reflexive spin”. Reflexive plainclothes, to drop his weapon. But soon as you get the weapon on target, spin refers to the tendency of an offi- Young continued to advance, point- you can no longer see below its chest cer who hears a verbal challenge to ing his weapon in the general direc- area. So if the target were a police turn towards the officer issuing it. For tion of the subject of the radio call. officer with a shield on his belt, or instance, a patrol officer sees a man Young was killed by gunfire from the perhaps even hanging around his neck, with a gun in his hands and yells, two officers. While he must have the shield would not be visible to an “Police! Don’t move!”. The man with heard their commands, it is clear he officer properly sighting his handgun. the gun, who is an off-duty officer did not realize they were talking to The fourth issue has to do with pursuing a suspect, turns to answer him.[6] In cases such as this, plain- whether or not the patrol officer seeks the officer - to identify himself - and clothes officers do not intentionally cover before confronting the gunman. is shot. disobey instructions from patrol offi- While most police officers view cover The real issue with reflexive spin is cers. They simply don’t realize that as something that will protect them not that the plainclothes officer turns the orders are meant for them. from incoming rounds, cover also af- to identify himself, it is the fact that As noted above, the issues behind fords an officer more time to make a his arms swing in the patrol officer’s friendly fire are complex and varied. decision about whether or not to fire. direction as he does so. If a person There is no simple solution, no If an officer is out in the open and the with his arms outstretched turns to switch to flip. But there are steps law gunman begins to turn in his direction, speak to you, his arms will turn as his enforcement agencies can take to the officer may believe that he has no head does whether he realizes it or protect officers and decrease the oc- time to wait, that he must fire now. not. The patrol officer, who is obvi- currences of these tragic shootings. But if the officer is behind sufficient ously concerned primarily with the These steps exist in the areas of train- cover as the subject begins to turn, he “suspect’s” hands and the direction in ing and policy. may have the time to shout additional which the weapon is pointing, per- Training orders. Unfortunately, cover is not ceives the movement of the arms as a Police training occurs in a variety always present or readily attainable. threat and shoots. The shooting can of settings. New police officers attend The fifth aspect is the “verbal chal- occur quite quickly if the patrol offi- academies, and veteran officers re- lenge”, the order that an officer gives cer has already sighted his weapon ceive training at roll calls or by being to a suspect before or instead of firing. and readied himself to fire. taken off their shift for lengthier ses- While television depicts police offi- It is a matter of human nature that sions. cers yelling all sorts of odd commands when someone speaks to you, or even Police Academies: to suspects, real life law enforcement yells for you not to move, you turn to A block of instruction on the dan- officers should be required to use the face the person who has spoken. But gers of friendly fire should be taught verbal challenge of “Police! Don’t it is this sudden and unexpected move at every U.S. police academy. Topics move!” The word “police” identifies of the hand holding the firearm that within the block of instruction should the police officer, while “don’t move” has often been described as the event include awareness of the presence of is intended to freeze the action. Even that caused a uniformed officer to fire if the person holding the handgun is a his weapon. Unfortunately, this reflex Continued on Page 7 © 2009 MLEFIAA Page 5

BACK UP GUNS – A Consideration For Every Officer, Even In Massachusetts By Todd Bailey approved back up weapons. Perhaps this could be accomplished by declar- In the liberal bastions of Massachu- ing that approved off duty carry setts, the concept of the back up gun weapons can also be used in a BUG (BUG) does not get the respect or at- role when on duty. tention it should. In fact, it is a valu- able piece of equipment which has This list of compact pistols and proven itself in many other parts of the revolvers which are found suitable country for many years. for use will allow the officer plenty of leeway on making their own pur- The idea of a BUG makes a lot of chase. Regardless of whether the sense when you consider we carry back up gun is department owned/ the other hand, will a mini version of spare handcuffs, spare ammo and have issued or privately owned, the depart- your duty pistol be the easiest a patrol rifle or shotgun to augment ment should issue the ammo or at weapon to hide and carry? our service pistol. If you’ve ever had least specify which commercially a Type III malfunction at the range, A very strong argument can be loaded rounds are authorized. The you understand why a back up weapon made for carrying a small frame re- last thing you need is the accusation is important. There is no way you are volver or a thin semi-auto pistol with that your officer was hand loading going to fix a broken firing pin or a single stack magazine. Smith & ammunition designed to “kill better”. other part on your pistol in a gunfight. Wesson’s J-frame revolver and pis- tols by Walther (PPK or PPS) and Back up guns are frowned upon by Ruger (LCP) amongst others have most agencies if not outright prohib- proven themselves over time as reli- ited. The reason is rarely stated but is able backup guns. most likely because the command staff associates a BUG with a so called I will go on record and state “throw down” gun. Many depart- that .22LR, .25ACP and .32 caliber ments prohibit carrying any other weapons have no business as backup weapon other than the department weapons. While very concealable issued service weapons while on duty. and capable of inflicting a lethal This is short sighted at best. wound, they rarely provide the ability to rapidly stop the threat. The wound Back up guns should be treated no cavity is small and their ability to differently than any other weapon au- All back up guns should be subject penetrate to a vital target is limited in thorized by the agency. The make, to an initial and annual inspection by all but the best of circumstances. model and serial number is recorded the department armorer. As with any The .380 ACP (9mm Kurz) is barely along with who the weapon is issued other weapon carried on duty, the acceptable. Better results can be had (or belongs) to. If the weapon was officer should be expected to train with a 9mm or .38 Special especially purchased by the officer there is a pa- and qualify with the back up weapon if loaded with +P rounds. While not per trail with the FA-10 and ATF4473. on a regular basis. Scores and perfect, both these rounds have suffi- The idea of an officer “throwing courses of fire should be kept. cient velocity to penetrate to vital down” a department owned or offi- Courses of fire should be suitably organs and will create a decent per- cially documented personally owned modified for the purpose of the manent wound cavity. weapon is pretty absurd. weapon. In all cases, the back weapon needs to be drawn from The selection of a back up The best situation would be if the where it will be carried. weapon for issue or by the individual department purchased and issued back officer should take into consideration up weapons but in these lean times, Once the concept of the back up size, compatibility with the officer that is unlikely. An alternative solu- weapon has been accepted, the next tion is to have a list of department hurdle will be to decide which weapon and caliber will be author- ized. Many will argue for a miniatur- ized version of your duty pistol in the same caliber as the ideal solution. This view has merit as there is conti- nuity in training and equipment. Spare duty weapon magazines will be compatible with the back up gun. On © 2009 MLEFIAA Page 6

tinues to progress rapidly towards MPTC Firearms Training News (continued from Page 2) approval and implementation. On one hand a cash strapped depart- One of the most interesting There are several departments ment could get by with running noth- changes coming is the proposed addi- which use a mobile firearms range to ing but a 50 round qualification course tion of two new instructor levels. meet their annual firearms qualifica- annually with no associated training. Currently the system is a two level tion requirements. The firearms com- In contrast a highly motivated agency certification. Instructors come into mittee is looking at how the differ- could run quarterly training with an- the system as a Firearms Instructor ences in the dimensions of the shoot- nual qualification in all weapon sys- after completing the MPTC 8 Day ing trailer affect running a MPTC tems. Neither would be right or program or an equivalent outside qualification course. They are also wrong. Proposals on the table will training class and attendance at a one looking at how to best adapt the new mandate a minimum level of qualifica- day MPTC recertification. Instructor qualification courses which involve tion and training. At this stage these Trainers are selected from this level. movement into the mobile shooting minimums will only apply to handgun The proposed structure under con- range. however it is logical that if it is suc- sideration could the new level of Ad- Budget cuts and the declining cessful, it would evolve to include all vanced Firearms Instructor between availability of training funds has firearms systems. the Basic Instructor and Instructor forced the MPTC to look at alterna- The basic instructor certification Trainers. The pre-requisites for Ad- tive methods of delivering quality course was increased from five days to vanced Instructors are still being training at little to no cost which eight to incorporate more hands on worked out however it is envisioned Massachusetts departments have teaching time. The firearms training this will be the minimum certification come to expect. The cost of class- committee is looking at increasing this required to teach recruits at the acad- room space and instructors can be further to ten days to incorporate all emy level. eliminated with on line training using the upcoming changes. This may also A new Master Instructor level is the distance learning concept which allow more time for the revolver being looked at which would fall the military has used for years. which was all but removed to make above Instructor Trainer. This small While officers will never be able to room for other material. cadre of dedicated trainers would, requalify with their service pistols on Another priority is to update the among other things, be tasked with line, there are some aspects of fire- shotgun qualification course of fire. carrying out tasks and duties specifi- arms training such as safety and use The current ten round course is long cally assigned by the Firearms Train- of force review which could logically overdue for a change. This goes hand ing Coordinator. Details will be re- be handled in this way. in hand with the changes made to the leased as this system is firmed up and MLEFIAA is fortunate enough to handgun and patrol rifle courses and approved by the Executive Director. have a very good working relation- instructors should look forward to a With the increased interest in “less ship with Bill Leanos and several more dynamic course of fire. It is too lethal” munitions, it is logical that the members of the firearms committee soon to say just what the new course MPTC would develop a program. have an interest in MLEFIAA as will look like but it is safe to say it This is currently in the early stages well. will parallel the changes made to other but at this time it looks like it will be The Case Head will keep you courses of fire. Instructors can look a stand alone program rather than posted with all the new program for the new course as part of the being piggy backed on to the shotgun changes as they become approved 2011/2012 Instructor Update Program. program. Work on this program con- and implemented.

Back Up Weapons (continued from previous page) the reliability of the revolver. Unlike the small pocket pistol, the revolver and above all reliability. Short of pistols is they tend to be ‘thick’. can be fired reliably from inside a carry the second pistol (or revolver) Since they are normally a duty gun pocket if necessary. It also tends to on your duty belt like NYPD officers which the barrel and grip length has be more reliable when exposed to the did several decades ago, only the been shortened, the width of the dirt and elements associated with biggest officers will get away with pistol remains thick to accommodate carrying the weapon in a pocket or carrying a full size pistol as a back the double stack magazine and wide ankle holster. up. Carrying a “compact” version of slide. This makes the single stack All in all, the back up weapon is a your duty pistol solves the size issue magazine pistol and ideal choice as legitimate tool for law enforcement and if your officers are not “gun peo- it lays flat with less bulk. Ironically, here in Massachusetts. If your ple”, the continuity in the operating the revolver remains a popular back agency does not authorize them or system means their duty pistol train- up weapon despite the thickness of has not recognized their value, it may ing carries over to the BUG. The the cylinder and limited ammunition be time to change that. biggest drawback to compact duty capacity. This is most likely due to © 2009 MLEFIAA Page 7

Police-on-Police Shootings Task Force (Continued from Page 3) plainclothes and off-duty officers, if those officers will carry firearms their target while seeking effective exposure to the issues of weapon focus while off-duty. Officers must be cover. The downside of this type of and inattentional blindness, the two- trained in tactics that will be effective training is that it can be dangerous if fold importance of cover, proper ver- whether they are challenging a subject conducted with more than one or two bal challenge, the limitations of the or taking enforcement action while off officers at a time, so it can become traditional sight picture, and reflexive -duty. See Tactics for Plainclothes and expensive. spin. Off-Duty Officers below. Some police firearms instructors fail On the topic of verbal challenge, Roll Call Training: to include verbalization in their range officers should be warned that a plain- Most police officers start their shifts training. At the range instructor’s clothes officer may not realize that by attending roll calls or shift brief- command, officers simply draw and commands are meant for him. An offi- ings. Friendly fire refresher training fire. There is an old adage in police cer who confronts a subject who ig- can easily fit into a block of ten to training that you will do in the field as nores a command to stop can reinforce fifteen minutes and should be given you were trained to do on the range, so the command by describing the person every six months or so. Teaching having officers draw and fire in si- he is talking to. “Hey Yankees jacket, friendly fire only at recruit academies lence may fail to prepare them to ver- Police! Don’t move!” This should is insufficient as officers may soon balize during a confrontation in the cause the plainclothes officer to real- forget that it is a reality in the field. field. The best technique would be to ize that the patrol officer is talking to Officers who have never received for- require officers to yell “Police! Don’t him. Additionally, officers should be mal training on friendly fire should move!” as they draw and sight their instructed that a plainclothes officer first attend a lengthier training session. weapons. will be reluctant to drop his weapon For this purpose, a stand-alone course Training for Plainclothes Officers: and that there may be a need to verify on friendly fire should be developed Officers assigned to detective squads, his identity. Telling a person who and made available to U.S. law en- anti-crime units and multi-agency task claims to be a law enforcement officer forcement agencies. Because the tac- forces face particular risks because that you need to verify his identity and tics used by plainclothes officers could they work out of uniform. Officers then instructing him to “holster up” or be exploited by criminals, the program assigned to such units should be re- place the weapon on the ground and and associated materials should be quired to attend friendly fire training step back will help settle a tense situa- marked Law Enforcement Sensitive – within the first few months of their tion. Once the firearm is out of the For Official Use Only and be appro- assignment. hands of the person being challenged, priately protected. Tactics for Plainclothes and Off-Duty the patrol officer can ask him a ques- Firing Range: Officers tion that only a police officer could Sound tactics that could avert the The study of friendly fire shootings answer. The NYPD uses such a proto- shooting of a plainclothes officer and the reasons they occur can gener- col, and discussing potential questions should be imbedded into all tactical ate useful tactical recommendations and answers with recruits will ready training, including firearms training on for police officers who work in plain- them for this situation. the range. Most law enforcement offi- clothes or carry their firearms while In addition to the specific tactics de- cers spend several days each year at off-duty. scribed above, friendly fire shootings the firing range. The focus of much of Officers should understand that while from across the country should be this training is on how quickly the a uniformed officer who draws his explored in detail so that recruits de- officer can get his weapon out of the weapon may place himself in a safer velop an appreciation of the issue. holster and get the first shot off. This position, the drawing of a firearm by Aside from classroom instruction, training is beneficial and the skill an officer who is out of uniform ex- friendly fire should figure in scenario could save the officer’s life, but fire- poses him to the risk of friendly fire, training at all police academies. Some arms training should be developed that not only from responding officers, but police academies use “airsoft” weap- tests an officer’s perceptions before he from armed citizens as well. As such, ons that shoot small plastic BB’s, or fires his weapon. Simmunitions train- weapons should be pulled only when converted firearms that shoot ing, or the use of firearms simulators, absolutely necessary and should be “simmunitions” pellets. It would be may also fit this need. quickly re-holstered once the threat helpful for police officers undergoing Another aspect missing on most firing has passed. this type of training to be exposed to ranges is lateral movement and use of If an officer is carrying a firearm, he armed subjects who turn out to be po- available cover. Officers are for the should have his shield in his pocket, in lice officers. most part taught to stand flat-footed as a case that allows him to get at it and Finally, academy instructors must re- they draw their weapons and fire. Lat- display it quickly. Too many shield member to train from “both sides of eral movement to cover, or even cases are made with flaps that make the gun”. Training new recruits not to movement slightly forward and to one them difficult to manipulate with one shoot detectives is simply not enough side, would train officers to draw on hand. The shield case should either be © 2009 MLEFIAA Page 8 one that has the shield on the outside, enforcement events should wear raid police officers. While the system was or one that can be flipped open one- jackets. of some benefit in New York City, it handed using gross motor skills. Obvi- Finally, regardless of rank or agency might be less effective in areas popu- ously the shield should always be car- affiliation, the uniformed officer is lated by many smaller police agencies. ried on the opposite side from the always in command during an armed Undercover officers should not partici- weapon so the officer can pull it out confrontation. Plainclothes officers pate in the arrest of their target. The with one hand while holding the should obey the commands of an offi- signal to arrest a subject should be weapon in the other. Due the effect of cer who is in uniform. given only after the undercover officer weapon focus discussed above, an Policy Issues has disengaged from the subject. Oth- officer drawing his firearm should Some law enforcement agencies have erwise, responding officers may mis- make an effort to hold the shield in instituted policies, orders or proce- take the undercover officer for a sub- close proximity to his firearm so that dures which are either designed to ject. anyone who sees the gun will see the prevent friendly fire or that have that When a dispatcher learns that plain- shield too. On the other hand, if the effect. Many are focused on the work clothes or off-duty officers have ar- plainclothes officer is being chal- of plainclothes squads. Below are a rived or are en route to the scene of an lenged, he should not reach for any- few examples. enforcement action, they should thing without the permission of the Uniformed officers should not merely broadcast an advisory that plainclothes officer challenging him. be thrown into plainclothes without at officers are in the area. This procedure Officers who take enforcement action least preliminary instruction about heightens the awareness of responding while in plainclothes should use a ra- armed encounters. They should have a officers. dio to announce themselves and to basic understanding of the perils of Uniformed officers should wear hats provide a description of their clothing plainclothes work before being as- whenever outside their patrol vehicles whenever possible. This warns other signed to it. as the hat provides an easily identifi- units, including those from other agen- Patrol units working the area of an able silhouette. cies that are monitoring the local chan- anticipated enforcement event, such as Some departments place signs in their nel, that plainclothes officers are in the a raid or buy-bust operation, should be buildings to remind officers about the area. Dispatchers who hear detective notified and given clear instructions. If dangers of friendly fire. The NYPD units signing off at an active scene possible, they should attend the brief- has featured the verbal challenge should also announce that plainclothes ing and be in direct radio contact with “Police! Don’t move!” on stickers officers are present. plainclothes units. Briefings should displayed on every officer’s locker as Shouting “Police!“ is even more im- include instruction on confrontation a reminder. portant for officers who are out of protocols and the introduction of all Law enforcement agencies are cau- uniform than it is for uniformed offi- plainclothes and undercover officers. tioned against attempting to address cers because it lets everyone in the All officers not in an undercover role friendly fire merely by issuing new area know that they are law enforce- should be attired in raid jackets. policies. As stated here, the issue of ment. Some plainclothes officers, Where available, plainclothes units friendly fire is complex and it cannot however, identify themselves only should utilize event de-confliction be sufficiently cured through policy once. This can be problematic if they programs. These programs work by alone. The issuance of policies without move from one location to another or gathering information about enforce- training may leave the false impres- if patrol officers arrive afterwards. As ment events just prior to their execu- sion that the problem has been suffi- visual cues are often missed, plain- tion, and checking a database to deter- ciently addressed. clothes officers should continue to mine whether other law enforcement In the wake of friendly fire shootings, verbally identify themselves as the agencies are targeting the same subject some police departments scale back police throughout any enforcement or planning enforcement events for the their mandatory off-duty carry poli- event. same time and location. cies. Clearly, if there are fewer offi- Any officer who hears a verbal chal- Plainclothes officers should use port- cers carrying firearms off-duty, there lenge by another officer must lock his able emergency lights in their vehicles will be fewer opportunities for arms in place and remain still incase to signal police presence during a friendly fire. But such a policy shift the officer is talking to him. Officers takedown. This will prevent patrol does nothing for the officer who must fight the natural tendency to turn units from happening upon the event chooses to carry off-duty even though towards the voice issuing the com- and mistaking it for a robbery, car- he is not mandated to do so. He can mands. jacking or other violent crime. still become a victim if circumstances When participating in a search for a Several decades ago, the NYPD cre- present themselves and the confronta- subject, officers who are not in uni- ated a system called “color of the day” tion goes poorly. In addition, such a form should team up with a uniformed whereby plainclothes officers of its policy shift may ignore the fact that officer, or even another plainclothes anti-crime unit wore a brightly colored lives have been saved by armed off- officer. Most friendly fire victims item – a different color every day, duty officers. were alone when they were shot. hence the name - to signify they were Conclusion Plainclothes officers participating in © 2009 MLEFIAA Page 9

Police-on-Police Shootings Task Force (Continued from previous page)

Friendly fire is a complex issue that formed officers can somewhat protect shot and killed January 28, 2000 by must be addressed through awareness, themselves from friendly fire by wear- two uniformed officers, one of whom training and thoughtful policy. The ing their hats, as the hat provides an was Officer Carlos A. Saraiva, his work of the New York Police-on- easily identifiable silhouette. classmate from the police academy. Police Task Force is unparalleled and should be widely applauded. [3] Loftus, E.F., Loftus, G.R., & [6] “Q: What did he do when you Messo, J. (1987). Some facts about shouted the commands? FOOT NOTES weapon focus. A: He paid no mind to me. It … ap- [1] For ease of reading all further Law and Human Behavior, 11, 55-62 references will be to males. peared that he was ignoring me and he was intent on walking towards the [4] Arien Mack & Irvin Rock, MIT operator of the vehicle. He – there was [2] There have been rare instances (1998). Inattentional Blindness; An no break in his stride. He just walked. where a uniformed officer was shot, Overview. but these typically occur in low light He continued to walk that way.” settings and are more likely to occur if [5] Officer Cornel Young, Jr. of the Grand Jury testimony of Carlos A. the officer is not wearing a hat. Uni- Providence Police Department was Saraiva, Providence Police Depart-

Recycle Your Old Body Armor For Our Troops Long time MLEFIAA member and firearms instructor Fred Mabardy is once again collecting used ballistic vests for shipment overseas to our troops serving in Southwest Asia. Fred is asking your assistance in sup- porting this program. If you have a vest (new or old) which you are not using, please consider donating it so that it can save a life. Please ask around your agency to see it anyone has ballistic panels or vests which they are not using. It makes no difference if the certification date has passed since the panels are also used to augment vehicle armor. Fred has been very successful in securing as many as 300 vests from agencies as far away as Cleveland, Ohio. The state police donated 150 vests which had been replaced with a Photo credit: Worcester Telegram & Gazette Staff / Mark C. Ide newer model. Other agencies have promised to send in their old ones as This is a great way to say “Merry Christmas” to some of the replacements are received. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The vests get sent to a facility in Kansas where they are sorted and re- shipped overseas. Once in theater, If you have any questions, you may contact Fred Mabardy at they are distributed to troops who use [email protected]. them to augment their existing armor, beef up vehicle armor or give them to Send vests to: the local forces who often have no armor at all. To further personalize Southborough Police Department this project, Fred has asked donors to Attn: Officer Fred Mabardy sign their vests so that the troops know 19 Main Street who is supporting them. Southborough, MA 01772 © 2009 MLEFIAA Page 10

Mass. Basic Firearms Safety Course Ethics Question Chief Ron Glidden (Lee PD) has private citizen for a fee? $2000 for each transaction. If they say been the “go to guy” for Massachu- The following answer was provided there is no conflict, then I would setts firearms law and licensing is- by Milford PD Chief O’Loughlin: suggest that you seek a written opinion sues for the past several years. Chief I would suggest that you contact the as this serves as an absolute defense if Glidden also moderates an excellent Ethics Commission and speak with the Commission were to bring a cause forum on Mass. firearms licensing the lawyer of the day. My under- of action against you. issues on Yahoo. The following standing of the ethics laws is that it is question and answer regarding BFS clearly a perception of a conflict (i.e. Finally, it is important to note that the courses taught by the Licensing Offi- people that go to that course will get person who has the perceived or actual cer appeared on this forum and may a permit) if not an absolute violation conflict has to be the person seeking be of interest to the membership in- (the licensing officer is deriving a the advice or opinion, they will not volved in licensing. financial benefit from the process). If provide 3rd party opinions or opinions the Ethics Commission attorney to hypothetical situations. Question: Does anyone have any tells you that there is a perception, information about a possible conflict they can tell you how to cure that Tom O’Loughlin of interest if a licensing officer for a issue, however, if it is absolute, you Chief of Police PD also teaches the BFS class as a cannot do it or you face a fine of Milford Police Department

Random Thoughts on Handgun Reliability & Longevity By Tom Givens

rounds. Keep the grip screws snug- well, except for several small parts in The following article was published ged up, but do not over tighten. in the Tenn. Firearms Instructor the lock work, such as the drawbar. 2. GLOCK- The Glock line seems to Inspect them frequently on any de- Assn newsletter “The Rangemas- be among the most reliable right out fensive pistol. ter”. of the box and have few long term I am often asked which pistols work The 1911 pattern pistol is made by so issues. They are not, however, per- many manufacturers, in so many better or hold up longer under heavy fect. The most common problems countries, in so many configurations use. I personally see about a million include aftermarket parts. If it says handgun rounds go downrange every that it is impossible to make sweep- “extended” or “titanium” don’t put it ing generalizations about them with year, both here at Rangemaster and in on your Glock for self defense. Al- classes on the road. In addition, we any degree of credibility. Saying most every Glock we see actually “1911’s don’t work” is like saying have a selection of range rental/class break on the range has such parts in guns here, which see very heavy use. “cars don’t go fast”. There is a world it. of difference between a WWII GI The following are my observations Cleaning. It seems to be a point of over the past seven years of full time gun that is flat worn out, a 1911 honor among Glock shooters to see clone made in the Philippines, and a teaching. Your mileage may vary. how long they can go without clean- quality 1911 like a Kimber or S/A. Guns are commented on in no special ing or lubing their gun. This acceler- Stay with a 5” barrel, steel frame 1. SIG- The SIG line of handguns are ates wear and can lead to serious is- very ergonomic and the controls are gun. Anything else is a departure sues. The factory applied grease is from the original design, and will well placed. We see a LOT of P229’s NOT permanent. Glocks do blow up, increase your problems. Replace your in .40, and a LOT of P239’s in 9mm especially in .40 or .45. I have per- or .40. We see fewer P220’s in .45. recoil spring every 3,000 rounds, just sonally seen five .40’s and one .45 let like changing the oil in your car. The Reliability seems to be first rate, as go. In each case, a dirty chamber or gun will run better and last longer. long as you stay with SIG factory cruddy ammo was involved, prevent- magazines and decent ammo. There Get quality magazines. Many 1911 ing full chambering of the round. The functional problems are not gun does not seem to be a lot of aftermar- Glock will fire out of battery, result- ket accessories for the SIG, which problems at all, but the result poor ing in a blown case head. Keep the quality magazines. A properly fitted undoubtedly contributes to their reli- barrel clean, lube the gun properly, 1911 has probably the longest service ability. and use good ammo and the odds of The weak point in the SIG seems to life of any common pistol. The .45 this happening are reduced greatly. ACP cartridge works at low pressure be the trigger return spring, which The 9mm mid-size guns, G17 or G19 will eventually break if you shoot (17,000 psi, compared to 35,000+ for seem to hold up the best of just about the 9mm or .40 S&W), and the steel enough without replacing it. I would all common handguns. definitely replace this spring by frame contributes to long service. Smith & Wesson - The DA and DAO Take care of your gun and it will be 20,000 rounds. The recoil spring Smith & Wesson autos hold up pretty needs to be replaced every 3,000 more likely to take care of you. The official publication of the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors & Armorers Association P.O. Box 253, Princeton, MA 01541-0253

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