FALLS CHURCH POLICE DEPARTMENT

GENERAL ORDER NUMBER 1-6

SUBJECT: FIRING RANGE AND WEAPONS

EFFECTIVE DATE: SEPTEMBER 24, 1987

REVIEW: MAY 17, 2010

ISSUED BY: ______Chief of Police

APPROVED BY: ______City Manager

POLICY:

Firearms training is an important phase in the development of law enforcement officers, particularly with those weapons that are the most accessible to the officer, i.e., pistol, rifle and shotgun. Pursuant to the Code of Virginia the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) mandates that every full-time police officer will be required to qualify with Department issued weapons at least once within a calendar year. That qualification score and any other scores used by the Department for record must be fired on an approved firing range, under the supervision of a certified Firearms Instructor.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this General Order is to establish guidelines for the use of the firing range. During firearms qualifications, necessary precautions shall be taken for the safety of all users of the range. In addition, this General Order will establish the mandatory administrative requirements for all Department weapons.

PART I. PROCEDURE

A. The Department Firearms Training Unit shall consist of DCJS-certified Firearms Instructors, one of whom shall be appointed by the Services Commander to serve as the Range Master, with authority over the composition and operations of the Firearms Training Unit.

B. A Primary Firearms Instructor shall be in charge at all times when officers are on the firing range for qualifications and training. The Primary Firearms Instructor assigned to the Department range for firearms training, qualifications, shooting matches, or any other shooting event shall be considered the ranking officer on location. GO 1-6 Firing Range and Weapons Review:______Page 2

C. The Department Firearms Training Manual Procedures shall be followed at all times by both the Department Firearms Instructors and the officers attending training.

D. Only those weapons and ammunition issued by the Department for duty or training purposes will be used during qualifications.

E. Inappropriate conduct will not be permitted on the firing range.

F. All Department personnel who will be using a firearm on the range will be familiar with the firearm they will use before being allowed on the firing range (through classroom orientation).

G. Other personnel of the Department who shoot for familiarization will be scheduled at the discretion of the Chief of Police.

H. All weapons are subject to inspection by the Primary Firearms Instructor before and during qualification periods. All weapons are also subject to inspection by any Firearms Instructor or supervisor at any time during normal duty hours to ensure safety, proper care, cleaning and functioning. Weapons are to be maintained in good, operational condition.

PART II. SAFETY

A. Each officer, prior to going to the firing line, will wear approved ear and eye protection. When firing the Department police rifle, both “foam” type earplugs and over-the-ear style “muffs” MUST be worn by all personnel.

B. At the beginning of any firearms training, whether qualification, remediation or tactical training, the Primary Firearms Instructor shall provide a facility-specific safety brief to all officers. All personnel present during training must comply with the directives of the safety brief.

C. All officers attending any firearms training are required to be present for the entire range safety brief prior to being allowed to participate in firearms training.

D. Officers who do not receive the complete safety brief at the time it is given shall not be allowed to fire that day, and shall make arrangements to return on the next available full training day.

E. When attending firearms training, all weapons and ammunition will be maintained in a condition as prescribed by facility specific handling and loading procedures.

GO 1-6 Firing Range and Weapons Review:______Page 3 F. Once weapons have been emptied, they shall remain in the holster until a position has been taken on the firing line and permission has been given by the Firearms Instructor to conduct specific training.

G. Once a shooting phase has begun, weapons will be kept pointed down range, and officers must remain facing their targets. If there is a need for clarification of a command, a hand should be raised to draw a Firearms Instructor's attention.

H. At no time will anyone go beyond the firing line until all shooting is completed and all weapons have been holstered, have been made safe, or are otherwise not being used.

I. Officers experiencing a malfunction or stoppage shall clear their own malfunction or stoppage, bring their weapon back into service, and continue with the course of fire.

J. No weapon will be transferred from one person to another without the weapon being both visually and physically cleared, either during training or at any other time while on or off duty. With the chamber open, officers will visually and physically inspect the chamber to ensure the weapon is unloaded and no round is in the chamber.

PART III. ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES

A. Issuance, Maintenance and Disposal of Department Weapons:

1. The Department maintains a supply of firearms from which initial issues to officers are made. This supply is also for replacement of lost, stolen or unserviceable weapons.

2. Should an officer require a temporary replacement of their sidearm, Firearms Instructors and supervisors, with notification to the Range Master, are authorized to remove a single sidearm from the Department Armory for that purpose.

3. At the conclusion of the officer’s tour, the replacement weapon will be returned to the supervisor, inspected, and secured in the Armory.

4. All sworn personnel must receive and be trained in GO 3-1, “Use of Force”, before being authorized to carry any firearm.

B. Authorized Firearms:

The issued service handgun shall be standard equipment for all Police Department employees having the power to arrest, and no other sidearm

GO 1-6 Firing Range and Weapons Review:______Page 4 shall be carried on- or off-duty unless written permission is granted by the Chief of Police.

C. Unauthorized Firearms:

1. No firearms other than issued service weapons, Department special weapons authorized for immediate use by a supervisor, weapons approved by the Chief of Police for an officer to wear off- duty, and weapons that come into police custody in the line of duty shall be permitted in a Police Department facility or vehicle unless authorized in writing by a division commander.

2. Officers shall not carry any unauthorized firearm in a concealed manner on or off duty.

D. Carrying Firearms:

1. On Duty: The service handgun shall be carried at all times while on duty except when such carrying is unsafe because of specific conditions or when it hinders the performance of duty. Officers engaging in extraditions and other Department assignments in which they are on duty but out-of-state are required to know and conform to the carrying of firearms laws of the states in which they will travel. For any airline travel, officers are required to be trained in Flying While Armed procedures and such travel must be authorized by the Commander of Operations.

a. Other than as may be required by training exercises, only that ammunition which is currently issued by the Police Department as service ammunition shall be carried in the Department issued weapon.

b. Ammunition shall not be altered in any manner.

c. All on-duty uniformed officers will carry on their duty belt, all issued weapons (sidearm, baton, OC spray) in the performance of their assigned duties.

d. Each on-duty uniformed officer shall be equipped with both the shotgun and the police rifle at the beginning of their shift, unless they are performing a task where they will not be utilizing a police cruiser equipped with a rack to secure each weapon.

e. All on-duty command, administrative, and investigative personnel will carry, at a minimum, their issued sidearm in an approved duty holster, with spare magazine. Other

GO 1-6 Firing Range and Weapons Review:______Page 5 intermediate weapons (baton, OC spray), may be carried as deemed appropriate for the situations facing that officer.

f. Except under dire circumstances, officers may only use, carry or deploy the firearms which are issued specifically to that officer.

g. Shotgun:

(1) The only shotgun allowed while on duty is that which is issued by the Police Department.

(a) During normal operations, the only ammunition allowed for the shotgun is Department issue 12 gauge kinetic energy impact munitions.

(b) Live ammunition (00 Buck, Birdshot, Slugs, etc.) may be used in the shotgun for TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY. Use of the shotgun for training must be approved by the Commander of Services. Any shotgun used for training shall be issued by a Firearms Instructor, and shall be inspected by a Firearms Instructor before being returned to the armory.

(2) Each officer shall ensure that a shotgun is in the proper locking rack in their cruiser at the beginning of each tour of duty.

(3) At no time shall a shotgun have a round chambered while inside police headquarters.

(4) Anytime a live round is in the chamber of the weapon, the safety shall remain on until firing the weapon is required. Live rounds in the chamber will be removed prior to placing the shotgun back in the vehicle.

(5) When not in use, shotguns will be secured in the Department armory, in a Police Ready Cage, or in a cruiser shotgun rack.

h. Police Rifle:

(1) The only rifle and ammunition that shall be used are those which are issued by the department.

GO 1-6 Firing Range and Weapons Review:______Page 6 (2) The rifle shall be secured in the locking rack in the cruiser at the beginning of each shift.

(3) At the end of each tour of duty, officers shall unload the rifle and place it in the Police Ready Cage located in the secure area in front of the armory. The ready cage will be locked, and the keys be locked in the provided safe.

(5) At no time will a rifle have a round chambered while inside police headquarters, except for operational use.

(6) Anytime a live round is chambered in the weapon, the safety shall remain engaged until the weapon is ready to be fired. Live rounds will be removed from the chamber prior to placing the rifle rack back into the cruiser.

(7) All rifles will be cleaned and maintained by the officer to whom the rifle is assigned.

2. Off Duty: Sworn members of the Department while off duty and in the City of Falls Church are encouraged, but not required, to carry their service handgun or a personal, non-issued weapon which has been approved by the Chief of Police. If such weapon is carried off duty, it shall be worn so as to be concealed from view. An officer who elects not to carry a handgun while off duty shall not be subject to disciplinary action if an occasion should arise in which they could have taken police action if they were armed.

a. (Exception) Off-duty officers, while operating a Department vehicle, shall be armed with an approved weapon.

b. Officers who carry off-duty weapons must understand that in some social situations (e.g., sports) the carrying of a firearm would be inappropriate.

c. All officers shall qualify with any off-duty weapon to be worn or carried.

d. Carrying of the service weapon while off duty outside the State of Virginia except in the Washington Metropolitan area is forbidden unless the officer is traveling to or from their permanent, daily residence.

GO 1-6 Firing Range and Weapons Review:______Page 7 e. Officers may carry personal firearms as prescribed by Federal, State and local laws, while off duty, out-of-state, in full compliance with this general order and in such a manner that the weapon is securely stored when not carried on their person.

f. Officers shall not carry or use any firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

g. Police recruits in the academy or in the field training program are not permitted to carry firearms concealed while off duty without authorization from the Chief of Police.

h. No weapon of a larger caliber than the caliber of the service firearm may be carried off duty. Department personnel who purchased a .45 caliber handgun during the period that this caliber weapon was issued may continue to carry said weapon off duty as long as the other criteria within this General Order are maintained.

i. All off-duty approved handguns must be of a caliber larger than .25.

j. Prior to attempting to qualify with an off-duty weapon, every officer must furnish to the Primary Firearms Instructor a Request to Carry Off-Duty Weapon Form PD 3-1A, stating the serial number, make, model and caliber of each weapon to be carried off duty.

(1) The Primary Firearms Instructor will document the date, the score attained and whether the officer has qualified with each of the requested off-duty weapons.

(2) Instructors will provide no initial instruction or remedial weapon-specific instruction on any off-duty weapon should an officer fail to qualify with that weapon.

(3) Officers will receive three attempts to qualify with their off-duty weapon. Failure to qualify will result in the denial of the request to carry that weapon.

(4) It is the officer's responsibility to notify in writing the departmental training officer when a weapon is no longer owned or to be carried off duty.

GO 1-6 Firing Range and Weapons Review:______Page 8 k. Permission to carry an off-duty handgun shall not be granted until the Chief of Police receives certification from the Primary Firearms Instructor that qualification has been achieved. A copy of PD Form 3-1A shall be inserted in the affected employee's personnel file.

l. When not being worn or carried, all firearms, whether department-issued or officially authorized, must be secured in such a manner as to prevent access to it from unauthorized users.

m. Officers shall furnish their own ammunition for all off-duty weapons to include ammunition necessary for qualification.

n. Off-duty ammunition is not regulated by the Falls Church Police Department; however, officers shall not use remanufactured ammunition in any approved off-duty weapon.

E. Holsters:

1. On-duty uniformed personnel shall carry their primary handgun in an approved holster which is appropriate for use with the specific handgun.

2. All firearms qualifications must be successfully completed while using the holster to be worn while on duty.

3. All holsters, whether for on- or off-duty use, must have a positive retention device. Friction only holsters are not authorized.

F. Ammunition Carrying Devices - Semi-automatic Handguns:

1. A minimum of two magazines, in addition to the magazine carried in the handgun, shall be carried by all on-duty uniformed officers.

2. A minimum of one (1) magazine, in addition to the magazine carried in the handgun, shall be carried by all on-duty investigative officers, command staff personnel, or other officers as their duty assignment dictates.

3. Only magazines manufactured by the weapon manufacturer and approved by the Police Department shall be carried by any employee.

4. Only approved magazine carriers shall be carried by on-duty officers.

GO 1-6 Firing Range and Weapons Review:______Page 9

PART IV. WEAPONS QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

A. Every employee permitted to carry firearms is required to achieve qualification with a primary handgun and rifle on an established firearms training course prior to carrying the weapons either on- or off-duty. Officers are required to be certified (if applicable), receive training and demonstrate proficiency in the use of all authorized weapons before carrying or using them. Qualification is required as follows:

1. Primary or Service Handgun

a. All sworn police officers with the rank of Sergeant or below shall be required to achieve a minimum qualifying score of 70% at an approved firing range using an approved DCJS qualification course twice (on two separate dates) within a calendar year with their Department issued pistol as scheduled by the Range Master.

b. Command level staff shall be required to achieve a minimum qualifying score of 70% once a year.

c. All sworn personnel must successfully qualify while using the approved holster and duty gear for the specific service handgun to be worn while on-duty.

2. Police Rifle

a. All sworn police officers the rank of Sergeant or below shall be required to achieve a minimum qualifying score of 80% on an approved firing range twice (on two separate dates) within a calendar year with the Department police rifle as scheduled by the Range Master.

b. Command level staff are not required to qualify with this weapon, but may do so if they desire.

c. Additionally, in the case of the Department rifle, all rounds must be accounted for on the target being used.

3. 12 Gauge Kinetic Energy Shotgun – Refresher training is required annually for all sworn officers with the rank of Sergeant or below.

GO 1-6 Firing Range and Weapons Review:______Page 10 4. Specialized Weapons

All officers certified in the use of these weapons shall qualify at least annually and in accordance with DCJS standards for special weapons.

a. Less Lethal Munitions Launcher

b. Sniper Rifle

5. Off-Duty Handguns - Annually and at the time off-duty handgun is initially approved by the Chief of Police.

6. OC Spray, Expandable Baton, Electronic Control Device

Officers with the rank of Sergeant or below shall attend refresher training at least biennially, or more frequently if required by the approved training certification, for all weapons other than firearms.

B. All sworn personnel shall be given three (3) attempts per day to qualify with all required firearms on a DCJS-approved course of fire. All appropriate remediation will be given as necessary before attempting a second or third qualification course.

C. Officers who fail to pass the state-mandated handgun qualification shall be relieved of their police powers and immediately reassigned to non- enforcement duties until such time as the officer is able to qualify or until their certification is revoked.

D. In addition to scheduled qualification dates, the Department will schedule practical skills training sessions as needed. Attendance at skills training sessions are mandatory for officers who fail to qualify with all required firearms at their scheduled qualification date. Skills training sessions are also open to officers wishing to improve their firearms proficiency.

E. Officers who have taken extensive leave or suffered an illness or injury that could affect the use of firearms shall requalify with all issued firearms before returning to enforcement duties.

F. The Firearms Instructor shall have all scores submitted in writing to the Department Training Officer at the conclusion of the training day tour of duty on Department Form #PD 1-6A.

GO 1-6 Firing Range and Weapons Review:______Page 11

PART V. ALTERATIONS AND REPAIRS TO APPROVED FIREARMS

A. A qualified Department armorer shall be responsible for all alterations or repairs to Department-issued firearms. No other individual shall perform any repairs or make any alterations to a Department-issued weapon.

B. All modifications, alterations and repairs shall be annotated in a Firearms log for the specific weapon being modified.

C. A qualified Department armorer shall inspect all department firearms prior to and subsequent to any repairs or permissible modifications.

D. No external modifications are permitted to any Department-issued sidearm.

E. Personally-owned approved handguns:

1. No internal modifications are permitted to any personally-owned approved handgun. All such handguns shall be maintained to original factory specifications.

2. Only the following external modifications may be made:

a. Factory grips on personally-owned sidearms may be replaced with personally-owned grips only with the approval of a department armorer.

b. Grips must be dark wood, polymer, black rubber or similar material and must not interfere with the operation or loading of the sidearm.

c. Approval for installation of nonstandard grips or sights must be documented on the Request to Carry Off-Duty Weapon form.

d. Only manufacturer-applied external finishes shall be permitted on any approved semiautomatic handgun.

3. Department Firearms Instructors and armorers will provide no armorer services, user instructions or other professional recommendations concerning any off-duty weapons.

GO 1-6 Firing Range and Weapons Review:______Page 12

GENERAL ORDER Number: 1-6 This General Order rescinds all FIRING RANGE AND WEAPONS previous General Orders on this subject. VLEPSC Number: ADM.05.02, ADM.06.01 Replaces: 12/6/02, 05/09/07 Issue Date: May 17, 2010 Follow-up Date: As required Authorization: Chief Harry W. Reitze