NCJ Number
60975
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 46 Issue: 10 Dated: (OCTOBER 1979) Pages: 58-65
Date Published
1979
Length
8 pages
Annotation
RESULTS ARE REPORTED FROM A SURVEY OF 364 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO DETERMINE THEIR FIREARMS TRAINING REQUIREMENTS.
Abstract
A QUESTIONNAIRE DEALING WITH FIREARMS TRAINING REQUIREMENTS WAS SENT TO ALL POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN CITIES WITH A 1970 POPULATION OF 50,000 OR MORE, AS WELL AS TO ALL STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. OUT OF 440 QUESTIONNAIRES SENT, 364 WERE COMPLETED, A RETURN RATE OF 82.7 PERCENT. RESULTS SHOWED THAT BASIC TRAINING IN FIREARMS IS DEMANDING AND EXTENSIVE, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 41.15 HOURS DEVOTED TO TRAINING IF FIREARMS AS PART OF BASIC TRAINING PROGRAMS. FIREARMS TRAINING IS DEVOTED PRIMARILY TO USE OF THE REVOLVER WITH BASIC TRAINING IN THE USE OF TEAR GAS GUNS APPARENTLY LACKING. OF THE AGENCIES RESPONDING, 18 PERCENT PROVIDE NO TRAINING IN NIGHT FIRING, ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF THE AGENCIES DO NOT PROVIDE FIELD INSTRUCTIONS ON WHEN TO FIRE HANDGUNS, ALMOST ALL OF THE RESPONDING AGENCIES EITHER REQUIRE OR PERMIT AN OFFICER TO CARRY A HANDGUN WHILE OFF DUTY, AND AN OFFICER IS REQUIRED TO QUALIFY WITH THE HANDGUN TO BE CARRIED ON DUTY FOR ALMOST ALL RESPONDING AGENCIES. IN 78 PERCENT OF THE AGENCIES, NO BASIC TRAINING IS PROVIDED IN THE USE OF COMBAT-TYPE AMMUNITION, WITH MOST AGENCIES USING WADCUTTER AMMUNITION IN BASIC TRAINING. ABOUT 23 PERCENT OF THE AGENCIES DO NOT REQUIRE THAT AN OFFICER CARRY AMMUNITION ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT; 8 PERCENT REQUIRE THAT THE OFFICERS PROVIDE THEIR OWN AMMUNITION. INSTRUCTION IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF AMMUNITION IS LACKING IN MANY AGENCIES, AND ALMOST ALL THE AGENCIES PROVIDE FOR PERIODIC QUALIFICATION WITH FIREARMS. POLICY IMPLICATIONS OF THESE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED. (RCB)