NY Times Story of NYCPD Markmanship Under Pressure.

[arnisador]

A Hail of Bullets, a Heap of Uncertainty (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/weekinreview/09baker.html)



AFTER almost every high-profile fatal shooting by the police, a flurry of questions follows hard on the hail of bullets. Premier among them is, Did they have to kill him?

This often implies a more subtle subtext that goes to the heart of police training: Is there a middle ground? And is it possible to shoot to wound?
The answer, law enforcement officials and experts agree, is no, but not because the only alternative is shooting to kill.


While popular culture has embedded both extremes — the hardened mantra of “shoot to kill” and the benevolent private eye (think Barnaby Jones) who expertly inflicts only a flesh wound — the truth is that neither practice is a staple of police guidelines. In fact, the most likely result when a policeman discharges a gun is that he or she will miss the target completely. So an officer could no sooner shoot to wound than shoot to kill with any rate of success. In life-or-death situations that play out in lightning speed — such precision marksmanship is unrealistic.
This is a very interesting article, with some great graphics, about the realities of shooting by police. It analyzes every shot fired in a given period and how many hit, including the oft-cited but rarely-remembered fact that about about half of all shots at close range still miss (57% of all shots fired within 6 feet of the opponent missed in this review). Definitely recommended reading.

[arnisador]

I also posted this on MT, and Mr. Janulis (http://www.tulisantactical.com) mentioned this site (http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=898097#post898097) which has some interesting info. and ideas regarding raising the accuracy of police firing at close range:
http://www.gunfightersltd.com/

[arnisador]

Another interesting link posted on MT:
http://www.marylandcops.org/Articles/Shootout.htm


Firearms accounted for only 60% of the attacks on police. However, in the
254 cases of officers killed in an armed encounter, firearms were used in 90%
(230) of them, and knives in 5% (11).

The service revolver was used in 60% of the cases. The authorized smaller
frame civilian clothes revolver was used in 35% of them.

In all cases reviewed, an unauthorized or gimmick holster (ankle, shoulder,
skeleton, fast draw, clip-on etc.) was involved when the revolver was lost,
accidentally discharged, or the officer was disarmed.

[arnisador]

Just How Dangerous Is Police Work? (http://reason.com/blog/show/124117.html)



So just how dangerous is police work? Generally, police are about three times as likely to be killed on the job as the average American. It isn't among the top ten (http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/16/pf/2005_most_dangerous_jobs/index.htm) most dangerous professions, falling well behind logging, fishing, driving a cab, trash collecting, farming, and truck driving. Moreover, about half of police killed on the job are killed in traffic accidents (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/01/health/01safe.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=login&adxnnlx=1107264596-NY8SdWdPncYYE/8PQaLd1g&oref=login), and most of those are not while in pursuit of a criminal or rushing to the scene of a crime. I don't point this out to diminish the tragedy of those cops killed in routine traffic accidents. My point is that the number of annual on-the-job police fatalities doesn't justify giving cops bigger guns, military equipment, and allowing them to use more aggressive and increasingly militaristic tactics. A military-issue weapon isn't going to prevent traffic accidents. In this context, then, it makes sense to remove from consideration deaths not directly attributable to the bad guys.


So take out traffic accidents and other non-violent deaths, and you're left with 69 officers killed on the job by criminals last year. That's out of about 850,000 officers (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/lawenf.htm) nationwide. That breaks down to about 8 deaths per 100,000 officers, or less than twice the national average (http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/1999/Jun/wk5/art05.htm) of on-the-job fatalities.

[arnisador]

New York City police detective, dressing for firing:
Dressed for a Meeting, Ready for Mayhem (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/nyregion/04detectives.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=suit+detective&st=nyt&oref=slogin)



When he prepares for a day at work, he puts his handgun in a holster, clips his cellphone and radio on his belt, and tucks handcuffs into his waistband, letting one of the cuffs dangle outside where he can easily grab it.


And then, in a well-worn tradition that has endured for more than a century, Detective Schroeder adds one more crucial piece of gear. He puts on a tailored suit jacket that has been cut with extra material around the waist.


That way, there are no unsightly bulges from gun and gear.
“I like room in it because of my pistol, my handcuffs, my radio,” Detective Schroeder said. “You want it a little bigger than you normally would get.”


“I try to wear my less expensive suits if I am going out to track a bad guy,” he added.

[arnisador]

The Secret Curse of Expert Archers (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/01/sports/olympics/01archery.html?scp=2&sq=archery&st=cse)


There is an affliction so feared by elite archers that many in the sport refuse to even say its name. Archery coaches who specialize in treating the problem are sworn not to reveal the identities of archers in its grip, even though they estimate that 90 percent of high-level competitors will fall victim at least once in their careers.

Target panic, as the condition is known, causes crack shots to suddenly lose control of their bows and their composure. Mysteriously, sufferers start releasing the bow the instant they see the target, sabotaging any chance of a gold-medal shot. Others freeze up and cannot release at all. Target panic is akin to the yips in baseball and golf, when accomplished athletes can no longer make a simple throw to first base or stroke an easy putt.

[arnisador]

A Police Academy That Takes the Elderly (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/nyregion/new-jersey/19seniorsnj.html?_r=1&hp)


IN a darkened trailer at the Police Department’s training grounds, two “new recruits” held their 9 millimeter Smith & Wessons and prepared to take part in an exercise on the use of force on a computerized simulator.

On a large screen, a typical police scenario played out like a movie: The police had been called to a residence to check out a report that a resident was threatening a mail carrier. When the officers announced their arrival, a woman answered the door, and soon she started shifting nervously, saying she had to check her burning cookies. She disappeared and a second later, she popped back with a handgun pointed at the officers and shouted, “This is for you!”

One of the recruits, Bobby Washington, reached for his gun, crouched and fired four shots. The other recruit, Dorothy Jones, was a little slower on the draw and had a harder time hitting the deck.

Her walker was in the way.