We need to replace the firearms training unit

I think we need to replace the entire firearms training unit. The training and qualification is a joke and for the most part the instructors are miserable and set a bad example for the department. They run the quals like a third world country police force. Safety is lax, most of the time they do not even score the targets, ask for a box of ammo and they chew you out like it's coming out of their pocket, but yet try to qual with a second gun and they get pissed because you're taking time from their screw off shooting time. They hang out with the retired firearms instructor that lives at the range and blast away our ammo for fun. The big range bag that the retired firearms instructor is always much heavier when he leaves, yet I can't get 30 extra rounds for my patrol rifle. Oh, I can still carry the second weapon though because to get me to stop taking away from their personal shooting time, they just told me to make up a score for my personal weapon and fill out the card.

If this is true FDLE would want the information

[MOD 646]

I remember going one year and having the "instructor" explain which holsters were against SOP and she pointed to the one she was wearing. It's not like it was in the old days. The firearms instructors actually knew how to shoot.

I would venture to guess that nothing is like it used to be. It's sad to see a great department be destroyed.

Guest # 305, It's been a work in progress for well over 10 years.

Would that correspond to when Parker became Director?

Perhaps even prior to that.

Our old major made us do firearms training with capt ja for our own good, he is tough but fair and would be a great training bureau range captain.

It started going down hill in the mid 1980s when it became the "Friends and Family Club"

The ammo scam with the firearms unit Bubba's has to stop.


Capt JA would make an excellent choice to rebuild the firearms training unit. I worked for him a while back. He's an odd character in some ways, but perfect for that position. He's truly a gun guy and one who did not forget where he came from. He's progressive and would be more likely to keep the officers up to speed with the latest training and gear. Everyone feels that the old school crew there now are miserable people and not very helpful. A prime example is no optics on AR15's when every other agency allows optics. I understand the mentality of teaching iron sights and having iron sights as a backup. Red dot sights significantly improves the ability of the officer to make quick accurate shots. Thou who gets the fastest most accurate shot off first wins the gunfight. Someone has to come in and realize that these miserable egotistical people in firearms need to put the officers survivability first. What I have seen also is the half assed abbreviated training leads to poor confidence in our officers leading to poor performance in situations (over reaction and under reaction). Bring on JA and lets get back to making firearms training about getting our officers ready to take on any situation, rather than giving some egotistical ass---- a forum where they can yell at someone and preach their miserable 1980's training mentality.