Support of Law Enforcement Officers to Receive Tactical Firearms Training During the Police Academy

Submitted by: Patrol and Tactical Operations Committee and Firearms Committee

PTOC.17.t16

Passed: November 2016

WHEREAS, law enforcement officers training of firearms has been an area that is continually changing to meet the demands and concerns for safety of the individual officer and the citizens they are empowered to protect; and

WHEREAS, a concern that the traditional and conventional firearms training received by new recruits while attending the "Basic Police Academy Firearms Training" is not adequate to prepare the officer for the potential conflicts that may be met on the street; and

WHEREAS, peers within the law enforcement community have come to realize the inefficiencies of the training they received as a new recruit and wish for more advanced training above and beyond that of which is required as a minimum standard in their individual states; and

WHEREAS, the enhanced training of an "Active Shooter" confrontation is significantly enhanced compared to that of the basic firearms instruction and similar to the needs that should be instructed in the basic firearms course as a qualifying curriculum; and

WHEREAS, reality based fire arms training for all new recruits in the areas of comprehensive advanced firearms training should include but not limited to: night fire, moving from cover to cover, shooting on the move, and combat re-loading; and

WHEREAS, law enforcement peers firmly believe advanced firearms training for new recruits while in the police academy can only stand to benefit the safety of the officer as an individual and the officers that are working next to them; and

WHEREAS, such training can only stand to enhance the officer's performance when encountering the more enhanced training of our criminals and terrorists in today's society; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) calls upon each state within the United States of America and the heads of all Law Enforcement agencies to actively pursue advanced firearms training; specific to officer survival, effective decision making, and public safety, for all new recruits while attending the basic police training course.