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Firearms Training/Civil Liability: Is Your Training Documentation Sufficient?

NCJ Number
112026
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 57 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1988) Pages: 1-3
Author(s)
G E Schrader
Date Published
1988
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Anaheim Police Department (California) has developed a firearms training course related to situations likely to be encountered by police, and the firearms training performance by each officer is documented and may be used in the event of a claim of negligence against the department in a police shooting.
Abstract
Anaheim police officers are required to shoot six different courses each year. Courses are created based on officer-involved incidents that have occurred throughout the United States. Realism, decisionmaking, stress, and the psychological aspects of shooting the wrong person, or being shot, are underlying factors in the design of each course. Courses also encompass the use of props, such as sirens, flashing lights, no light, radio transmissions, or people yelling and screaming, all while the officer is determining the course of action to take in the given situation. To demonstrate the department's commitment to a comprehensive firearms training program, a documentation system has been adopted. The training bureau maintains a computerized record of each officer's range score. The system allows officers to obtain a printout of their shooting records for all courses fired since January 1987. The records not only allow officers to assess their performances but permit the department to evaluate its firearms training and adapt its procedures accordingly.