Just curious, but if you are not talking twice a year and shooting to pass their qualifications, what are you asking for? Incidentally, LEO's in Texas do have a much higher bar set for them than a CHL does. LEO's have to qualify five times as often as a CHL (once per year to once per renewal). I think the qualification course is also harder, but both are pretty easy.jazr45acp wrote:I know we can't expect all LEOs to be excellent marksmen. It takes a great deal of time and energy to reach that level of excellence. They have families too and some have other jobs to contend with. The extra time they do have is usually spent with their kids I know, I know. However, if my job requires me to keep up to date with the ever changing environmental laws and codes I deal with everyday shouldn't it be made manditory for LEOs to exhibit some sort of proficeny with their weapons on a regular basis? I'm not talking about twice a year and simply going and shooting the target to pass the qualifications? The bar should be raised a bit higher for them than say a person going for a CHL right? Sorry, I'm still venting from yesterday. I just hate to see this. Hope you guys and gals have a wonderful work day. Later.
One other point you need to remember is how police get trained. We, as gun people, try for pretty accurate shooting. We also tend to go out more often than cops do. But cops are not interested in tight shot groups or precision shooting with their service weapon. They are taught to use it for combat, with combat speed and accuracy. This means that if they hit the man they are shooting at, they are good to go. It also means they get taught things like keeping both eyes open when they shoot (and what a habit that was to try to get me to break - closing the weak eye for a better sight picture). They are taught to use a flash sight picture for ranges closer than about ten yards. TCLEOSE considers 15 yards a long range for pistols and it is the maximum officers are required to qualify from. My agency's course of fire starts at the three yard line. I also make my cadet shoot from the 25 yard line, but it is not required by anyone but me as training director. I also make them shoot from some very unusual positions, such as prone, supine, kneeling, and sitting. This is with the target only ten feet from them, but they have to draw and fire in very quick (relatively) times - usually around 5 seconds for three to five shots.
Also, to give you an idea of how much they get, I will have the trainees on the range for only three days out of a six week academy. We really do not get enough time for what i would love to do with them. One of the sergeants and I were discussing this today, trying to figure out how to get the training better.
So, we, as a career field, do not emphasize the target shooting that most of us who have a gun hobby go for.
As an aside, the LEO's also have to keep up with all of the fine points of the laws every biennium, along with court rulings as they happen. Their job is not just shooting, after all.
But I would ask you to do me one favor. Keep up the rant. Let your legislators and the TCLEOSE commissioners know you think we need to shoot more and better. If everyone does this, the rules will change. That means I will get more ammo issued for practice and more range time. I would really appreciate this (even though some of my officers might not).
Her boyfriend will be the only one standing next to her while everyone else will be ducking for cover. 
If you're ever out there on the weekend look me up. I'll be the guy with the little boys(7,9yrs old) shooting a 30/30 single shot in the rifle range. I too will wait for her to leave before my boys and I shoot in the pistol range. 
Oh, as far as the rules are concerned, they are posted, but people don't bother to read them or can't read for that matter. I've spoken to Mr. Dietz about the issue, but this lady LEO tends to show up after the ROs are gone. 
Later.
I guess thats what we get for being human........