Training videos

[415dog!]

Looking for opinions of fellow full time duly appointed police officers here...

my dept has cut back big time on fun/useful training I.e. shooting. The classes that private companies offer are few and far between. I'm now considering buying training dvds. What's your experience with these training videos? Opinions? Do they help?

[barca101]

I'm a LEO and have considered purchasing training dvds. I know dvds can't replace actual training. One of the reasons I haven't purchase one is b/c there is not to many shooting ranges in my area that allow the kinds of drills that are shown, except at your dept. range if your lucky.

Maybe in the near future I may buy one, but as for right now, I'll continue to attend shooting classes on my own dime (if affordable) and not the departmens.

Let me know how it worked for you. good luck.

[415dog!]

Thanks...guess I'll go first

[Jonathan Doe]

Training videos are better than nothing. But, unless you practice and make the concept yours, it may not help you much. I used to practice tactical moves and other things with my partner when we had some down time. We found some empty parking lot and practice movements and vehicle stop tactics, and so on.

Maybe nothing much, but it helped me stay safe while I was assigned to patrol duty.

[415dog!]

that's what we do now after calls and during dead time....I formed the same opinion but was looking to be proven wrong but guess not.

[ankyle62]

The Magpul videos looked pretty decent from what I saw of them, and seem to consistently get outstanding reviews. You may want to check them out, but Im not sure what you are looking for.

[VtotheZ]

I know that you can sign up for active shooter classes at different LE academies all over CA. Yes they are at your own expense but it beats a DVD any day. Sometimes you can even get reimbursement too.

[mixicus]

DVDs are nice for "legal update" or academic stuff. Ones that are de-briefs of encounters are good learning tools (i.e. dash board cams on YouTube).

For actual shooting/tactics, you can pick up some techniques from a video and practice them dry. Recent example I picked up is a transition technique from strong to weak side with a slug AR. But actual shooting...live fire or at least some airsoft work is necessary. I've found I get soo much more out of a 1 or 2 day class than watching a video and trying to duplicate it on the range. I'd rather have 1 class than 5 or 10 DVD's for the same price.

I don't know if your dept has the grant but UASI money can be used for 'active shooter' and 'active bomber' classes. If you can articulate it 'vehicle assault' classes can probably be justified. POST certified classes are pretty cheap for you and/or the dept. And the dept can get reimbursed from POST which should help with budget issues. Check the academies and larger local departments and sheriff's.

Another idea is to get the guys together and go to some IDPA, USPSA, or 3-gun matches. It's not training but it is practice. Just run duty gear. Who cares about scores, it's about coming home at the end of shift (and having some fun on a Saturday).

For tactics, on slower days/times (easier at night), we'll get the squad together and pratice vechicle stops, perimiters, building searches, etc. We will contact campus security at the local community college and get access to a building to creep around in. We've switched to an off-channel and been 'dispatched' to a 211 bank or grocery store or whatever. We'll walk one of the schools after hours and dry run active shooter calls. It's not perfect but it keeps us from getting too rusty on our home field. And it costs NOTHING.

hope that helps

[Notorious]

Magpul videos are somewhat entertaining but I don't subscribe fully to their schtick. Sometimes it seems they are doing things the "Magpul" way just for the sake of being different. While it may work, it is just something different which doesn't necessarily improve on what we are already doing.

I would resort to videos on legal updates, officer safety, and other bulletins that we need to be aware of. As far as use of force, DT, firearms, etc., nothing beats hands on experience, even if you have to go with airsoft or paintball for force on force training.

It's better in terms of training value than watching dudes hopped up on testosterone, wearing all kinds of LBE/Molle/Camelbak gear, operator logo baseball caps, and wielding tricked out guns that we will never use on duty taking on 7 deadly cardboard targets arranged in impossible configurations behind all sorts of barricades.

Before the flame wars start, I don't doubt their shooting abilities, but I rather practice patrol scenarios and work on officer safety or other concerns such as the rise of the Sovereign movement in our area, or any of the intelligence bulletins coming out, if I had to resort to videos as training aids.

If you don't want to pay for videos, the LA Sheriffs and SB Sheriffs have tons of great training videos from their in-house training units. You can also contact the various federal agencies for loaner tapes. Get the FAA one for flying while armed, they will send it to verified LE agencies upon request.