Date: Wed, 06 Mar 2002 15:18:22 -0500
From: Steve Smith <sgs at aginc.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: papers, please
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

lee gilliland wrote:
>
>>   Knowing *when* to pull the
>> trigger is probably the hardest thing that cops have to learn.  Even
>> with all their training, they get it wrong far too often.
>
> One of the first things they teach you in Police Science is that gun never
> leaves its holster until you are sure of a threat - which is NOT something
> you see in the media.

A friend of mine used to be a PG County prosecuting attorney.  You don't
want to get her started on "police work as portrayed on the Toob".  Her
favorite peeves:

1.  Backup.  If a cop thinks s/he might be getting into trouble, first
thing to do is call for backup.  Call BEFORE you need it.  Heckuva lot
better to have it and not need it than the other way around ....

2.  Weapon discipline in general.  In particular, EVERY cop show that
has a cop sneaking through the Bad Guy's hideout holds the gun pointing
straight up.  Cops are trained to keep the gun pointing *down*.  Reason
-- criminals are notoriously bad housekeepers.  What happens when you
trip over the drug stash/comics collection/dead girlfriend/whatever and
the gun goes off?  If it's pointed down, the bullet goes into the
floor.  If it's pointed up, it goes straight ahead.

--
Steve Smith                                           sgs at aginc.net
Agincourt Computing                            http://www.aginc.net
"Truth is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense."