Tips For The Heroes In Your Books

1. Never use weapon-mounted light for routine searching. Instead, use a handheld flashlight, keeping the weapon holstered or with the barrel pointed downward. Doing so reduces the chance of shooting an unintended target.

2. Carry two wallets. One contains the officer’s official I.D. and badge. The other wallet is for situations when officers would rather not be identified as a cop. The second wallet is for police-free documents such as cash, drivers licenses, and credit cards.

3. Always handcuff a suspect’s hands behind his back, with the keyholes facing away from his hands. And to make sure he can’t slip his hands under his feet, use a cable tie to fasten the cuffs to a belt loop.

4. Many shooting situations occur at distances of ten feet or less. So, why do all firearms training at long distances? Instead, conduct some training at close range.

5. Avoid accidental discharge of weapons by following the four basic rules of handling firearms.

– Treat all guns as if they’re loaded.

– Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot.

– Point the weapon in a safe direction.

– Always know where a bullet will land before firing.

6. Practice shooting from odd, unnatural positions, like lying on the ground, kneeling, and squatting. Also, practice shooting with your weak hand.

7. Always check to make sure a weapon is loaded before leaving for work, especially a weapon that’s been out of the officer’s sight and control. An officer doesn’t have time to do this in the seconds prior to a gun battle.

8. Always call for back up if there’s a weapon involved. Being a dead hero isn’t a good thing.