Morris
Regular Member
imported post
(Disclosure: I am a 12+ year veteran peace officer and a 15+ year firearms instructor. I am a life member of the NRA and member of several groups, including local groups like the WAC, WSLEFIA and WCW)
Over the last six months, I have been reseraching and building some ideas for a training project for officers and dispatchers across Washington state. After a conversation with Lonnie a couple of days ago, the idea is being cemented into a training project I am tenatively calling the Open Carry Education Project. Many of you know that Lonnie is THE go to guy for citizen information and a wealth of knowledge on the issue. Now I want to collaborate on that knowledge and get some education to the variety of agencies in the state.
The OCEP is designed for two levels: 1) street & sworn officers; 2) support staff & dispatchers. The education package will consist of both hardcopy information and a simple but effective Powerpoint(r) presentation. Once completed and vetted (by the project coordinators, all of us familiar with OC and an attorney versed in firearms law (to ensure all legal aspects are covered and ensure no erroneous information is created), the package will be sent to every LE agency in the state, the CJTC, WASPC and anyone else interested in the information.
One value of the OCEP is that it provides training time to officers in the state. What most folks don't know is that in Washington state, all sworn officers must complete a documented 20 hours of continuing education or training in order to maintain their peace officer certification. These hours can be internal (such as roll call training sessions) or external (such as courses hosted by agencies or the CJTC) but must be documented. The OCEP can be a 30 to 60 minute training program that not only gets solid training time to officers but also gets OC education to them. Also, smaller agencies with meager training budgets can use this project and training package to bolster their training and required training hours.
Why not just address the agencies individually? As we know, you can solicit information from each agency and getwhatever response they will provide. However, documentated training means officers have received education on this constitutional issue and it will be consistent (as we produce it and vetted by the agency heads and the city/county attorneys). Documentated training also means that if OC folks are contacted and believe that they have been unlawfully detained or harassed by officers, they have a remedy to challenge the contact.
My goal is to work with Lonnie and those here who are interested in creating a positive training package. The key here is education that stresses important constitutional concerns but also educates in a manner that is not confrontational and gets a positive image of OC into the minds and hearts of officers.
Feel free to post your solid ideas here, input and concerns or suggestions. Your input is wanted! This is an open project at this time with the understanding that Lonnie and I will be coordinating this package. Understand that this project is NOT to bash officer, agencies or policies. It is about education in a positive manner to present OC as a friend to cops everywhere (Yes, I do understand that there are officers and staff within agencies that are anti-gun/anti-OC. However,a fresh and positive face to the idea goes a significant distance in the cop world).
I look forward to working with you to create a positive and necessary education package for officers and staff in our state.
(Disclosure: I am a 12+ year veteran peace officer and a 15+ year firearms instructor. I am a life member of the NRA and member of several groups, including local groups like the WAC, WSLEFIA and WCW)
Over the last six months, I have been reseraching and building some ideas for a training project for officers and dispatchers across Washington state. After a conversation with Lonnie a couple of days ago, the idea is being cemented into a training project I am tenatively calling the Open Carry Education Project. Many of you know that Lonnie is THE go to guy for citizen information and a wealth of knowledge on the issue. Now I want to collaborate on that knowledge and get some education to the variety of agencies in the state.
The OCEP is designed for two levels: 1) street & sworn officers; 2) support staff & dispatchers. The education package will consist of both hardcopy information and a simple but effective Powerpoint(r) presentation. Once completed and vetted (by the project coordinators, all of us familiar with OC and an attorney versed in firearms law (to ensure all legal aspects are covered and ensure no erroneous information is created), the package will be sent to every LE agency in the state, the CJTC, WASPC and anyone else interested in the information.
One value of the OCEP is that it provides training time to officers in the state. What most folks don't know is that in Washington state, all sworn officers must complete a documented 20 hours of continuing education or training in order to maintain their peace officer certification. These hours can be internal (such as roll call training sessions) or external (such as courses hosted by agencies or the CJTC) but must be documented. The OCEP can be a 30 to 60 minute training program that not only gets solid training time to officers but also gets OC education to them. Also, smaller agencies with meager training budgets can use this project and training package to bolster their training and required training hours.
Why not just address the agencies individually? As we know, you can solicit information from each agency and getwhatever response they will provide. However, documentated training means officers have received education on this constitutional issue and it will be consistent (as we produce it and vetted by the agency heads and the city/county attorneys). Documentated training also means that if OC folks are contacted and believe that they have been unlawfully detained or harassed by officers, they have a remedy to challenge the contact.
My goal is to work with Lonnie and those here who are interested in creating a positive training package. The key here is education that stresses important constitutional concerns but also educates in a manner that is not confrontational and gets a positive image of OC into the minds and hearts of officers.
Feel free to post your solid ideas here, input and concerns or suggestions. Your input is wanted! This is an open project at this time with the understanding that Lonnie and I will be coordinating this package. Understand that this project is NOT to bash officer, agencies or policies. It is about education in a positive manner to present OC as a friend to cops everywhere (Yes, I do understand that there are officers and staff within agencies that are anti-gun/anti-OC. However,a fresh and positive face to the idea goes a significant distance in the cop world).
I look forward to working with you to create a positive and necessary education package for officers and staff in our state.
) plan.
