The Officer's Guide to Police Pistolcraft
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The Officer's Guide to Police Pistolcraft (a sequel to and expansion of the 2007 book Police Pistolcraft)[1] is a 2009 non-fiction book by Michael E. Conti which covers combat-related situations arising in the course of standard law enforcement. It aims to provide specific detail on subjects covered in Police Pistolcraft and instruct on when a law enforcement officer should use their pistol, and how they should use it.[2]
Author and background
Michael E. Conti joined the Massachusetts State Police in 1986 and as of 2009 is still a serving officer. He has worked in a variety of jobs ranging from uniformed patrol, high-crime area community policing, SWAT and special security details, and undercover narcotics and death investigations. Since 1991 he is a professional trainer and holds numerous instructor certifications in various use of force disciplines.[2]
In January 2000, Conti was given the task of setting up and putting into operation a Firearms Training Unit (FTU) for the State Police. The unit is responsible for conducting yearly qualification courses of fire for department personnel, and for training academy recruits in firearms use. As part of his work in this role, Conti developed a new style of training which he describes as reality-based", as he felt that the traditional sight-oriented and marksmanship-based approach that was until that time being used did not meet the needs of police officers on the street.[2]
In 2007 Conti used this new training paradigm as the basis of his book Police Pistolcraft. Following the publication of that book, a demand emerged for a text detailing the specific methods of the "new paradigm," which led Conti to write The Officer's Guide to Police Pistolcraft.[1]
Content
Over 12 chapters, the book sets out what Conti calls "the reality-based new paradigm of police firearms training," a program he claims to have developed in 2000 while serving as the Director of the Massachusetts State Police Firearms Training Unit. It contains helpful and practical advice about carrying out the day-to-day tasks of a law enforcement officer, and also deals with the obligations and responsibilities of "the modern day warrior."[2]
The book focuses on combat and specifically aims to prepare officers to know when to use their pistol and how to use it. The training system covers both sighted and point shooting techniques, drawing on systems of combat pistol shooting and training originating from such diverse sources as World War II and "the dim and dark streets and back alleys of Shanghai."[2]
The book's main emphasis is on pistol training that recognises the reality of day-to-day police operations, rather than the isolated competitive training previously in use.[2]
Impact
The training methods in the book were adopted by the Massachusetts State Police, and, according to Ralph Mroz of Officer.com, "made headlines." Mroz says, "I still remember one trooper telling me that 'Mike Conti has made firearms training fun!'"[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Mroz, Ralph (28 August 2009). "Police Pistolcraft Book Review". officer.com. Cygnus Business Media. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f Veit, John (10 September 2009). "A Report On Michael E. Conti's The Officer's Guide to Police Pistolcraft". LawOfficer Connect. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
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