E-mail Blog report received from:
The Tactical Wire sponsored by Bushmaster
*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*
Editor's Notebook: The Lesson Unlearned
By Rich Grassi
RIP Detective Edwards, NYPD
In the June 2nd installment of this wire, we ran a Skill Set column on the "blue on blue" shooting scenario. A more inclusive and better known term for it is "mistaken identity shooting." This is when a good guy shoots another good guy - believing all the while that the target is a threat instead of a "no shoot."
A Skill Set column, the topic was used to pass along the message that taking action while off-duty, on-duty in plainclothes or as a nonsworn citizen is not a matter to be taken lightly. In fact, there should be compelling immediacy instead of intervening in a car burglary. I wrote that we needed to revisit training in that area. I'll go further, it should be a regular part of in-service training. We need to break the mindless "see criminal, chase criminal" formulation.
Well, NYPD has overruled me. According to a news story, the NYPD wants guns that can "talk to each other."
For years, we've wanted guns that can shoot themselves, accurately and with great judgment. At that point, we can send the cops home. Now we seek a technology solution to a training problem.
Have we heard this song before?
When a police gun is drawn, in the new age of "we'll all live forever" technology, it'll signal other police guns to let them know not to shoot. Or something. The use of "radio tags" and "infrared sensors" are the ticket to this kind of technology, according to Q . . . oh, that's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, not a fictional MI6 armorer.
This was one of the suggestions sent along to the brass. Another "included suggestions on training . . ." We can't short ourselves on training and expect good results. Let's hope we advance the practical and leave the talking gun thing to more advanced and civilized cultures.
In fact, if we're going to do anything to the guns, let's make them 100% reliable with duty ammunition and train our people to fight.
NYPD Officer Edwards gave his life in this tragedy to show us the right way. He was posthumously promoted to Detective. To appropriately show our thanks to him, we need to train to prevent a future tragedy of this nature.
