Officers need to stay sharp to qualify

Bella Vista police officers wrapped up a quarterly firearm qualifying session last week.

Staff Sergeant Eric Palmer, who handles training for the department, said the department has recently moved from two days of qualifying — one in the spring and one in the fall — to a single day quarterly.

This makes it easier for officers to get in and qualify and spreads sessions out so they stay sharp throughout the year, he explained. Skills that aren’t used deteriorate and the department tries to keep everyone active, he said.

It also means the police are spending less time using the POA’s gun range.

“We didn’t want to be a burden on the POA,” he said.

Further, since the department established a tactical response team in 2018, he said, anyone on the unit is required to qualify quarterly and shoot at a higher standard, demonstrating 90% handgun and 100% rifle accuracy compared to 80% for uniform and administrative officers.

The team’s two certified snipers are also required to qualify with a single shot, pass or fail test that requires they hit a 7-square-inch target with a cold barrel at 100 yards.

“We do above and beyond,” Palmer said.

Officers are required to take the test without a warmup, he explained, because a dangerous situation isn’t going to pause while an officer heads down to the range for a warmup round.

“Everything they do is a cold shoot,” Palmer said.

If someone doesn’t pass on the first attempt, he said, they’ll get some coaching and another shot at it. The issue can be something as simple as finger positioning, he added.

“It’s those little mechanical things,” he said.

While the department and state have requirements for proficiency, Palmer said he believes officers should put in practice and be their best.

“I think everybody should strive to be above the minimum standard,” he said.