Week 6 of the Porterdale Police Department’s (PPD) Citizen’s Police Academy (CPA) gave the class the chance to see, handle and fire some of the same weapons used by the PPD. While shooting at paper targets in a controlled environment doesn’t compare to being on the street involved in a violent confrontation, the class learned that even if the calmest of circumstances, concentration is necessary to hit a target.

For this session of the CPA, the class assembled at the Shots Fired Indoor Gun Range on Washington Street. PPD Chief Jason Cripps gave the group a class on firearm safety and some hints on how to hit where we were aiming. The key is to establish a good “sight picture”, which requires lining up the front sight of the weapon and the rear sights, while aiming the weapon at the target. Firearm safety involves, among other things, always keeping your finger away from the trigger until the sight picture is established and always keeping a loaded weapon pointed “down range”, which means toward the target and nowhere else.

After getting eye and ear protection, it was time to go shoot. We went into the range three at a time. Most class members fired the same Glock pistols carried by the PPD. PPD officers Lt. Henson, Lt. Watts and Sgt. Owens provided individual instruction to each student, explaining the proper shooting stance and offering hints when a round would miss the targeted area.

This was another fun and informative class of the CPA. My classmates are really good shots. And going to the range will give us a new perspective for when we learn about the use of deadly force in a couple of weeks.

But first things first. Next week, we process a simulated crime scene and investigate the crime. After that, we get to prosecute the offenders. Stay tuned.