Methodology for developing exercises of pistol practice in typical policemen activities (on the example of security and convoy police units)

Горлов О.Ю.

doi:10.7256/2454-0692.2023.1.38047

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Police activity

Reference:

Gorlov O.Y. Methodology for developing exercises of pistol practice in typical policemen activities (on the example of security and convoy police units) // Police activity. 2023. № 1. P. 43-54. DOI: 10.7256/2454-0692.2023.1.38047 EDN: EVSCAQ URL: https://en.nbpublish.com/library_read_article.php?id=38047

Methodology for developing exercises of pistol practice in typical policemen activities (on the example of security and convoy police units)

Gorlov Oleg Yur'evich

Senior Lecturer, Department of Fire Training, Tyumen Institute for Advanced Training of Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia

625049, Russia, Tyumenskaya oblast', g. Tyumen', ul. Amurskaya, 75

www.vvv11@mail.ru

DOI:

10.7256/2454-0692.2023.1.38047

EDN:

EVSCAQ

Received:

12-05-2022

Published:

06-02-2023

Abstract: In the article presented by the author, the issues related to the methodology of developing shooting exercises in typical situations of policemen activities are considered. In accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, each departmental educational organization implements a priority profile for the training of police officers. In this regard, the author of the study attempted to develop a private methodology that would allow the development and implementation of new types of firing exercises for employees of a specific category in the educational process of fire training. The author presented the conditions for regular and continuous improvement of professional competencies of employees of internal affairs bodies. In addition, the importance of the study is associated with the importance of solving the problems of methodological support for the training of police officers and the introduction of private methods of conducting classes with specific categories of employees into the policemen educational process. Currently, a number of contradictions have formed between the normative requirements for a police officer and the actual set of his personal qualities and professional competencies. To solve this problem and increase the level of fire training of police officers, we propose to consider the possibility and outline further ways to improve the methods of fire training of law enforcement officers in terms of specialization of their activities, in order to carry out and improve the professional training of police officers. The procedure proposed by the author for the development of a private methodology will allow specialists organizing the fire training process to develop and implement new preparatory exercises, shooting exercises, taking into account the peculiarities of the official activities of a particular department of Internal Affairs.

Keywords:

Fire training, Professional training, Development methodology, Typical situations, Convoy, Special contingent, Use of weapons, Physical conditions, Motor actions, Situational shooting
This article is automatically translated.

Introduction.Improving the fire training of employees of the internal affairs bodies undoubtedly belong to one of the priority areas of activity of each educational organization of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

Their main goal is to train competent specialists who are able to act in various conditions of the situation, including those related to the possibility of using service weapons. Among the tasks of departmental education is the search and application of the most advanced methods and teaching methods that in the shortest possible time can allow an employee to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities, and will contribute to the formation of a positive image of a police officer who meets all the requirements specified in departmental regulatory legal documents ^[1].

The purpose of the study: to consider the methodology for the development of situational shooting exercises for employees of the security and convoy service.

To achieve this goal , the following tasks were formulated:

1. Consider the sequence of the researcher's work prior to the development of the training shooting exercise.

2. To present a classification of the physical conditions of the use of weapons by employees of the ACS.

3. Consider the difficulty levels of motor actions.

Using the example of security and convoy police units, it should be noted that the specifics of their professional tasks, as well as the requirements of constant readiness of employees to act in various situations of official activity determine the need to consider improving the training of employees of these units to act in typical situations involving the use of firearms ^[2].

Before developing shooting exercises that will meet the typical conditions of official activity, it is necessary to analyze the physical conditions of the use of firearms by employees of a particular unit for which it is planned to develop a new exercise ^[3]. For employees of security and convoy police units, such specific conditions of official activity will be the use of weapons in conditions of limited or enclosed space (the convoy room of the court, the body of a special car), short and ultrashort distances when interacting with a special agent, the suddenness of a probable attack to carry out the escape of suspects, accused, or citizens convicted by the court, with virtually zero distances with the auxiliary arm "turned off" during escorting in the "hand to hand" way.

When studying this issue, in addition to the specific conditions for the use of weapons by police officers, it will be useful to study the general physical conditions of its use. Such conditions include: the distance to the target, the number of shots fired, the time of day, the affected area, etc. The analysis of these and other conditions will contribute to an objective understanding of what needs to be taught to police officers and by what means and methods it will be possible to obtain the desired result in training ^[4].

To analyze the physical conditions of the use of firearms by police officers, a certain amount of materials will be required, which will reflect all the information necessary for conducting a qualitative study. Various analytical materials and reviews related to the use of weapons are often generalized in nature. In this regard, the most important for the researcher will be the materials of official checks on the facts of the use of firearms by police officers, which will describe in detail the event that preceded the use of weapons, as well as the conditions under which it was used. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that these materials contain information of limited distribution.

In his research, E.I. Sinitsyn considered practical situations of the use of weapons by employees (using the example of security and convoy police units - hereinafter ACS), on the basis of which he built a matrix of specific conditions of operational and service activities of ACS employees and proposed a classification of conditions for the use of firearms and special means. The essence of this matrix was that by simply calculating the total number of points, the most significant physical conditions for the likely use of weapons for police officers were determined. These conditions reflect the specifics of the service activities of the ACS units.

Thus, if there is no possibility in the researcher's arsenal

to use data from the materials of official inspections in relation to employees who used weapons while on duty, it is advisable to use the questionnaire method. The questionnaire should contain the following data: the unit in which the police officer is serving; the length of service in the Department of Internal Affairs; the length of service in the position. The main content of the questionnaire should include probabilistic conditions and legal grounds for the use of weapons. It is also possible to invite respondents to briefly indicate in the questionnaire the circumstances under which they used weapons.

After studying the physical (probable) conditions of the use of firearms, the researcher will be able to determine which of the acquired skills is of the greatest importance for the employees of the ACS in solving the tasks.

In his works, E.I. Sinitsyn classified the physical conditions of the use of weapons: by acquired competencies and by acquired skills. Due to this, the ways of improving professional competencies, skills and abilities of the employees of the ACS were identified.

Table 1 – Classification of physical conditions for the use of weapons by ACS employees

n/a	Physical conditions for the use of weapons by ACS employees in operational and service activitiesMethods of formation and improvement of professional competencies, skills, abilities of employees of the ACS	Acquired competencies, skills, and abilities in the simulator classes	I.
By acquired competencies:
1.	Rendering armed resistance to a police officer	- Practicing self-regulation techniques; - testing of bringing weapons into readiness and firing a "blank" shot with taking a position from behind a shelter; - practice of leaving the firing line with a step to the left or right side with a change of position for shooting; - working out the change of the magazine from behind the shelter to provide the pistol/ submachine gun with full ammunition; - elimination of possible delays when shooting from behind cover.	- Ability to overcome a stressful state; - the ability to carry out actions to forcibly suppress armed resistance; - the ability to use weapons and special means in solving professional tasks.
2.	Reflection of an armed attack on a police officer	- Practicing the "duel" exercise (a SKATT shooting simulator can be used). The essence of the exercise: two employees are located on the same line, one next to the other. At the command of the instructor: "Fire!", the staff simultaneously bring the weapon to readiness and fire a blank shot towards the target. The employee who first hit his target will be considered the winner. To attract the interest of employees in the lesson, it is recommended to practice the exercise in a playful way. In the absence of a specialized class with SCATT shooting simulators in the unit, the instructor visually assesses the actions of the employee for errors in the shooting technique (incorrect grip when removing the weapon from the holster, a sharp pull on the trigger, the inclusion of the muscles of the other fingers of the hand holding the weapon, etc.); - working out actions to reduce the distance with the criminal and his subsequent disarming. If it is impossible to disarm the attacker, work out ways of possible deactivation of weapons, as well as options for minimizing harm to the health of an employee in cases of confrontation with a criminal.	- Ability to overcome a stressful state; - the ability to carry out actions to forcibly suppress an armed attack in close combat; - the ability to use weapons and special means in solving professional tasks.
3.	Attempt to seize a police officer's service weapon	- working out theoretical issues related to the behavioral characteristics of the criminal before attacking a police officer. Study of the nature and circumstances that influenced the emergence of intent to commit a socially dangerous act; - working out options for countering the criminal, studying ways to prevent the acquisition of service weapons (studying the rules of wearing uniforms, safe carrying (storage) of service weapons, ammunition and equipment; - working out options for breaking the distance with the criminal, taking him out of balance, applying a relaxing blow, followed by bringing the weapon ready to fire, marking safe borders and demanding the immediate cessation of illegal actions.	- The ability to repel a sudden armed attack; - ability to overcome a stressful state; - the ability to carry out actions to forcibly suppress an armed attack in close combat; - the ability to use weapons and special means in solving professional tasks.
4.	Attempt to release a special agent from outside	- Working out the tactical actions of the squad when repelling an attack on special vehicles (working out dismounting and taking firing positions at the command of the convoy chief in accordance with the established procedure).	- The ability to maneuver competently with the available forces and means; - the ability to repel a sudden armed attack; - the ability to use weapons and special means in solving professional tasks.
II. By acquired skills:
5.	The use of weapons on the lower/upper limbs of the criminal	- Practice of quickly removing the pistol from the holster and making it ready to fire; - production of a blank shot with a shot mark on the target. The affected area is the upper/lower limbs of the criminal. In case of contact with vital organs, the exercise is considered not completed. To monitor compliance with this condition, the instructor can use a laser target designator, which is automatically activated on the pistol at the moment the trigger is pulled from the combat platoon.	- The skill of quickly bringing weapons into readiness for shooting, using weapons to kill while minimizing damage to the life and health of the criminal.
6.	The use of weapons from short and ultrashort distances	- Working out options for breaking the distance with the criminal, taking him out of balance and applying a relaxing blow; - working out the possible form of a police officer's demand for the termination of illegal actions on the part of the criminal; - working out techniques and methods of bringing weapons into readiness for firing (options for sending a cartridge into the chamber, ways to hold a pistol in your hand, the ability to fire "on the barrel" at ultrashort distances).	- The skill of quickly bringing weapons to readiness and firing a shot in various ways.
7.	The use of weapons in motion (towards the criminal / away from the criminal	- Working out the technique of moving towards the target and away from the target, with the processing of the trigger for each step and the control of sighting devices; - working out movements with weapons with a change of firing position, or a change of magazine, in the direction of the nearest shelter.	- The skill of firing from a place and in motion from short stops, including from behind cover with a change of position for shooting and a change of magazine.
8.	The limited area of the criminal's defeat (due to the presence of a hostage)	- Working out of the above actions with weapons is carried out in means of individual armor protection, where employees are explained the specifics of removing the pistol from the holster, accepting the manufacture, checking the correctness of the manufacture, as well as the specifics of changing the store. When practicing actions from a machine gun, the specifics of performing techniques and rules of firing from this type of weapon are also explained.	- The skill of firing in means of individual armor protection; - the skill of transferring fire along the front and into the depth.
9.	Presence of other persons in the line of fire, in conditions of limited or confined space	- When practicing actions with weapons in conditions of limited or confined space, an explanation is made to employees that there may be random persons behind the criminal, who may also suffer when firing a shot. In this regard, it is necessary to correctly assess the situation and prevent injury or death of random persons. To do this, you should change the aiming area and move to the side so that the trajectory of the bullet when fired does not intersect with the location of a random person.	- Skill in assessing the situation and making a decision; - the skill of changing the position for shooting.
10.	The use of weapons after physical and psychological stress	- Before performing the exercise (standard), the instructor introduces employees to states of psychological tension (by individually evaluating actions with weapons, or by holding competitions in which employees will experience an emotional surge caused by a sense of personal responsibility to other team members; - for training with weapons after physical exertion, it is possible to use exercises for various muscle groups (push-ups, squats), including running short and medium distances. These physical exercises will simulate the actions of an employee to pursue and detain a criminal. Exercises are performed in the prescribed form of clothing with weapons and equipment.	Formation of psychological stability with the help of ideomotor training techniques, as well as by acquiring self–regulation skills - relaxation, breathing, auto-suggestion.

The formation of professional competencies in fire training should be carried out, including by means of improving motor skills with weapons. Motor skills are formed by repeatedly repeating a certain set of motor actions both with and without weapons. When learning and practicing motor actions, one of the main principles must be observed – the principle of accessibility, in which the rule "from simple to complex" will be observed.

To implement this principle, motor actions with weapons can be divided into 5 levels:

Table 2 – Difficulty levels of motor actions with weapons

Difficulty level	Characteristics of the difficulty level
1	Motor actions that are not associated with a change in the starting position, there are no technically complex elements, minor errors in the technique of their execution are allowed, the possibility of performing these actions at a low speed.
2	Motor actions associated with changing the starting position, actions include several technical elements that form some components of coordination abilities.
3	Motor actions related to the transfer of the direction of fire and movement from the line of oncoming fire, actions include a set of technical elements that improve coordination abilities.
4	Motor actions of 2 or 3 levels with the inclusion of physical and socio-psychological parameters (risk, responsibility, physical (mental) stress, transience).
5	Performing an exercise in the form of a holistic motor action combining elements of several levels.

Based on the presented levels of complexity of motor actions, it is advisable to develop a set of summing exercises. These exercises should become more complicated as you study simple motor actions. The result of practicing exercises of different levels will be the formation of an employee's ability to act in non-standard conditions, make decisions to perform certain tactical actions based on changing or dynamically developing conditions of the situation.

In addition, the proposed options for an employee in a certain situation should not be perceived as some kind of strictly regulated algorithm. It is necessary to understand that it is impossible to predict all possible scenarios for the development of the situation. The head of the class (teacher) should offer the trainees a number of the most likely situations that may arise during the service, demonstrates exemplary performance, after which he works out ways of acting with the trainees ^[5]. The result of performing the summing exercises is the performance of shooting drills with simulation of situations in similar conditions, as close as possible to real ones. The evaluation indicator of the exercise performed should consist not only of the number of holes on the target, it should also include: an assessment of the tactical actions of the employee (choosing the right position for shooting, whether he used a shelter or other obstacles during shooting that reduce the risk of injury, whether communication with a partner was used); an assessment of technical actions with weapons (demonstration of clear and confident actions with weapons, correct execution of the basic elements of shooting techniques); assessment of the psychological state (may be expressed in the external manifestation of excessive excitement before performing the exercise, inconsistency of actions, decreased coordination, etc.).

Thus, the procedure proposed by the author for the development of a private methodology will allow specialists organizing the training process of fire training to develop and implement new preparatory exercises, shooting exercises, taking into account the specifics of the official activities of a particular department of Internal Affairs.

References

1. Garmanov, V. M. Methodological aspects of training of employees of territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia included in the reserve for performing security and convoy functions / V. M. Garmanov // Bulletin of the Tyumen Institute for Advanced Training of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. – 2021. – № 2(17). – Pp. 179-187. – EDN SEJFEQ.
2. Garmanov, V. M. Actions of police patrol officers in typical situations that arise when serving in the protection of public order: an educational and methodological manual / V. M. Garmanov, O. V. Desyatova, A.V. Isinger ; Tyumen Institute for Advanced Training of Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. – Tyumen : Tyumen Institute for Advanced Training of Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, 2020. – 88 p. – ISBN 978-5-93160-292-9. – EDN RTGVVD.
3. Sinitsyn E.I. Analysis of probable physical conditions for the use of firearms by employees of temporary detention facilities and security and convoy police units // Police activity. — 2022.-No. 1.-pp.29-39. DOI: 10.7256/2454-0692.2022.1.37165 URL: https://e-notabene.ru/ppd/article_37165.html
4. Sinitsyn E.I., Gorlov O.Yu. Actual issues of organizing and conducting fire training classes with employees of IVS units, security and escort // Policing. — 2021.-No. 4.-pp.59-69. DOI: 10.7256/2454-0692.2021.4.36408 URL: https://e-notabene.ru/ppd/article_36408.html
5. Sinitsyn, E. I. Makarov pistol shooting training for law enforcement officers with anatomical and physiological features / E. I. Sinitsyn, S. N. Arkhipov // Policing. – 2020. – No. 4. – pp. 39-49. – DOI 10.7256/2454-0692.2020.4.33731. – E

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The paper "Methodology for the development of pistol practice exercises in typical situations of official activity (on the example of security and convoy police units)" is presented for review. One of the priority areas of activity of each educational organization of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia is to improve the fire training of employees of internal affairs bodies. It is important to train competent specialists who will be able to act in various conditions of the situation, including those related to the possibility of using service weapons. It is important for departmental education to find and use the most advanced teaching methods and techniques that will help to form the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities for the employee. The author set a goal to consider the methodology for developing situational shooting exercises for employees of the security and convoy service. In the work, the designated tasks were achieved. The research conducted by the author allowed us to draw a number of significant conclusions: - The physical conditions of the use of firearms by employees of security and convoy police units are analyzed: the use of weapons in conditions of limited or enclosed space (the convoy room of the court, the body of a special car), short and ultrashort distances when interacting with a special agent, the suddenness of a probable attack to carry out the escape of suspects, accused, or citizens convicted by the court, with virtually zero distances with the auxiliary arm "off" during escorting in the "hand to hand" way). - The general physical conditions of the use of weapons (distance to the target, number of shots fired, time of day, affected area, etc.) are considered. An interesting classification is the physical conditions of use of weapons by ACS employees, which was proposed by E.I. Sinitsyn, taking into account the acquired competencies and acquired skills. - The main directions of improving motor skills with weapons are highlighted, which are formed by repeatedly repeating a certain set of motor actions both with and without weapons. In the work, five levels of difficulty of motor actions with weapons were identified with a characteristic of the level of difficulty. The highlighted levels of complexity of motor actions determine the need to develop a set of summing exercises, the basic technique is described in the work. The bibliography includes five domestic sources, there are references. The subject of the work corresponds to the problems of the article. However, there are violations in the design of the list of references: 1. In accordance with the requirements, when adding an article, it is necessary to attach a bibliography (at least 10-15 sources, the more the better). There are not enough sources in the bibliography in the work. 2. When uploading an article, the bibliography in English is now mandatory. The article is relevant from a theoretical and practical point of view, and has an undoubted scientific value. The work needs to be finalized taking into account the above recommendations and in this case may be recommended for publication.

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Methodology for developing exercises of pistol practice in typical policemen activities (on the example of security and convoy police units)