A Call to Arms - Rifles on Patrol?

The recent incidents in Buffalo, Dallas, Baton Rouge and other cities, where officers were specifically targeted by killers with long range weapons, have prompted a nationwide debate about whether or not departments are outgunned. The big question is whether officers should be armed with longer range rifles to be able to defend themselves.

To be pinned down and helpless to shoot back effectively is a nightmare scenario for any law enforcement officer. But for many departments that’s the reality, because their officers are solely equipped with department-issued handguns, which are ineffective when shooting at longer range targets. Now some departments are taking action, including arming police officers with higher powered rifles, like the AR-15. It seems strange to think that law enforcement professionals have become targets from long range, but police officers have come to learn to be surprised by nothing.

The call to arms

Some departments have already equipped their officers with new weapons, while others are taking all options under consideration.

“I absolutely think that we would be able to minimize the loss of life if our officers were better equipped,” says John T. Evans, First Vice President, Buffalo Police Benevolent Association (BPBA). “With these longer range weapons, we would be able to take out a threat from a longer distance. We would like to have the AR-15, which we don’t have right now—only the SWAT unit has something like this. All of the municipalities around Buffalo have AR-15s, but the Buffalo PD does not. The administrations of these other departments saw the need and made it a priority and equipped their officers appropriately.

“The response to my call for better arms for the Buffalo PD has been minimal,” he continues. “It may be a budgetary issue, but they have money for what they want to have money for.”

Todd J. Coons, vice president of law enforcement & international sales at Windham Weaponry acknowledges that the winds of change are blowing. “What I am seeing now is twofold: departments with discretionary funding are purchasing higher powered weapons, like the AR, or they are allowing their officers to purchase higher powered weapons. They are personally owned but the officers can carry them for duty.

“You are talking about having the right tool and equipment for the job, and these guys are truly in fear for their lives, so $800 is not that much to spend,” he says. “These police officers are not that well paid, but they do it.”
Allowing officers to buy their own long range weapons is one way to do it, though this could be seen as a bit of a “cop out,” as arming officers appropriately is a responsibility of the department, not the individual officers.

“I think having officers buying their own weapons and carrying them on the job is an option, but it’s not something the department has considered,” says BPBA’s Evans. “I think it’s definitely in the officer’s best interest to be better equipped, no matter how that happens.”

I spoke with an officer in Florida recently, and he felt that patrol cars needed to be equipped with high powered rifles, so that officers can defend themselves and their communities from attacks like what happened in Buffalo, Dallas and Baton Rouge. Of course, it all comes down to perceived needs and the available budget. If a department feels that it is necessary, funds are made available. If not…

Societal response

The thought of equipping law enforcement professionals is controversial in some communities, supported in some. It depends on the perspective of those in power. Some politicians and community members don’t want to see police officers with longer range rifles, as it brings to mind military or paramilitary forces, while others want to give departments what they feel they need. These incidents, while high profile, thankfully don’t happen very often. The fact that they happen at all, however, means that law enforcement should be prepared. But, is equipping all officers for such rare situations necessary? This is the question departments and communities are asking now.

Compromise?

One compromise floated by several departments is arming certain patrol cars on each shift with longer range weapons, so if there is an incident where the weapons are needed, that patrol can respond immediately, reducing casualties and allowing officers to defend themselves and stop the attack. This approach reduces the initial budgetary outlay and lessens the training burden, yet still gives officers a fighting chance.

“There are far too many jurisdictions that have put the responsibility of being able to have a patrol rifle at their disposal on the individual officer,” say Matt Jacques, senior firearms program adviser, LWRC International. “Those making decisions are experiencing budget cuts, and funding for advanced firearms to protect the threat often times don’t make the cut. There are thousands of officers who have to spend their own money to purchase a tool that is needed to help protect the citizens they are sworn to protect, not to mention themselves. This means they very often, ‘settle’ for the cheapest carbine they can find because it is money that has to come out of the personal/family budget.”

Training

No matter how law enforcement officers get the weapons, it’s vital that they receive the training to use them effectively. “Would I like to see an AR-15 in every patrol car?” says Hank Hayes, CEO, NLB Tactical/No Lie Blades.

“Absolutely, but it’s as much about the skill in weaponry as the weapons themselves. Marksmanship, gun training in a static line, does not make a gun fighter. It’s more about the ability to get to cover and to be able to accurately shoot from cover. How to gun fight properly with your weapon to defeat the bad guy is a vital skill. When we offer a firearms course, we start with some basic questions—and one that I ask is ‘who has done night training?’ I can count the number of student on one hand that raise their hands, from more than 19,000 officers trained. Since 85 percent of all incidents happen at night, it doesn’t make sense that officers have never trained at night.

“I don’t know why all departments don’t equip their officers with rifles,” he continues. “I’m sure it has to do with cost and training. The AR is a great weapon. Under stress, acquiring the target, you can shoot far more accurately with an AR with a reticle scope. With a handgun, millimeters off at the gun is feet off at the target. With a rifle, you have more accuracy downrange than you would with a handgun.”

LWRC International’s Jacques agrees that even if officers are well-equipped, they are often ’under armed’ in the realm of training. Even if departments or agencies have the most modern equipment, officers are not provided the training necessary. There are cops that may only get a few hours and 50 to 200 rounds a year to train. That is not enough for officers to become fully proficient.

The Future

Major gun manufacturers are focusing on this issue and working hard to develop new rifles and new protective equipment that will exactly fit the needs of law enforcement.

“Everybody in the industry is striving to come up with a lighter weight rifle, without compromising the quality of the rifle,” says Windham Weaponry’s Coons. “A lighter, tight barrel, handguards made of aluminum and more. You are always trying to take weight out of it. When the Dallas Police Department had that incident, we saw an influx of departments purchasing these weapons because of the actual threat of them being targeted. If you have a shotgun or a handgun, accuracy of 100 yards is all you are going to get. The AR platform, 200 to 300 yards is a very makeable shot.”

Taking the long-term view when it comes to investment in firearms is not something departments often do, to the detriment of the officers, says LWRC International’s Jacques. “As a result, some companies will build rifles as cheaply as possible,” he details. “They know money for carbines is generally not a line item that is fat with zeros.So, there are two ways to do that: cheaper components or cut into your bottom line…you guess which one they choose. On the other hand, building guns that will last—hammer forged barrels and chambers, better components, better coatings, anything to make the rifle a viable, long-term investment so that line item is nothing they have to budget for another 10 years, where the value of quality, dependability and support through training and service -- should be factored into the equation.”

No reasonable person can argue that police officers need to be supplied with the proper tools to do their jobs. The challenge is to convince department administrations and the community at large that longer range rifles are needed.

Let’s hope that departments do the right thing before more officers are targeted.