[Roger Shambaugh]

I'm feeling so good right now, I want to share it with everyone here.

My Sheriff's firearms policy (which I wrote) requires all new Deputies to take a two day, (16 hour) basic service handgun course before being authorized to carry a handgun on duty. Our full-time commissioned road Deputies rarely go to the Academy before going on the street (there's a waiting list), and our Reserve Deputies don't go to the Academy; WE'RE responsible for training them. In order to carry a gun on duty, our non-commissioned jail and dispatch staff have to have a Special (reserve) Deputy's commission, and take the required training. A certificate from certain firearms training schools, such as Gunsite, Thunder Ranch, or the Association of Profesisonal Trainers, satisfies this requirement, but everyone else has to take my class. The Sheriff will only pay for the ammo for those who have to have the class for employment reasons; those who are not required to be able to carry a handgun have to pay for their own ammo. I can't charge tuition, as I use the Sheriff's range, not to mention his liability insurance, but they do have to do it on their own time, so they're putting out something.

In my last class were two female dispatchers. who don't like driving to or from work late at night without being able to carry a handgun for self defense, particularly when wearing a uniform. (Even the dispatchers' polo shirts have "Franlin County Sheriff's Office" embroidered on the front) Both took my "try before you buy" advice, and tried different guns during and after the class, to see what suited them the best.

One girl only owned a Bersa 380 (her husband's Ruger P89 was lost when their house was burglarized), so for most of the class, she used borrowed guns, a Glock 19 and a Kahr K9, but she shot the qualification with her Bersa, scoring 88%. She has more recently bought a Glock 19, which I feel was a good choice, and is interested in taking classes at APT. On this quarter's qualification, she scored 92% with her G19.

The other lady used her son's Glock 17, and did very well with it, scoring 98% on the basic course qualification. A couple of weeks ago, though, she tried out my service pistol, a "Loaded" Springfield M1911-A1 45, and boys, she shot like a house on fire with that 1911. She's now decided to get a full-size 1911 Government Model 45 to carry when she gets her Special Deputy card, which I think is a GREAT choice, especially since our new Sheriff will authorize others besides me to carry 1911s.

I encourage my students to get more training than I can offer them, and both of these ladies are making plans to take more classes next year. I know some instructors don't like
their students going to other instructors, but all I can offer at this time is a basic level course, and in any case, it makes me feel pretty good when I can inspire someone enough to make them want to go to a private shooting school and get more training. To top it all off, they've got other dispatchers wanting to take the course, so I guess I'll be having another class next spring.

I enjoy teaching, and it makes me feel good when my students do well and learn to enjoy shooting. I especially enjoy training women, because they take the training so seriously, but when a lady tries several handguns, and choses a 1911 45, well, that really makes my day.

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Roger Shambaugh
Ottawa, Kansas

 

[Lupey]

I would feel the same way if I was in your postion of being an instructor. Your dept. allows dispatchers to carry to and from work?
My department says I can't carry to and from work. I cant bring my a personal weapon inside the station. I am a civilian but have more fire arms training that many of the officers. Glad I obey there orders, I don't want to get fired

 

[Roger Shambaugh]

The way I wrote the policy for our old Sheriff, non-commisioned personnel (jailers and dispatchers) were authorized to be armed with a handgun while on duty if they were properly trained and qualified, and were authorized in writing by the Sheriff to do so. None of our personnel, commissioned or otherwise, are authorized to barmed while ingaged in duties which reqire us NOT to be armed, i.e., working in the jail area.

Our new Sheriff hasn't seen fit to change this policy, except that he requires anyone who is authorized to be armed to hold a Special Deputy (a/k/a Reserve) commission. This is totally voluntary; none of our jailers or dispatchers are required to wear a sidearm. Our jailers and dispatchers wear uniforms identical to those worn by the road Deputies (although unlike the Deputies, they have the option to wear other approved clothing, i.e., polo shirts with the S.O. logo embroidered or silkscreened on the front on duty, which still idetifies them as law enforcement personnel) Our jailers also have to transport prisoners to and from court, and sometimes outside the jail courthouse area (doctor's visits, etc) and our dispatchers are required once in a while to ride with patrol officers, either county or city, so they have plenty of opportunities to be out in public, in uniform, without the means to defend themselves.

Being a small agency, We rely heavily on our Reserve Deputies to help out with patrol duties, and to proved securtiy for sertain other functions (school dances and ball games, the county fair, and so on) and since we don't have very many Reserves, we rely on our jailers and dispatchers who have Special Deputy cards to fill in if they volunteer to do so.

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Roger Shambaugh
Ottawa, Kansas

[This message has been edited by KSLawman (edited 11-12-2001).]

 

[JAFO216]

Hey Roger sounds like your doing some good things with them ladies shooting . Glad to hear it . Your dept sounds like mine . The Sheriff pays for Road DEputies ammo and all others pay for their own as they are not rquired to carry to and from , which is stupid since they to wear full uniforms . I can see it now the walk into a conv. store and theres a stickup and one of our unarmed old coot dispatchers gets blown away because of being in uniform . Of course having seen their shooting skills it would not make much diffrence . Myself if you see me you can bet that even though you cant see it their is a gun somewhere on my person . Good Luck Buddy and hope you still like your Leather Gear . Keep your powder dry and your topknot intact . Tell the Wife hello for us to.

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S.L. Caldwell
Faithful Employee at :
Rafter S Gunleather 417-277-5636
www.raftersgunleather.com