Re: Help: LE DMR course content?
I have been working in relatively the same position as you, only we as officers have been wanting DMs and the agency has been hesitant. It's an unending streak of battles to get everything right, and about 95% of it is policy creation. Here's what we have had to consider and generally have a consensus on to this point:
-DMs must pass agency rifle qualification (ours is pass/fail)
-DMs must have a separate portion requiring qualification out to 200yds (the longest distance of our range)
-Training of the DMs is to be done by SWAT snipers with an agency approved training program
-Rifles must be personally purchased by officers and conform to policy standards for a personally-owned rifle (policy still in planning)
-Rifles must be capable of 2MOA accuracy or better with duty-grade LE or Military ammunition (considering going to 1moa)
-Current issued Federal LE223T1 55gr ammunition may be insufficient for DMR use. As a result alternative loads are being considered:
ATK Mk318 SOST 62gr
Federal GM223M 69gr SMK
Hornady TAP 75gr BTHP
-Calibers of 6.8mm and 7.62mm are under consideration as authorized alternative calibers
-Optics must be of a high quality and subject to pre-approval
There is a lot of stuff to hash out. It's amazing how clouded things can get when you add bureaucracy to the mix. The qualification is possibly going to be a modified Modified Navy Qual at 100yds and 200yds. Positions may be standing supported (barricade or vehicle), kneeling supported/braced, prone supported, prone unsupported. Time limits would be extended.
Training is another issue, and it's still up in the air. So far, it's looking like training on positional shooting as well as basic marksmanship fundamentals.
It wasn't until I started undertaking this effort that I realized how much needed to be done. We have a long ways to go, but I think we're on the right track.
Good luck you. Sounds like your agency is much more open to it, which is commendable.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Pointblank4445</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
I fail to see the need of "DM's". It sounds like you need either a trained sniper/observer; or better yet, train more of your patrol officers on perimeter deployment, observation and rifle marksmanship.
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A DM can serve as a very valuable asset. The basic jist of the DM position is to serve as an interim sniper in a situation where deploying a sniper would not be feasible or necessary, or where there would be a long wait until a sniper could respond and get into position.
Some examples:
A couple months ago, I responded to a burglary in progress in a warehouse at 0100hrs. The warehouse about 100yds long. I was outside covering the back on the 1/2 corner. We had a guy on the 4/1 corner covering the front, and another on the 3 side covering a side exit. I have a Colt M4 with iron sights, it's poorly lit, and we have officers going inside for a search. Not appropriate to call a sniper in, but that was a situation where magnified optics would have been a great asset. Target identification is very important, especially at 100yds and even more so at night.
Further, we have a lot of rural area on the south side of our city. Most are hobby farms and horse farms. Lots of open land. The more space between you and the bad guy, the better. A DM employed can allow for that greater stand-off distance.
Another example- In Wisconsin there was a recent OIS where badguy shot at police and then barricaded himself behind a steel fire door. Officers could not penetrate the steel door with their rifles. After a standoff, a sniper was able to zap the dirtbag in the head when he prairie-dogged his head out the door to shoot at police again.
When you consider that most agencies do not have a full-time SWAT team, you have to then consider the amount of time it takes for a "part-time" SWAT team to respond. In most jurisdictions, response time is 45-90 minutes. In my county, it's 45-60 minutes average. A lot can happen in 45 minutes. If you have someone with magnified optics relaying intel to Dispatch or command, you have an asset. If you have someone with magnified optics who can identify the type of threat or the level of the threat, or who can make a precision shot into the dirtbag to end something immediately, you have an asset. 45 minutes can be a long time to wait when shit hits the fan and you need to end the incident right-fucking-now.
There is a lot of hesitation to employ DMs in LE positions. However, in today's world of more extreme violence by idiots and the mentally disturbed, agencies need to take every advantage they can get. It's not necessarily a matter of necessity, but rather a matter of option. It's a tool at your disposal in case you need it. Precision marksmen are a force multiplier for military ops. I would argue that the same holds true for law enforcement both in a tactical/SWAT capacity, but also in a patrol capacity. When you consider that a majority of officer involved shootings involve patrol officers, I think it makes a lot of sense to have a DM on every shift.
