Sorry to disappoint but there are no secrets concerning the LEO Sniper and deadly force. Though BJ Bourg recently wrote in Tactical Response Magazine (Nov-Dec 2011) an article titled Mental Preparation For Counter Snipers. I took issue with several aspects of this article to include the title. The article discusses nothing about counter sniper operations.
The summary reads,
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">To perform their duties to the best of their abilities and maintain their mental health, snipers must become comfortable with the idea of having to kill a human being in the performance of their duties.</div></div>
Taking into consideration this article is written for the LE community I must question the authors perspective concerning the general mindset of law enforcement officers. Everyone working as a gun carrying law enforcement officer should have already adopted the mindset that he or she may have to kill someone during their career, to think otherwise is naive. Then we delve into the world of SWAT. The SWAT role is generally volunteered for, officers seek it out because they want to do it. Generally these officers have a basic understanding of the SWAT role and know going into the job that your chances of being put into a deadly force situation have now increased.
Now we examine the role of the LE Sniper... This is where the tactics, techniques and procedures vary from team to team but in the end the job description should read the same regardless of what team you work on. Observe, Report and Protect are the three basics. Observe, gather intel concerning the incident or mission. Report, relay pertinent intel to the appropriate personnel. Protect, cover immediate danger areas and eliminate threats.
So considering the job of both the law enforcement officer and law enforcement sniper you should have already handled the issue of mental preparation and deadly force. Pretty simple right? Back to the article,
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Male snipers must come to terms with the possibility of having to take the life of a female.</div></div>
This statement infuriates me... A threat is a threat, 8 years old or 80 years old, male or female, black or white, blind, crippled or crazy. You deal with the threat accordingly. Furthermore, how does this topic suddenly become sniper specific. Anyone carrying a firearm for defensive or offensive purposes should have already come to terms with having to take a life regardless of sex, age, race. By no means am I implying that taking the life will now be an easy task but by this point it should have been thought about and talked about on more than one occasion.
The article continues with training issues such as using more realistic targets, manikin heads, shoot/no shoot targets. The author made some valid points though he makes it sound as though this is another sniper specific issue, which it is not. All use of force training should be done with all this and more taken into consideration. The article ends with a segment titled, "The Aftermath". The author continues to explain how the sniper must be prepared for their rifle being taken as evidence, being interview, placed on administrative leave, grand jury, law suits... Again, most or all of this will happen to any LEO involved in a shooting, not just snipers.
My rant is fueled by those wanting to make LE snipers out to be something completely different than anyone else in the LE community. Articles like this one just add to the myth of the sniper and in my experience give those in the upper echelon and those outside of the tactical community the wrong idea of what a sniper is or what a sniper should be.
The summary reads,
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">To perform their duties to the best of their abilities and maintain their mental health, snipers must become comfortable with the idea of having to kill a human being in the performance of their duties.</div></div>
Taking into consideration this article is written for the LE community I must question the authors perspective concerning the general mindset of law enforcement officers. Everyone working as a gun carrying law enforcement officer should have already adopted the mindset that he or she may have to kill someone during their career, to think otherwise is naive. Then we delve into the world of SWAT. The SWAT role is generally volunteered for, officers seek it out because they want to do it. Generally these officers have a basic understanding of the SWAT role and know going into the job that your chances of being put into a deadly force situation have now increased.
Now we examine the role of the LE Sniper... This is where the tactics, techniques and procedures vary from team to team but in the end the job description should read the same regardless of what team you work on. Observe, Report and Protect are the three basics. Observe, gather intel concerning the incident or mission. Report, relay pertinent intel to the appropriate personnel. Protect, cover immediate danger areas and eliminate threats.
So considering the job of both the law enforcement officer and law enforcement sniper you should have already handled the issue of mental preparation and deadly force. Pretty simple right? Back to the article,
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Male snipers must come to terms with the possibility of having to take the life of a female.</div></div>
This statement infuriates me... A threat is a threat, 8 years old or 80 years old, male or female, black or white, blind, crippled or crazy. You deal with the threat accordingly. Furthermore, how does this topic suddenly become sniper specific. Anyone carrying a firearm for defensive or offensive purposes should have already come to terms with having to take a life regardless of sex, age, race. By no means am I implying that taking the life will now be an easy task but by this point it should have been thought about and talked about on more than one occasion.
The article continues with training issues such as using more realistic targets, manikin heads, shoot/no shoot targets. The author made some valid points though he makes it sound as though this is another sniper specific issue, which it is not. All use of force training should be done with all this and more taken into consideration. The article ends with a segment titled, "The Aftermath". The author continues to explain how the sniper must be prepared for their rifle being taken as evidence, being interview, placed on administrative leave, grand jury, law suits... Again, most or all of this will happen to any LEO involved in a shooting, not just snipers.
My rant is fueled by those wanting to make LE snipers out to be something completely different than anyone else in the LE community. Articles like this one just add to the myth of the sniper and in my experience give those in the upper echelon and those outside of the tactical community the wrong idea of what a sniper is or what a sniper should be.
