Hey guys I need some help. My new Chief is wanting to implement a Patrol Rifle Policy. Could you guys email me your dept. policy on rifles.

Keep it simple:

Rifles/Ammo allowed:

Specify the accepted calibers.
Specify the accepted brands.
Specify the accepted configurations (barrel lengths, stock options, optics options, etc).
Specify the brands/types of ammo.

Outline the "General but not all Inclusive" situations where Patrol Rifle Deployment is acceptable.  This may seem like a "no-shit" part, but it is definately needed.

Specify the "Qualification Course" issue which is a must for officers to complete.

Specify the "Storage" requirements, such as "out-of-sight", "locked in trunk", or like our Agency... "Must be in the front seat at all times".

Keep it simple and address WHAT can be used WHEN by WHO and there ya have it.

We are fairly anal on our's.

Must be in a hard case in the trunk or in the trunk mount.

Only dept. approved ammo is allowed.

Optics must be specific models only. Also, must have back up iron sights.

No mags over 30 rounds (but my gun looks so cool with a beta-mag!)

Manufacturer is limited too. No barrels less than 16".

Suspect must have a superior weapons system, good cover, or be a situation where the use could be easily articulated.

Our cert. course is now 40 hours and another 4 for optics.

BTW, any special assignment can allow variations, but this is the general points of our patrol rifle policy.

Only SWAT can carry approved rifles on patrol W/ 55 grain TAP ammo.

I'm running a Colt M-16 lower on a Bushy flattop W/14.5 inch barrel and an aimpoint.

Quoted: Only SWAT can carry approved rifles on patrol W/ 55 grain TAP ammo. I'm running a Colt M-16 lower on a Bushy flattop W/14.5 inch barrel and an aimpoint.

Well that sucks!

Not if your on SWAT

Quoted: Not if your on SWAT

I agree but I am sure that SWAT is a very small percentage of folks at your department. The rest are being screwed over by someone high up in the chain that has their head up their ass, I am sure of it!

Quoted: Quoted: Not if your on SWAT I agree but I am sure that SWAT is a very small percentage of folks at your department. The rest are being screwed over by someone high up in the chain that has their head up their ass, I am sure of it!

Youre absolutely right. 15 of us from a 180 officer agency.  Only 8 of the 15 are rifle certified. The rest use MP-5's

Trying to email everyone but I am not sure they are sending. Let me know if you do not get a reply, Thanks, Dave

"Suspect must have a superior weapons system, good cover, or be a situation where the use could be easily articulated."

That is as stupid as the "only swat" policy. The pistols are there because we can carry them with us easily. If you are looking for trouble, i.e. barricade, armed suspect, or such, at least a few officers should have a long gun. It should not matter if the suspect is armed with or may be armed with a .25 cal  Jennings or a 50 bmg rifle.



Some highlights from our policy.

AR15 type rifle
passed the rifle school
department ammo only
personal rifles subject to armorer’s approval
barrel must be 16" or longer
semi auto only
no magnified optics
dot sights allowed and iron sights must be available without removing the optic (fixed or folding)

Jason

All our patrol officers are qualified on the AR15 and may carry them. We have them in our armory.
Basic Bushmaster A2, semi only, 16". Personal rifles are allowed.
We are a small agency so we have to deal with whatever comes up.
The "SWAT only" attitude towards rifles is, in my opinion, outdated and foolish.
I don't have our policy on computer but I will be happy to share the major points with you.

Thanks for all the help guys.  Thanks to our old chief being a tight ass, we only have three guys who have been through rifle training and no rifles in our armory.  The new chief is trying to purchase two dept. weapons and make allowances for personal weapons. Since he knows how many ars I have it will be awhile before I get a dept. issue ar. He also wants to start sending everyone to training. Thanks again and stay safe.

Quoted: We get this post every 6 months.  No problem.  As all admins realize, why reinvent something when someone will give it to you?  Email me using the email button on this post to confirm ID and mine is yours. Good luck and stay safe. Art in KY

Art, check your e-mail.

Thanks,
Jeff.

SPECIAL ORDER / PATROL RIFLE POLICY (S.O.P.)


DATE: 22 AUGUST 2005

TO: ALL SWORN MEMBERS

PURPOSE

This order shall establish guidelines, departmental policy, and procedures for the issue, maintenance, deployment, and other use for the department issued, or individually purchased/ department approved patrol rifle.

POLICY

It is the policy of the **** ******** Police Department to issue patrol rifles to those officers meeting the specific criteria established herein for their employment within patrol division, vice/tactical units, and other sworn members of this agency.  This order is a working guideline, and may be amended at any time.

A) ISSUE
Officers may request to be issued a patrol rifle via written correspondence to the Chief of Police.  The Chief, or his designee, shall be the final approving authority regarding issue of the patrol rifle, or in the case of rifle purchased by an individual officer, approving such rifle for duty use.  Approval is subjective, and the Chief may deny approval for any reason.
Before approval, the Chief will take into account the experience, maturity, and general attitude of the individual officer.  The Chief shall also evaluate the officer’s level of proficiency specifically as it relates to his/her skill at arms and their understanding of legal use of force(EG:  prior military or additional training with long arms, and demonstrated coolness under stress).  These factors will assist the Command staff in determining the suitability of each officer for patrol rifle training and issue.

Approved rifles will conform to the following standards.  They must be magazine fed, gas operated, semi-automatic rifles of the M-16 or AR-15 type pattern and their variants, chambered for .223 caliber/ 5.56mm.  

Approved manufacturers are:   American Spirit Arms
  Stag Arms
Armalite/ Eagle Arms
Bushmaster
Colt
DPMS
Olympic Arms
DS Arms
Rock River Arms
CMMG
Cavalry Arms
Heckler and Koch
LMT (Lewis Machine and Tool)
Wilson Combat

Additionally, semi-automatic, or bolt action rifles chambered for .308 caliber/ 7.62x54mm, may be carried on duty by members whom the Chief deems appropriate.  These 30 caliber semi-automatic, variants will be of the M14/ M1A pattern, or the FN/FAL pattern rifle.  Currently, Springfield Armory (M14/M1a type rifles), and DS Arms (FN/FAL type rifles) produce the best representative production rifles of these types, and would be approved for duty use.


B) TRAINING
Once approval has been granted, the officer will respond for patrol rifle training, and qualification on the department approved, prescribed course of fire/ qualification.

After training and qualification has been conducted, the officer will forward the qualification document, signed by the firearms instructor or range-master, through appropriate channels to the Chief of Police.  This record will be maintained in the officer’s training file.

Once the Chief receives the documents showing the officer has satisfactorily completed patrol rifle training and qualification, he may then grant the officer authority to carry the patrol rifle for duty use.
Should an officer fail to qualify with an issued patrol rifle, that officer will immediately notify an official in the rank of Sergeant or above.  That official shall then respond to the range and take possession of the officers issued patrol rifle.
Should an officer fail to qualify with an individually owned, department approved rifle, the officer shall make immediate notification to an official in the rank of Sergeant or above.  That official will note the date and time of notification, and explain to the officer that he/she is no longer authorized to carry the rifle on duty.


C) CARRY
The police patrol rifle is a service weapon, and as such, must be safeguarded as any other service weapon or sensitive item issued to the officer.  During transport, the rifle is to be stored in an approved carry case.  The case may be a tactical closed cell foam and cordura nylon type, steel, aluminum, or high impact resin/ plastic.  
The semi-automatic patrol rifle will be stored in the carry case in the following condition.  The chamber will be empty, a loaded magazine inserted in the magazine well with the mechanical safety engaged.  
Magazines will be either 20 or 30 round capacity.  A 20 round magazine will be loaded with only 18 rounds of ammunition and a 30 round magazine will be loaded with 28 rounds of ammunition.  This will ensure that a magazine may be inserted and properly locked into the magazine well on a closed bolt.  
The rifle will be stored in the trunk of the police vehicle, unless the vehicle is equipped with a secure, locking rack mounted inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
In order to safeguard the rifle from theft, when in an off duty status, officers shall remove the patrol rifle from their vehicles, and it will be stored in a secure location at their homes.  Officers are highly encouraged to purchase a gun safe to facilitate secure home storage of the patrol rifle, and any other firearms they may posses.
*NOTE:  Only department issued or approved ammunition may be used in patrol rifles for qualification and tactical employment.
All patrol rifles must be equipped with a tactical sling.  This sling will either be of the two point tactical configuration or a single point attachment tactical sling.  While carried by the individual officer, the rifle will be slung at all times, and carried with the muzzle pointed in a downward direction.  
D) DEPLOYMENT
Patrol rifles may be employed in deadly force situations at the discretion of the individual officer in accordance with this agency’s deadly force policy.  While not all inclusive, listed below are some instances where deployment of the patrol rifle would be appropriate.
1. Active shooter incidents
2. Suspect is believed to be wearing body armor
3. High risk vehicle stops
4. Suspect is using lightweight barricade materials for cover
5. Suspect is armed with shoulder fired weapons (rifles or shotguns)
6. Barricaded suspects
7. Any incident that may require the officer to deliver accurate fire at ranges outside the capability of the police service pistol

Officers are reminded that they are to use their best judgment in deciding to deploy the patrol rifle, based on the facts that they know at the time of deployment.  Further, officers shall not handle or display the patrol rifle unnecessarily, especially in the view of the public.

E) MAINTENANCE/ CARE AND CLEANING
Departmentally issued patrol rifles will be maintained by the individual officer.  Each officer will be taught during initial training, the proper care and cleaning procedures, at the operator level.  Any repairs above and beyond operator level maintenance will be performed by the department rifle armorer.  There may be situations where the department armorer will provide routine, minor repairs to a personally owned, department approved rifle.  In cases where major service is required, or parts replacement is necessary that will incur excessive cost, the officer owning the approved patrol rifle will incur those associated costs.
The officer may have the weapon serviced by a certified armorer other than the department armorer.  This will be done solely at the officer’s expense.
All patrol rifles will be kept clean, rust free, lubricated, and serviceable at all times.  Any time a deficiency is noted, it shall be reported to the officer’s Sergeant immediately.
F) AUTHORIZED ACCESSORIES
The only authorized accessories that may be mounted on the patrol rifle are a tactical light, and certain approved tactical optics listed below.
     
1. Lighting systems from Surefire designed specifically to be mounted on an AR-15/M-16 type rifle
2. The Trijicon Reflex series of optical gunsights
3. The Trijicon ACOG TA47 2.0x20 optical gunsight
4. The Aimpoint COMP XD series of optical gunsights
5. The EO TECH series of optical gunsights
6. The C-More optical gunsight
7. The OKO “heads up display” type optical gunsight.

Any of these sight enhancement optics may only be mounted after the officer has zeroed and qualified using iron sights.  Then the officer will then zero the optical sight and qualify with it as well.
No other modifications to the patrol rifle are authorized.  Officers found to have affixed to their rifles unauthorized equipment will have their authority to carry the patrol rifle revoked immediately.

What kind of ammo are you guys running?

55 gr  Hornaday TAP where I am.

My department issues Mini 14s to all patrol deputies, with the option of carrying a personally owned AR15 type rifle.  We are allowed personally owned optics up to 4 power, as well as tactical lights.  Deputies in our detachments are authorized to carry .308 rifles.  Our training is an 8 hour rifle course, and we requalify twice a year.