Police handgun shooting accuracy during field confrontations is poor, and this raises questions about the validity and thus utility of public safety officer firearm training. Surveys of police and correctional departments (n = 124) and instructors (n = 224) in Washington State were used to explore firearms training frameworks comprised of resources and facilities, general program parameters, instructor selection and development, and officer requalification. Findings exemplifying important similarities and differences are presented, and general recommendations for practitioner organizations are offered. Research will be central to future efforts to identify valid and thus best practices, as will program evaluation for providing ongoing refinement.
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