How long has it been since this LE agency did a basic tactical drill? There's blue guns, red guns, wooden guns, or you can use your finger. You can use a real (but verifiably unloaded) gun under very specific, controlled circumstances - which does not include interactions with the public. Real guns tend to make people believe that bullets are about to come out.
Silent Running, by Mike and the Mechanics
We had one of those guns on a florida college campus (real thing) last week and my daughter got the text message the next day. Phone on 24/7. Good job.
When I attend some classes a while back the first thing that happened was cell phones and pagers off! The professors did not like to be interrupted. Taking a cell call or getting up to return a page? I was 45 at the time and it didn’t bother me but some of the “kids” hated being with out cell phones, text messaging or, how do they say that, whatever?
I know when I went to college I had classes packed back to back a lot of times taking up most of the day with 10 minutes between to get from one end of campus to your class on the other end. If there are no cell phones/pagers on rules in class, even some of the half of the students registered for text/email alerts may not get them until hours after the message posted.
Guess the system is better than nothing, hopefully more that are able will sign up for it, but definitely has holes in it.
According to FoxNews.com, they DID use a red gun.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,333069,00.html
The campus police officer who played the role of the intruder carried a red plastic model gun, the school said in a news release.
In a telephone interview Tuesday, Wang said the man came to the door and said he wanted to talk. "Suddenly the man pointed the gun at me," he said, adding that he didn't have time to consider whether the gun was real.
"Red" gun "Blue" gun, or otherwise. People need to know that it's a training exercise. If it's "ok" because he used a "Red" or "Blue" gun, what are our criminals going to think. Will they start painting the real guns "Red" or "Blue"? This could have very devistating results.
ANYTIME anyone points a gun at me, regardless of what it appears to be, unless it's a training exercise, I take the appropriate measures. :03:
gf
"A few well placed shots with a .22LR is a lot better than a bunch of solid misses with a .44 mag!" Glock Armorer, NRA Chief RSO, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, Muzzleloading Rifle, Muzzleloading Shotgun, and Home Firearm Safety Training Counselor
On one hand I'd say it was good to get the kids alert and see what their reaction would be.
On the other hand, when I participated in fire/hurricane drills in school we knew what we had to do and were to go. This seemed like it was done without any real point. Even if the kids knew what was going to happen; did they know what to do?
Last edited by Memphis; 02-27-2008 at 11:22 PM.
Unapologetic American
NRA/IDPA/USPSA/GSSF
On the issue of colored training guns, there are colored real guns available also. Just because it's red, blue, orange, etc. doesn't mean it's not real. Communication/notification was the major problem here.
Great photo. We have a Beretta .22 NEOS that has a black frame with pretty blue inserts. The shape of the gun makes it look like a paint ball gun.
Are the guns pictured available in those colors from the factory, or are they "custom". I'd like to get a Glock 23 or 27 with a hot pink frame. I've been scanning the internet, but have yet to find a company that would do something like that.
gf
"A few well placed shots with a .22LR is a lot better than a bunch of solid misses with a .44 mag!" Glock Armorer, NRA Chief RSO, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, Muzzleloading Rifle, Muzzleloading Shotgun, and Home Firearm Safety Training Counselor