22 Mar 23
ILEETA (International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association) Annual Conference, St Louis, MO, 2023
Vicki and I just departed St Louis, MO when we attended the 2023 ILEETA Convention. Both Vicki and I presented Classes there.
We’re now on our way to Dallas, TX for the 2023 Tac-Com, hosted by Tom Givens. I’ll be doing a Quip on that Conference also!
As always, Harvey Hedden and his wonderful Crew did a spectacular job putting this all together.
Harvey is the best organizer I’ve ever know!
As always, there were many more Classes (both lecture and life-fire on the Range) than I could possibly sit-in on (over fifty). Lots of new and upcoming young instructors! It’s good to see so many courageous kids step forward to teach, in spite of the current discouraging law-enforcement environment.
As always, there was an expansive vendor area where one can see and handle what’s new!
As always, this is an event that should be attended by every law-enforcement professional who cares about this profession and the advancement of our Art.
Some highlights:
Optics on pistols are now more the rule than the exception!
I notice Delton’s pistol optic now has a battery compartment on top, instead of underneath, so it is now unnecessary to take the optic off the pistol in order to replace batteries. A real step forward!
Both Aimpoint (ACRO) and Steiner also had their pistol optics on display. Both work fine, but both are a good deal bulkier than Delton, EOTech (Eflex), Trijicon, Vortex, Holosun, et al.
Aimpoint’s premier rifle optic is now the RDS. Very compact and rugged.
Friends at Ruger tell me that their LCP (380Auto) is the best-selling gun they make, by far!
Ruger’s current flagship service-pistol is their Glock-like “American”
I continue to be impressed with Compliance Tech’s “Glove” It requires physical contact with the suspect, but take-down is very rapid, and it doesn’t tie-up the hands, so the officer can simultaneously operate his gun(s) and other equipment.
Under new ownership (one of my students, Jim Glennon), Caliber Press is now producing an expansive library of LE training videos. Extremely well done, and recommended!
The Bolo-Wrap System has been upgraded and now uses an automotive air-bag initiator instead of a 380Auto blank, so it is no longer a “firearm” I used it several times, and it is impressive in quickly immobilizing a suspect from a relatively safe stand-off distance.
I had a chance, once more, to personally experience the top video training systems. All were on display at the Conference!
They are Milo, Lasershot, TI, and Laser-Ammo
The first three are extremely sophisticated. Clarity is amazing! Numbers of available scenarios (all branching) is approaching infinity! Many non-LEO, citizen CCW scenarios are also available. All can be set-up with multiple, wrap-around screens.
I can surely recommend all three. However, all three are very expensive, and thus out-of-reach of most, except state and federal agencies, maybe big departments.
The exception is a less-sophisticated system called Laser-Ammo. For under 5k, a small department can get a copy. It sets-up fast and, although you have fewer options, it can get a department into video-simulation training at relatively low cost.
During the Conference there was a video-simulator-based tactical shooting competition, open to all attendees. It was administered on the MILO System. I watched a number of contestants go through it.
It was a ten-minute tactical exercise involving multiple armed suspects and one hostage-rescue drama.
An added wrinkle was that each contestant wore a device called AUFire (Accuracy Under Fire).
Best described as a “wound simulator,” this electronic “sleeve” delivers a Taser-like shock that immobilizes the shooter’s support-side arm, so he is forced to continue the drill shooting one-handed.
Each contestant was thus “wounded” during the exercise. All yelled when “hit,” and several were taken off their feet!
Pretty realistic!
Finally, I got a chance to experience yet another “simulator,” called “Wrap Reality.”
There is no screen!
The trainee wears a headset and the scenario is piped-into him. Most modern teen-agers know all about this technology, but I experienced it for the first time in my life!
It literally “takes you to another place,” instantly! You can look any direction you want, and you’re always “there”
Scenarios are numerous and branching, virtually without limits.
This may be the future!
All LEO Operators need to be ILEETA members. If you haven’t already, plan on attending next year!
/John
