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Richard Fairburn

Law Enforcement Firearms

Dick Fairburn has more than 40 years of law enforcement experience in both Illinois and Wyoming, working patrol, investigations and administrative assignments. Dick also served as the section chief of a major academy’s Firearms Training Unit and critical incident training program. He has a B.S. in Law Enforcement Administration from Western Illinois University and was the Valedictorian of his recruit class at the Illinois State Police Academy. He has published more than 300 feature articles and two books: “Police Rifles” and “Building a Better Gunfighter.” Dick is currently serving as the public safety director in a Central Illinois community, overseeing the police and fire departments, as well as the 911 center.

LATEST ARTICLES
When seeking a light to illuminate nighttime operations, the brightest isn’t necessarily the best
After the Virginia Tech attack we tested and videotaped the use of issue weapons/loads against glass samples and several grades of chain and padlocks
In the case of an active killer loose in a populated venue, one must risk a lot to save a lot
Requiring a minimum police population of 100 officers to establish a SWAT team helps to keep standards high and overuse low
A precision shooter must have basic elevation and windage knowledge committed to memory, and there are some simple memory aids to help
Don’t overcomplicate things — it really is pretty simple stuff until you go beyond 400 yards
If cops are inadvertently training themselves to “throw down” their sidearm, rather than quickly and securely holstering, we can reprogram them by stressing the proper de-escalation cycle
In reviewing the survey data, it seems that America’s law enforcers put little faith in the effectiveness of proposed gun-control legislation
Cops tend to see truly crazy people in their one-percent moments, because we see them under stress, where they can’t keep up their mask of sanity
If your agency doesn’t offer you such training, get out and do it on your own or with a couple of buddies