A study of law enforcement firearms recertification program effects on accuracy skills

Law enforcement officers are in constant danger from being involved in a critical shooting event against an assailant using a firearm. In some cases, officers may go through an entire career and never have to use their duty weapon or firearm. Maintaining accuracy skills may be hard to accomplish when it takes law enforcement departments such a large effort to constantly train officers with a firearm. Limited research in regards as to what impacts accuracy skills is the purpose for this study. Six selected Georgia law enforcement agencies or departments lend data for analyzing firearms recertification time interval sessions impact on maintaining high levels of firearms accuracy skills. Social learning theory and andragogy provide the theoretical framework for examining time interval scheduling of firearms recertification or requalification programs impact on learning accuracy skills of law enforcement. Applying a correlational method for the research examines the effects of age, gender, and time intervals on the firearms recertification or requalification process with accuracy skills. Study results will allow law enforcement management to understand the impact of various time interval sessions of firearms recertification or requalification processes assisting with officers maintaining accuracy skills.