Citizens Police Academy Week Seven -- Firing Range

In this 1935 photo, Sgt. Bailey supervises firearms instruction with two female employees (not sworn officers) of the Pasadena Police Department at the firing range in Eaton Canyon.

Last Wednesday the Citizens Police Academy class spent the day at the same location. 

A few things have changed since then: 

• The firing range is indoors now 
• Women aren't encouraged to wear dresses, hats and heels 
• Body armor and ear and eye protection are a must now 
• That hand-on-the-hip-and-fire-with-the-other-hand technique is a thing of the past.

My selfie in body armor, which was quite heavy:

After about an hour of safety tips and explanations about what to expect, Don Amerman, the rangemaster, showed us the weapons we would be firing -- pistols, rifles and shotguns.

"Don't point your weapon toward anything 

you're not willing to destroy."

Then he and our Citizens Police Academy facilitators, officers Sean Dawkins and Joe Reinbold, provided one-on-one training. 

My target will never make babies again.

In other sessions that day we learned about weapons and tactics and trained with a simulator.

Chief Phillip Sanchez arrived during one of the breaks and chatted it up with Lt. Edward Calatayud.

Then he led a discussion about perception versus reality in many complaints against police officers, the process by which officer-involved shootings are investigated and the dangers police officers face every day on the job.

"My officers wake up every day wanting to do 

the most professional and profound job possible 

for the people of Pasadena."

It was a great day and we all learned so much. 

This 12-week Citizens Police Academy, with classroom and field training, continues to be a great experience as we get an inside look at law enforcement in Pasadena.

I'm holding out hope that the official uniform of the rangemaster will revert back to Sgt. Bailey's traditional boots and jodhpurs. I'm guessing Chief Sanchez might be on board with that!

Many thanks to classmate Karol Franks for the photos of Chief Sanchez (my phone battery was too low by then); I found the historic photo here.