By Brooke DeLong
Firearm training and practicing is of utmost importance for any law enforcement Agency. Southern Justice Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club recently donated five dry-fire magazines to the Sapulpa Police Department, valued around six hundred dollars.
Firearms Instructor Lieutenant Tyler Brogden with Sapulpa Police Department was overheard saying these special training magazines would be nice to have for the agency. Lieutenant Jim Madden who has been with SPD for almost twenty-three years and who is also President of Southern Justice knew it was a need his club would love to fill.
Lieutenant Brogden is passionate about training and demonstrated how the special magazine enables the shooter to practice firing their weapon consistently, while it is unloaded, without having to rack the slide back continuously. This training practice is boring and tedious but one of importance. It takes several thousand times for the action of aiming and firing without the anticipation of recoil to become natural by way of muscle memory. While it is obviously easier to hit a target at close range, the longer the distance the more important it is to hold your gun steady and not flinch. The magazines will be checked out to officers which will enable them to practice “dry firing” at home.
Sapulpa Police Chief Mike Reed said, “Donations are greatly appreciated as training is important and budgets are tight.” Every officer attends a beginner’s course on the range every year for a refresher and receives other training and practice year-round. Every agency is responsible for the training of their officers after graduating the CLEET program.
The contribution occurred during a range day for retirees where retired officers who want to be commissioned attend twice a year to practice with their firearm. This enables them to still carry their handgun into locations where the public cannot. Lieutenant Brogden called out several drills which included standing and kneeling positions for the shooters. He, Chief Reed and Detective Terry Wiggs had watchful eyes while six retired officers ran drills seamlessly. Chief Reed explained that these meetings held twice a year are also a time to eat and reminisce over old “war stories.” There were laughs and many good memories shared amongst the men while a few rookies were welcomed.
The Sapulpa shooting range, named after Officer Larry Cantrell who died in line of duty in 2005, is a multi-functional location which has received much-needed updates which includes new paved parking and sidewalks, outdoor lighting and a K-9 training area. Lowe’s Home Improvement donated lumber and volunteers painted and assembled what resembles a dog agility course. Our local K-9 teams are now able to train closer to home.
Southern Justice LE MC Oklahoma Badlands is a shoot off from the organization that started in Texas. It is comprised of no less than 60% law enforcement members with a zero tolerance of felons. Their mission is to “…lift up our brothers in a time when it’s popular to concentrate on the negative…we use brotherhood and motorcycles as our avenue to heal and help others!” Their hearts are to serve their community by not only donating firearm training equipment but nursing scholarships through Central Tech and more.
