Characteristics of shooting efficiency during a basic shooting training program involving police officers of both sexes

Abstract

Using duty weapons is part of the obligatory professional skills of police officers, for which they must be trained in the appropriate way. The aim of this paper is to define the efficiency of the basic training program in handling weapons involving police officers of both sexes. The research population included 71 subjects (25 female subjects and 46 male subjects), students of the Academy of Criminalistic and Police Studies in Belgrade, who attended the basic course in handling duty weapons, and who had no prior knowledge of shooting. The subjects were tested 3 times during the course: at the beginning of the course (Test I), in the middle (Test II), and at the end of the course (Test III). The tests included precise shooting at a circle target with 10 bullets and at a distance of 10 meters. Each test was applied under standardized conditions of the rifle range, without a time limit on the shooting. The results were analyzed using multivariate statistic methods (the GLM multivariate model). Generally speaking, the results showed a statistically significant difference in shooting training efficiency between different sex subjects, at a Wilks' Lambda level of 0.849, F = 6.046, p = 0.040. The results showed that the subjects showed significant differences only at the initial measuring (Test I), whereas under the influence of training, the shooting skills of both groups had become homogeneous. In the case of the female subjects, the initial shooting efficiency was 29.32% (Test I), 63.04 % (Test II), and 69.32% (Test III), while for the male subjects it was 50.74% (Test I), 70.37 % (Test II), and 73.92% (Test III). In other words, the same shooting program increased the final shooting efficiency level by 136.43% among the women, while among the men the increase was 45.69%.

Upotreba službenog oružja pripada kategoriji profesionalnih policijskih veština i sposobnosti, za koje policajci moraju biti osposobljeni na adekvatan način. Cilj ovog rada je definisanje efikasnosti primenjenog programa osnovne obuke za upotrebu službenog oružja kod populacije policajaca oba pola. Istraživanje je realizovano na uzorku od 71 ispitanika (25 devojaka i 46 mladića), studenata Kriminalističko policijske akademije iz Beograda, koji su pohađali osnovni kurs obuke u rukovanju službenim oružjem, a bez prethodnog iskustva u pucanju iz pištolja. Ispitanici su testirani tri puta za vreme obuke i to na početku (Test I), u sredini (Test II) i na kraju obuke (Test III). Testiranje je realizovano primenom preciznog pucanja u kružnu metu sa 10 metaka i sa distance od 10 metara. Svaki test je izvršen u standardizovanim uslovima pištoljskog strelišta i bez vremenskog ograničenja pucanja. Sirovi rezultati su analizirani primenom multivarijantne statističke metode - generalnog linearnog modelovanja (GLM). Na generalnom nivou je utvrđena statistički značajna razlika između efikasnosti pucanja između polova na nivou Wilks Lambde od 0,849, F=6,046, p=0.040. Takođe analize su pokazale da je razlika utvrđena jedino na inicijalnom testiranju na Testu I. U odnosu na ispitanice vrednost efikasnosti upotrebe službenog oružja je bila 29,32% (Test I), 63,04% (Test II) i 69,32% (Test III), dok je za ispitanike bila na nivou od 50,74% (Test I), 70,37% (Test II) i 73,92% (Test III), respektivno. Isti program osnovne obuke za upotrebu službenog oružja je kod ispitanica povećao efikasnost pucanja za 136,43%, dok je kod ispitanika taj napredak bio na nivou od 45,69%.