POSA offers free and low-cost training programs to law enforcement officers to increase their safety and effectiveness.  These programs are designed to enhance performance through training in new subjects, leading-edge technique, and modern approaches to officer safety.

POSA is currently focused on use-of-force training since this is the area of greatest risk to officers and it is typically the most difficult and expensive training to obtain.  

Programs are developed and taught by experienced, dynamic POSA instructors in addition to expanded offerings by nationally recognized adjunct instructors.

POSA’s TRAINING IS DELIVERED THREE WAYS: 

Video Training
POSA produces our own video training programs  on relevant training subjects.  These videos are available FREE to all law enforcement officers through this website.  Physical DVDs can be ordered by agencies or individual officers for a nominal fee. Click here to download the DVD request form.

Our video programs are valuable additions to departmental training libraries and are available to every officer in an agency.  Modular in fashion, the training on these videos can be watched in short blocks of time and used for roll-call training. 

Quarterly Journal
We publish and distribute the "POSA Journal of Tactics and Training".  Journals are available FREE to all law enforcement officers and agencies through this website. POSA's Journal offers the most practical, forward thinking material on the subject of law enforcement training from internationally recognized experts.

Hands-on Classes
Classes are conducted free in New England either by request or to develop and refine our training programs.   Officers and agencies in New England are invited to request a program, and law enforcement officers throughout the country are welcome to attend.

LEOs - Click here to download our 

POSA's training is in-demand because of our two key attributes:

• Realism   Too often, for liability reasons and to avoid any risk at all of injury in training (both laudable goals), much use-of-force training has been watered down to the point of minimal usefulness.  Officers know this, but are at a loss as to where to turn for training that is truly relevant to them.  Martial arts schools and commercial shooting schools offer programs that are useful to a greater or lesser degree, but they are geared towards the general public, and not the tactical, legal, and duty-bound environment in which police officers must work.  POSA's training, by contrast, is notable for its realism and direct relevance.

• Succinctness   Commercial entities must, by necessity, charge fees for their training.  This requirement often has the effect of encouraging the lengthening of these programs to justify a larger tuition.  POSA's programs are under no such constraint, and thus are direct, information-dense, and contain no repetition or filler.  Feedback on our programs indicates that this aspect of our training is much appreciated.

The following training modules are currently available on video or for local, hands-on classes.  Hands-on classes are held in our local area to help develop and refine our classes before they are committed to video.  (Check our schedule for local class information).

Subjects currently available on video are indicated.  Each year we will be adding new full-length video programs to our free download library.  Additional video programs that don't lend themselves to in-person classes are also available on our "Publications & Downloads" page.

   Handgun Retention, Disarming and Recovery (Video available)
   Tactical Knife Skills for Law Enforcement (Video available)
   Emergency Empty Hands Tactics
   Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed  
   Force-on-Force Simulation Instructor (Video available) 
   Close Quarters Shooting (Video available)
   Empty Hand Against A Knife (Video available)
   Patrol Response to an Active Shooter Concepts 
   Crisis Intervention, De-escalation, and Control

   Taser Command Demonstration    

   Taser Instructor   
 

Detailed program descriptions follow:

Handgun Retention, Disarming and Recovery 

Police officers are at a severe risk of their firearms being taken from them, and this terrible scenario unfolds for real many times a year.  Police also face firearms threats on a regular basis. In this class you will learn to:

    1. Disarm a gun-armed attacker
    2. Remain in control of your firearm when it is in your hand during a gun grab 
    3. Keep your gun secured when the attacker is after your holstered weapon 
    4. Snatch your firearm back if taken from you 

We will cover all of the popularly taught ways to disarm and retain a firearm—both handguns and long guns, as well as several other possible methods that are valid but seldom taught.  The class will discover the pros and cons of each method, and you will be able to choose the one or ones that work best for you.

Tactical Knife Skills for Law Enforcement
A folding knife is an essential tool that every police officer needs to have with them. This class will teach you everything you need to know about selecting, maintaining, and safely using this indispensable tool. In addition, there have been multiple documented occasions in which a police officer has had to rely on their knife in order to save their lives. This class will show you the basic technique involved in these emergency self-rescue/self-extradition situations.

Emergency Empty Hands Tactics
Police officers often find themselves involved in situations in which they must fight an opponent trying to kill or maim them, yet they don’t have the time to access a weapon. This course teaches techniques appropriate for these situations—techniques that are designed to transmit maximum stopping force to the assailant, and stop his actions immediately.

 Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed 
This course is now MANDATORY for officers who need to fly armed - either for prisoner transport, protective details, ongoing surveillance, or any other legitimate reason. This TSA-mandated course covers the procedures and protocols that an armed officer will need to be familiar with.

This course can be had in one of three ways.  If you desire, POSA can teach this 75 minute course for you. It will probably be easier for you to email the FAM program directly at TSAFAMS.LEO@SECURESKIES.NET with all of your contact/verification info and a request to be mailed the program on a CD.  Then a designated instructor at your agency can teach the course.  Finally, the FBI makes the current version of the presentation and test available thru its LEO OnLine program, which is LE restricted.  To get an application, you have to call (888)334-4536.  The material is in the LEO SIG area.

Force-on-Force Simulation Instructor  
The advent of affordable, realistic Airsoft technology has made force-on-force training a viable option for all departments. With this explosion in the potential for realistic training has come the need for a realistic, law enforcement orientated, simulation instructor certification program—one that covers the essential material at a reasonable cost, and does not tie up personnel for unnecessary time.

The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors and Armorers Association (MLEFI&AA) Simulation Instructor course is a one day (8 hour) course designed to insure that simulations are run safely and in a manner that achieves learning objectives. Certificates are issued by MLEFI&AA to those successfully completing the course. A $50 certification fee is charged, payable to MLEFI&AA.

This course is approved by the Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Committee (the Mass. POST body.)

Close Quarters Shooting
Most LEOs are killed within 5 feet—within touching distance of their killers. Yet little firearms training is done at this extremely close distance. This is the zone in which defensive tactics must be combined with shooting in order to survive—the distance at which integrated use of force becomes important.

This class starts with a discussion of the role of the handgun in fights. Too often, we lose track of the real nature of the handgun and try to make it fit into a role that it was not intended for. Next, the whole issue of “stopping power” is dispended with and our basic philosophy of how to use the handgun to stop a violent attack is presented.

The class also includes an overview of essential gun presentation skills and the effective integrated use of force techniques for extremely close ranges, target focused shooting at single and multiple targets, Airsoft drills to allow students to practice at moving targets and during simulated close quarter assaults, and unconventional shooting positions at close range.

“Hooded” drills in which students are led into a scenario hooded, then the hood is removed are utilized to help teach how to deal with the unknown situation LEOs may find themselves in.

Equipment needed: normal carry and range gear, a handgun and 300 rounds of ammunition.

Empty Hand Against A Knife 
This course develops the A.C.D.C. counter-knife system — the realistic, systematic knowledge that you need when you are unarmed or there is no time to draw your weapon. 

In this class you will learn: 
    - Knife defense fallacies that will get you killed on the street 
    - Which knife assaults are defeatable, and which are not 
    - Why, within their range, knives are more deadly than guns 
    - The unique A.C.D.C. system for dealing with most knife attacks 
    - Specific skills for honing the elements of the A.C.D.C. system

Patrol Response to an Active Shooter Concepts 
This class is an introduction to the concepts and tactics of a patrol response to an active shooter situation (such as a school shooting), and the preparation that agencies should engage in for such an event.   The concepts and tactics taught are a combination of several well-established schools of thought in this area.  The purpose of this class is to familiarize students with the concepts and tactics of an active shooter situation sufficiently so that they can train to true  competence as they have the opportunity.
 

Crisis Intervention, De-escalation, and Control
Police officers have to deal with emotionally charged situations--with people in crisis--all the time, with the objective of establishing control and containing the potential for violence.  This seminar is an introduction to the principles of crisis intervention, de-escalation and control with an emphasis on officer and subject safety.  Subjects covered include situation strategy selection, intervention tactics, dealing with friendly, volatile and aggressive persons, non-verbal communications and aggression defenses.  Recommended for new officers or officers without the benefit of the usual academy training in this area.
 

Taser Command Demonstration

This one-hour demonstration of the Taser's capabilities and its place in the set of use of force alternatives available to an officer is intended for the command staff of a department.  These command demos are free and provided upon request.  Simply call or email POSA to schedule one.

Taser Instructor

The Taser Instructor course is not strictly speaking a POSA class, since Taser International (TI) will not allow us to teach it for free or for a reduced price.  However, we can provide a class for you at the normal TI price at your convenience, with a minimum of ten students.  Contact the POSA Training Director for details:rmroz@posai.org