Retired police officers take another shot
THOMPSON FALLS – Retired law enforcement officers throughout the area had a rare chance to renew their nationwide carry on Thursday, May 15, taking shots to secure their rights.
The Sanders County Sheriff’s Office held a HR-218 nationwide carry qualification shoot, allowing retired officers to renew their carry permits.
HR-218, otherwise known as the Law Enforcement Officers’ Safety Act was signed into law in 2004 by former President George W. Bush. The bill exempted qualified active and retired law enforcement officers from local and state prohibitions on the carrying of concealed firearms.
Narcotics Detective Doug Dryden held the course, a one of a kind opportunity in the area. Retired officers traveled from the surrounding areas to get recertified to carry their weapons.
All officers that attended were required to bring their carry handgun and a minimum of 32 rounds of ammunition.
The group of officers were required to put their name and date on a target and shoot the 32 rounds from distances varying from two yards to seven yards, while adding in certain moving tactics such as stepping sidewise or moving backwards.
“We have a lot of guys that are in their 70s or so attend,” Dryden said. “By federal law, all of us as law enforcement officers can carry all over the country, both retired and active duty.”
The retired officers shoot the academy minimum in order to get certified. The goal is to make sure the officers are still handling and maneuvering their guns properly.
In order to pass the class, the officers need to get an 80 percent and according to Dryden, most had been in the 90-100 percentile.
“All we are trying to see, for me as an instructor, I just want to know that the guys know how to make the gun function,” Dryden explained.
The opportunity does not present itself often. The sheriff’s office has held the class for the last three years, but is the only department to do so in the surrounding area. Other departments chose to opt out of holding the recertification class.
Dryden explained that if the department did not hold this training opportunity, many of the officers would have to travel back to their departments for the certification and for some that includes a cross-country trek.
Stephen Stempinski was one of the retired officers who attended the class. Stempinski was a police officer in New Jersey for 25 years and after his retirement he moved out to Kalispell.
Stempinski was more than grateful for the opportunity.
“It’s necessary to qualify as a law enforcement officer that’s retired so you’re proficient in carrying a gun,” Stempinski said.
Lynn Lanzoni, a reserve deputy and volunteer for the department, manned the registration table. Lanzoni said the class was a great thing for the department.
“It’s almost a community service project because you have all these retired police officers that are here in the county or nearby that would like to maintain their qualification and their ability to carry their weapon,” Lanzoni said.
The way he sees it, the more good guys carrying a gun, the better off the communities are.
“My personal opinion is the more good guys with guns, the safer everyone else is,” Lanzoni explained citing a story that occurred approximately six months ago when an officer was able to resolve a shooting because he had his firearm with him. “Since these guys have spent almost all of their lives doing just that, protecting people, it’s kind of a habit.”
It was apparent that the attendants were more than grateful for the opportunity.
“Thanks so much for doing this,” said one participant. “No one else will do it.”
Dryden is willing to help others get their recertification if they were unable to attend the event. If anyone is interested in this opportunity, they are encouraged to call the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office at 827-3584 and ask for either Dryden or Chad Cantrell.