Author(s):
Clemens Lorei, Bernd Grünbaum, Artur Gerlich & Florian Klausmann

Institution:
Hessische Hochschule für öffentliches Management und Sicherheit, Hochschule für Polizei Baden-Württemberg

Title:
Shooting under full protection - The influence of tactical protective equipment on hit performance

Abstract:
To rescue as many people as possible and maximize the protection of emergency responders in life-threatening situations such as attacks, acts of terrorism, and rampages, police officers undergo advanced training and are equipped accordingly. Essential for intervening in such situations is that police officers, despite comprehensive protective gear, can effectively handle their leadership and operational tools. However, since hit rates in relatively relaxed training shooting often differ dramatically from those in real firefights, the question arises whether equipment typical for life-threatening situations affects shooting performance. Therefore, the shooting results of 525 police officers were compared in a shooting exercise, once with protective gear and once without. There was no significant systematic difference regarding shooting accuracy, which is consistent with comparable studies. Differences were only found in one aspect of performance and the time taken for the exercise. Various explanatory approaches are discussed in this regard.