KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Only on KSHB 41 News, we're showing you what it takes to become a police officer for the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department.
For several weeks now, we've been giving you an inside look at the training entrant officers go through at the Kansas City Regional Police Academy.
Members of the 174th entrant officer class received firearm training Wednesday morning. For some of them, it's their first time firing a gun.
The early stages of firearm training are focused on safety. Before ever firing a live round, entrant officers learn safety protocols about how to handle and fire a gun in the classroom.
KCPD Sgt. Ward Smith, supervisor of firearms training for the department, said the vast majority of police officers never fire their weapon in line of duty, but they all need to be ready to at a moment's notice.
"We spend a lot of time at the very beginning on the foundations, and what we find is that pays dividends 10 times over later on," Smith said. "So that's why we devote a full 20 hours in the classroom before they ever fire a live round."
It's an exciting lesson for Austin Ferrebee, who enjoys shooting in his free time. He appreciates the attention instructors put on safety.
"We are a big class, there's a lot of us, so you know you run into a lot of people that are brand new at shooting and then people that could be really experienced," Ferrebee said. "So you've got to kind of start bare bones and make sure that everybody is being 100% safe so that we can all go home."
In the weeks and months ahead, the training will get more challenging. Officers will have to shoot at targets from greater distances and will have less time.
Smith said once entrant officers have a good foundation, they'll move into decision-making training that is critical for in the field.
"You can be a great shot but not be a great decision-maker, and if we put a badge on you and send you out there that is probably a recipe for disaster," Smith said.
Smith said firearm training has become much more focused on decision making over the years.
For Yoshua Baldovinos, the training is his chance to earn his community's trust, which is ultimately why he said he became a police officer.
"I am a first generation American, so this gives me the opportunity to serve my community," Baldovinos said.
Before graduation, entrant officers are required to pass multiple tests developed by firearm staff.
They must also get a certification through the state of Missouri and pass a handgun and shotgun qualification course.
