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In police tactics, as well as all areas of self-defense, basic, simple things actually work in combat situations. Weapon retention safety is one of the most important skills an officer needs to survive on the streets. The Monadnock Defensive Tactics System (MDTS) practical weapon safety tactics are easy to implement in any officer survival program. A solid foundation of basic weapon retention safety principles is more important than just knowing a few techniques. Principles are essential for officers to master because they provide the key to avoiding a problem in the first place. If you look at the instances where officers have had their holstered guns taken away, you will find that in almost all cases, some basic weapon safety procedure was violated.
Eight Basic Weapon Safety Principles
1. Do not only rely on a good holster for weapon retention. Although you should wear the best possible holster, the very nature and purpose of a holster is not just to hold your gun, but to also draw your gun out. Keep this simple rule in mind: if you can draw your gun from your holster, so can an assailant. who understands how your holster works. Nothing can replace good tactics when it comes to weapon retention.
2. Do not wear your firearm in a way that invites an assailant to take it from you. It might look great to wear your holster in a cross draw position, like Doc Holiday did in the movie Tombstone, but for uniform officers it is not a very safe way to wear your holster. Also, plain-clothes officers who wear their holsters in the small of their backs are also inviting a weapon grab. Wear your holster in a position that can be easily defended if an assailant attempts to grab it.