Police training in Minnesota goes "3-D"

The roar of the 9 millimeter handguns was muffled behind safety glass Tuesday morning in Circle Pines. Cherie Manning, Chief Operating Officer of Blaine's Law Enforcement Targets company studied the demonstration.

"Usually the first response is wow!"

That is a fair description of the reactions of the two men firing at almost-life sized posters down the indoor range at Bill's Gun Shop on 88th Avenue.

The men were wearing glasses that might have been salvaged from a 1950's 3-D movie theatre. Their targets were photos of armed suspects pointing a weapon at the viewer. The effect is one of law enforcement's newest training tools: 3-D targets.

Law Enforcement Targets' Warehouse supervisor, Jerry Kobinski, faced off against a suspect on a snowmobile. "It's actually pretty neat. It looks just like you're lookin' at a real person on a snowmobile."

In the shooting position next to him, company consultant Roger Elias fired at a couple fleeting on a motorcycle. The gun under the female passenger's arm was clearer to one wearing the glasses with one blue lens and one red lens.

A shooter at the new-technology targets must keep both eyes open. Elias was firing a handgun for only the second time in his life. He was elated.

"As I looked at it, I could sense almost the direction they were going to be going."

Manning noted that the connection to law enforcement goes beyond its usage. "It was designed by police officers for police officers and it is actually only available to law enforcement. Ranges are allowed to use them only because police officers train in the room."

Although Law Enforcement Targets is distributing the new targets, they are just making their first appearance in Minnesota after a full year on the market.

"It's being used in Florida and New York," Manning explained. "New York is actually where they were designed. They used quite a bit in New York and they have a facility in Florida. The police officers who designed them are actually from Florida."

Civilian visitors to the range can buy the 2-dimensional versions of the targets, but not the 3-D types. Those are reserved for police officers alone, at least for now.

By Allen Costantini, KARE 11 News Read Allen's KAREmudgeon Blog

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