Written by: Greg Ellifritz On Tuesday, a man shot up a restaurant in San Diego. He fired through the windows from outside the restaurant. Although he fired approximately 20 rounds out of an AR-15 rifle, miraculously none of the nine restaurant patrons were hit. The gun was recovered and the suspect was arrested a […]
- Home
- News and Tactical Advice (Page 6)
News and Tactical Advice
Group Identity Concepts

Written by: Greg Ellifritz Do you know about “Social Identity Theory” and “Identity Fusion?” If not, it might be beneficial for you to read the article linked below. It’s about an Army doctor who struggled with PTSD after his retirement. Abandoning the tribe: The psychology behind why veterans struggle to transition to civilian life […]
“Unprepared and Overwhelmed”

Written by: Greg Ellifritz On Friday, the SunSentinel newspaper published a damning criticism of the response to last February’s Parkland school shooting. Take the time to read the article Unprepared and Overwhelmed. When you read this, you will be absolutely sickened by the ineptitude displayed by both school staff and sheriff’s deputies. The […]
When Misses Hit- A Look at Real World Backstop Issues

Written by: Greg Ellifritz “It is wonderful, in the event of a street fight, how few bullets seem to hit the men they are aimed at.”– Theodore Roosevelt The most recent study on police hit rates found that only 35% of police rounds fired in gunfights hit the intended target. That statistic is surprising […]
School Security Done Right

Written by: Greg Ellifritz In the past two decades doing this work, I’ve spoken with a whole lot of school teachers and administrators about school safety issues. While well-intentioned, I’ve generally found that most school administrators have a “it won’t happen here” attitude and will not devote the necessary time and resources to […]
The Ever-Changing Nature of Active Killer Response

Written by: Greg Ellifritz Cops have dramatically changed the way they handle active killer attacks in the last two decades. It may be time for yet another fundamental change in police response tactics. I was reviewing some of the recent articles about the Borderland Bar shooting in California. During that shooting, the killer […]
Advice for My Friends….

In looking at my finances from last month, I noticed that, for the first time, the income from website advertisements, affiliate sales, and donations exceeded my monthly income as a cop. Considering that it’s the month before Christmas when most companies spend a lot of ad money, I’m not expecting cash flow at this level […]
The Azana Day Spa Shooting

Written by Greg Ellifritz After yesterday’s shooting at a yoga studio in Florida, I am re-posting this article. Attacks upon group exercise facilities, gyms, and spas all share similar challenges for defenders. Read up on how you can better defend yourself in these unique environments. -Greg Last Sunday, a man entered the Azana […]
The Carjacker Beatdown

Written by Greg Ellifritz A California man carjacked a woman who was driving with her infant child. Shortly after he drove off in her car, he crashed into an electrical pole. Several citizens rushed to the scene to detain the carjacker. Someone recorded the entire event and posted it on YouTube. Check out […]
Shoot/Don’t Shoot

Written by: Greg Ellifritz I still hear lots of gun owners talking about how they would unquestionably shoot any intruder who sets foot in their house. I really think this approach is misguided and had an experience at work today that may convince some of you to change your opinion on the issue. […]
Dixon High School Shooting

Written by: Greg Ellifritz This shooting happened yesterday, but we are just now seeing the news reports about it. The reports (like most early news reports) are both conflicting and short on details. It seems that an expelled former student targeted his high school’s graduation practice session. He shot at a school resource officer. […]
Lock Your Damn Doors- 2018 Edition

Written by: Greg Ellifritz Four years ago, I wrote an article titled Lock Your Damn Doors. In that article I looked at a month’s worth of burglary and theft reports from the city where I worked and tracked how many theft victims had left their houses or cars unlocked before the thefts occurred. […]
South American Crime Prevention Advice

Written by: Greg Ellifritz Everything you need to know about keeping safe comes down to recognizing toads and papaya. I was reminded of this fact when I read the article linked below. Check it out. The woman’s partner won a lawsuit settlement. He posted some pictures of the cash settlement on social media. […]
Should you be the Hero?

Written by: Greg Ellifritz Read the short article linked below: When Getting Involved Goes Wrong: Armed Samaritan Sued for Saving Officer In today’s world, being a hero often comes with a very costly price. This woman saw a criminal attempting to kill a police officer. She righteously shot and killed the criminal attacker […]
National School “Walk Out”

Written by: Greg Ellifritz I’m seeing some posts from my friends talking about their kids participating in large protests and “walk outs” tomorrow. These walk outs are designed to raise awareness about school violence issues. Please discourage your child from participating in any of these events. After well-publicized school massacres, we regularly see […]
Cops Get Suspended for Responding to a School Shooting

Written by: Greg Ellifritz Read this short article. Two Miramar SWAT officers suspended for heading to Parkland massacre. Want to know why some cops fail to act during a school shooting? It’s because they have inept commanders. Stuff like this happens with alarming frequency in the law enforcement world. Two cops from […]
Options for Non-Combatants

Written by Greg Ellifritz I recently was contacted by a regular reader of this site. She had an interesting request for a specialized article for the non-combatant. To paraphrase the request: “I read all the great advice on your site and try to implement as much of it as I can. But […]
Bad Survival Math: Fail to Recognize Assaultive Behavior + Denial =Throat Cut

Written by: Greg Ellifritz I found the article linked below. It covers a random stabbing where an unknown man cut a woman’s throat on a busy street in New York City. The article is quite instructive as both the attacker and victim acted predictably. Read the short article below: Slashing Victim Detail Terrifying Moment a […]
Some Quick Thoughts on the Las Vegas Shooting Police Radio Traffic

Written by: Greg Ellifritz I spent some time today listening to the audio feed of the police radio traffic for about 90 minutes following the start of the active killer event on Sunday night. If you are interested in active killer response, either from the police or armed citizen perspective, this audio is pure […]
Do You Carry a Backup Gun?

Written by Greg Ellifritz I’ve had a busier than normal month in my cop job resulting in numerous trips to take prisoners to the county jail. If you don’t know, not even cops can carry their guns inside a secure holding facility. It is the ultimate “gun free zone.” Since cops are outnumbered by […]