Officers with the Carroll Police Department are now carrying new duty sidearms as part of a departmentwide effort to improve accuracy and situational awareness. According to Captain Ethan Kathol, this is the second service pistol change for the department in the last 10 years. Previously, officers used .40-caliber pistols and switched to the more common 9mm Glock 17 around 2016. Kathol says the transition now is from iron sights to a more modern red dot system.
He adds that multiple studies have shown improved accuracy, especially at longer ranges, using a red dot sight. Kathol says the benefits of this style of system far outweigh the negatives.
According to Kathol, red dots are target-based, meaning the officer’s eyes are focused on the threat rather than the sights of their firearms. Several officers have been trained as instructors, and the remainder of the department received their training and passed qualifications last week.
Carroll Police Department supervisors are confident the transition will improve efficiency as officers continue to familiarize themselves with the new duty pistols.
