You need to understand the nature of the business. Usually there is limited information given to the crew that is assigned the call. Most of the time the process works like this. The citizen calls the 911 call center and talks with an operator. The operator usually enters the information on a screen and sends it to the dispatcher. The dispatcher then sends the information to the responding crew.
Depending on the type of call, there can be break downs in any part of the process. If it’s a disturbance call, the information flows to the crew and they MAY or MAY NOT know there is an armed citizen at the scene. They get that information when they arrive. So now you have the original disturbance call AND a man with a gun. The cop has a very short period of time to process the information and make the correct decision, EVERYTIME.
It’s been awhile since I was active LEO, but I know that depending on the call, in my old department, sometimes the information was YELLED to the dispatcher in order to speed response time. If a gun call or a hold-up were called into dispatch, the operator verbally passed the information along then filled out the screen.
As for the training...I would disagree with your assessment. If anything, the training now has become riddled with PC. Departments don’t want aggressive officers as they tend to create lawsuits the departments don’t want to deal with.
I will agree the “profile” of most cops has changed. When I started on the job back in the early 70’s, there was less consideration of “diversity” than there is now. Most of us, back then, wanted to be cops. Now it seems to be just another job and for some people, the street cop is nothing more than an entry level position to attain higher rank and/or curry political favor to move from a municipal department to an elected police administration job. You don’t find too many guys that spent their entire career on the street anymore.
I speak from personal experience that the shoot/no shoot scenario takes place in a nano-second. The results can be life changing for all parties. I was lucky and can say I was right all of the time. Others cannot.
“Depending on the type of call, there can be break downs in any part of the process. If it’s a disturbance call, the information flows to the crew and they MAY or MAY NOT know there is an armed citizen at the scene. They get that information when they arrive. So now you have the original disturbance call AND a man with a gun. The cop has a very short period of time to process the information and make the correct decision, EVERYTIME.”
I have called 911 several times. Once it was late at night after seeing cars being broken into in driveways near my brother’s house. Good neighborhood - wealthy targets. Easy pickings for the punks or so they thought. I made sure the 911 operator knew I was armed, gave her my name and descriptions of myself and the perps, and verified she would inform the first responsees (police) of the information. She actually kept me on when she called the dispatcher and asked if I wanted to add anything.
When I saw the officer enter the street about 3 minutes later, I placed my hands on a fence in clear sight. The officer rolled up, got out of his cruiser, and calmly walked up. I made no sudden movements, indicated I was (heavily) armed, and offered to surrender my arms to him. His response: “That’s not necessary, Mr. #######, just tell me what you saw.” All calm, all good. Additional officers arrived within a few minutes including K-9 units. They scrubbed the area. Bad guys got away - but never came back.
The point: very well trained and professional police from top to bottom. I also made sure the officers never felt threatened.
Now could it have gone bad? Sure, but you can slip on soap in the shower and get killed. Everyone behaving professionally, calmly, and with good communication made the risk very low though.