16 October 2023
Message to Alumni and Client Agencies
In recent weeks, I was made aware of a new organization that was forming under the pretext of networking and providing training to potential dues paying members in the Tennessee tactical community, asking a select group to participate in the provision of materials for course design for Sniper and Designated Marksman courses. The supposed goal of this organization is to provide free training to dues paying members through a series of courses ostensibly developed by the organization and taught by its members.
At this time, SPS/HGTG has not been contacted by anyone associated with this organization. It has no apparent internet footprint, website or social media presence that is open and obvious, and at this point we do not know who its principles are. A filing was made under the presumed organization name with the Tennessee Secretary of State in October 2023 registering it as a non-profit with an office address listed as a Middle Tennessee U.S. Post Office with a P.O. Box mailing address. What causes our concern is that there is an apparent connection between this organization and other individuals, organizations and/or agencies which have previous history of attempting to obtain and assume SPS/HGTG copyrighted materials as their own work product.
Tennessee’s law enforcement community has been without a representative professional organization for far too long and while we applaud the initiative to form such an organization, the approach of attempting to gather training materials before a membership is even established seems dubious. Also, the fact that many of our alumni have been contacted for information makes it professionally necessary to provide the following statement of ownership, trademark and copyright.
Statement of Ownership, Trademark and Copyright
Sniper Pro Shop is a GSA federally certified business licensed in Tennessee. The principal business of SPS is the provision of law enforcement training in the tactical firearms genre. Training is provided by SPS through its subsidiary division, High Ground Training Group. HGTG is staffed by SPS management personnel and utilizes contractors who assist SPS in providing field training. HGTG Contractors are selected from alumni course participants and receive appointment by invitation only.
I. Training Courses and Programs
Sniper Pro Shop is the official owner of all SPS/HGTG taught curricula which includes the following:
- Level I Sniper 2002-present
- Level II Sniper 2004-present
- Level III Sniper – Leadership, Training and Utilization of SWAT Snipers 2008-present
- Level IV Sniper – Mixed Terrain Target Interdiction 2010-present
- Sniper Night Vision Operator 2023
- S.W.A.T. Operator I 2019-present
- Close Team Support 2019-present
- Fugitive Apprehension Specialist Training 2021-present
- Special Operations Sustainment Training 2018-present
- Law Enforcement Designated Marksman 2016-present
- Law Enforcement Designated Marksman Train-the-Trainer 2016-present
- Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor 2017-present
- Law Enforcement Rifle Instructor 2002- present
- Law Enforcement Rangemaster 2019-present
- Law Enforcement Shotgun Instructor 2023
- Handgun Optic Transition Instructor 2023
All the above listed courses as well as custom specialized training courses developed through the Special Operations Sustainment Training program, their supporting materials, lesson plans, associated manuals, range plans, and scenario-based training plans as well as logos and graphics are the property of Sniper Pro Shop. Curricula license is provided to members of the High Ground Training Group to provide training at SPS sanctioned and sponsored training events.
Participants of instructor level courses receive special curriculum license to utilize materials as provided in those courses for the purpose of agency level training for their employing agency. This includes:
- Law Enforcement Designated Marksman Train-the-Trainer
- Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor
- Law Enforcement Rifle Instructor
- Law Enforcement Rangemaster
- Law Enforcement Shotgun Instructor
- Handgun Optics Transition Instructor
Sharing of any SPS/HGTG training materials, lesson plans or range plans by any participant of an SPS course of instruction to any person or organization is expressly forbidden and will be considered a violation of Copyright Laws of the United States (Title 17). Any individual or organization who obtains and utilizes SPS/HGTG training materials, lesson plans or range plans without express permission of SPS will be liable for copyright infringement and SPS reserves the right to pursue appropriate legal action.
II. Training Standards
In 2015, SPS / HGTG released the Sniper Pro Shop / High Ground Training Group Sniper Training Standards. This living document provides a broad guideline based on the current best practices in law enforcement and experience of the members of SPS/HGTG for the conducting of SWAT sniper training. The document addresses the makeup of a SWAT Sniper Section, assignments within the Sniper Section and training including criteria for Basic and Advanced SWAT Sniper Courses. Additionally, it provides a topic list of necessary and mandatory areas of training to be addressed in an annual rotation by the SWAT sniper section. The Sniper Training Standards program is available free of charge from Sniper Pro Shop to assigned SWAT snipers or SWAT leaders through a formal requested subscription program. This subscription specifies that the standards document is law enforcement sensitive and is not to be shared outside the requesting agency and limited to those with a need to know. As with all SPS/HGTG training materials referenced in Section I., this document is the property of SPS and any unauthorized sharing, publication or use of its contents outside the subscription is considered inappropriate and a potential violation of Copyright Laws of the United States (Title 17).
III. White Papers and Articles
SPS provides opinions, articles and white papers to client officers and agencies on a requested basis. Some are published and some available by request or download. These documents are the property of SPS, the source of publication and should only be used in accordance with Copyright Laws of the United States (Title 17).
Questions regarding any of the above materials or programs should be addressed directly to Sniper Pro Shop Headquarters.
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Denny R. Elliott, CEO / Instructor
Sniper Pro Shop / High Ground Training Group
DUNS 080032788
HQ: 615-952-9560
Email: sniperproshop@bellsouth.net
Website: sniperproshop@bellsouth.net