Sentinel Blue

Sentinel Blue team logo

The **Los Angeles Precision Shooting Team (LAPST)**, also known as **Sentinel Blue** competition shooting team consisting of local, county, state and federal law enforcement officers. While Sentinel Blue competes in various different disciplines of IPSC/USPSA, IDPA, and outlaw competitions, it specializes in a variation of the traditional multigun shooting competition called Law Enforcement Multigun (LEM).

## Background

*Main article: Law Enforcement Multigun*

Sentinel Blue was founded in 2017 by Los Angeles Police Department sergeant and competitive shooter Thomas Howe. Howe decided to start a law enforcement competition shooting team to compete in the new multigun competition called Law Enforcement Multigun (LEM), a law enforcement variant of the IPSC multigun category. Howe was able to found Sentinel Blue with a loan from friend Jack Fry, the owner of TacWorks Academy and former professional shooter. Sentinel Blue’s training program is located at the TacWorks Academy in Newhall, California.

Sentinel Blue competes in Law Enforcement Multigun (LEM), a modified law enforcement version of the traditional 3 gun competition. The categories are Agency, Standard, and Unlimited. Agency is a version of IPSC Modified and Standard categories which only allows weapons issued by and modifications permitted by the agency the member represents, any modifications must be permitted by the member’s agency for standard duty use. Standard is a variant of the IPSC Standard category which only allows the standard issued weapons of the member’s agency without any modifications except for the addition of iron sights to rifles which otherwise don’t have them as standard. Unlimited is a category which allows personally owned weapons with an unlimited number of individual modifications of the member’s choice. Members can choose to compete in one or more of the categories depending on preference and personal availability of weapons. Most members participate in both Agency and Standard categories as these use agency provided/issued weapons, Unlimited category depends on the member’s access to appropriately competitive modified weapons. LEM is often considered highly skewed in terms of competitiveness due to the significant variation in agency issued weapons. LEM attempts to mitigate the effects by staging competition in such a way that makes difference in caliber and barrel length as minimal as possible, other factors such as the use of semi automatic versus pump action shotguns tends to cause the largest variation of competitive advantage. Most agencies involved in the LEM community have some form of sportsmanship agreement which involves its representatives using weapons as similar as possible to their competitors in the spirit of fair competition.

Law Enforcement Multigun teams are larger than most professional shooting teams as they prioritize teamwork and collaboration, in keeping with their field. They also tend to be larger as due to its members be active law enforcement personnel, some are not always available to compete at events or train effectively for certain events. Likewise not every member of the team is eligible or interested in competing in every category for a given event or championship. Typically at any given time, 4 members of each team will compete in their event, usually in pairs and teams are scored just as much on teamwork as they are on personal performance. The most active component of the team is the Sentinel Blue Tier One Team, it represents the team not only in LEM matches but also in official non-LEM exclusive matches such as IPSC, USPSA and IDPA championships and events, it also represents Sentinel Blue in exhibition matches, at official events and in advertising. Sentinel Blue also includes the Sentinel Blue Men's Team and the Sentinel Blue Women's Team.

The team's name came from its law enforcement roots, with Sentinel coming from law enforcement agents and officers standing sentinel over the community, and Blue representing law enforcement. It's sister team, Sentinel Green is a team comprised of active, reserve, and retired military personnel.

### Sentinel TV

Sentinel TV is a YouTube channel focusing on the Sentinel Blue (law enforcement) and Sentinel Green (miliary) competition shooting teams of the Los Angeles Precision Shooting Team. Sentinel TV shows highlights of Sentinel Blue and Sentinel Green competitions, training, tutorials and personal challenges. Many of the challenges involved viewer suggestions on what they'd like to see individual team members do.

Sentinel TV also reviews gear, competition weapons and modifications, and gives advice to aspiring competitive shooters.

## Current Personnel

Thomas HoweJack FryTammy DoyleSteven EllisJames WellsKevin HydeCalvin WinslowTodd DesmondJason HughesMaggie MarksSonia KnightVictoria AllenRachel PetersenCharlie LenzenTracy McGaren
### Management

* Thomas Howe: LAPD Sergeant (Founder and Coordinator)
* Zach Shanahan: HSI Special Agent (Head Coach)
* Jack Fry: TacWorks Academy (Sponsor and Coach)
* Tammy Doyle: Tactical Goddess (Sponsor)

### Tier One Team

* Steven Ellis: LAPD Detective (Captain)
* James Wells: EMPD Officer
* Maggie Marks: HSI Special Agent
* Sonia Knight: ICE Officer

### Men’s Team

* James Wells: EMPD Officer (Captain)
* Steven Ellis: LAPD Detective
* Kevin Hyde: ATF Special Agent
* Calvin Winslow: HSI Special Agent
* Todd Desmond: LASD Detective
* Jason Hughes: VCSO Deputy

### Women’s Team

* Maggie Marks: HSI Special Agent (Captain)
* Sonia Knight: ICE Officer
* Victoria Allen: BHPD Officer
* Tracy McGaren: LAPD Detective
* Charlotte Lenzen: LASD Deputy
* Rachel Petersen: LAPP Officer

## Category Teams

### Agency Category Women's

* Maggie Marks
* Sonia Knight
* Victoria Allen
* Rachel Petersen

### Agency Category Men's

* James Wells
* Steven Ellis
* Kevin Hyde
* Calvin Winslow

### Standard Category Women's

* Maggie Marks
* Sonia Knight
* Victoria Allen
* Tracy McGaren

### Standard Category Men's

* James Wells
* Kevin Hyde
* Calvin Winslow

### Unlimited Category Women's

* Maggie Marks
* Sonia Knight
* Victoria Allen
* Charlie Lenzen

### Unlimited Category Men's

* James Wells
* Steven Ellis
* Todd Desmond
* Jason Hughes