READY, AIM, FIRE: OFFICERS' WIVES GO TO SHOOTING RANGE

Sydney Herbst used to hate handling guns. An inborn fear of weapons kept her from being comfortable with the sight of them, even though her husband carries one to work.

On Sunday she borrowed his handgun, holster and belt and headed for a shooting range in rural Cape Girardeau County. It was time to face her fear.

"Sydney had to bring my gun to me one time. I could see how much she hated it," said her husband, Charlie Herbst, a Cape Girardeau policeman. "She didn't want to come out here today without me being here."

His wife and the five other women who practiced shooting Sunday are members of Cape County Women of Law Enforcement, a diverse organization. Most of the members have husbands in law enforcement, but the women are teachers, day-care workers and counselors.

While some were more comfortable with shooting than others, all had a common goal: They were willing to stand in a constant drizzle to learn all they could about gun safety.

Member Tammy Diveley is married to a federal Division of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent. She said her husband is careful about gun storage, but when curious children are in the home it is best for both parents to know about gun safety.

The most important factor in handling guns is keeping the weapon pointed in a safe direction. Lt. Dale Ratliff, a 26-year veteran of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, said many people forget that simple rule.

He drilled the six participants on that fact and others. Even though one may think a gun is unloaded, it may not be.

"Even local law enforcement officers have forgotten the basics," Ratliff said. "They have been cleaning weapons and shot themselves. So far there have only been superficial wounds.

"I tell the women not to be afraid of the weapon. It will not hurt them if they follow the rules."

He painted numbers on targets, and his students practiced shooting various numbers. The biggest test was when they had to draw and fire without aiming, attempting to hit a balloon. That is the kind of thing law enforcement officers may have to do when in danger.

By the middle of the class, even Sydney Herbst looked like she was having fun.