Last fall, during a simulated hostage situation on Whidbey Island, law enforcement teams enjoyed shooting bad guys and rescuing Teddy bears as Oak Harbor Police Department, Island County Sheriff’s Office and Whidbey Island Naval Air Station base security competed in their first joint pistol competition.

Oak Harbor Chief of Police Steve Almon awarded prizes to winning teams Jan. 25. Although Almon had the idea for the competition, Oak Harbor officers did not bring home the bragging rights.

Petty officers Jonathan Baumgartner, Steven Mabes and Randy McKalip, along with Chief Petty Officer Dean Willette — the four-man Top Gun team from NAS — won the traveling trophy.

Almon didn’t seem too worried about his team not winning the trophy.

The inter-island pistol competition met its goal of law enforcement officers getting to know each other outside of work pressures, in a casual setting not as sailors and police officers, but as people with common interests.

Some people might find a firing range a pressurized environment, but not law enforcement folks.

“We all enjoy putting rounds downrange,” Chief Warrant Officer John Machaby, NAS security officer, said.

And the group definitely sent rounds down range.

No limit was placed on the amount of ammunition a person used and Machaby said people enjoyed the course so much they went through several times.

The 32-round course of fire began with shooters seat-belted in a car. As soon as they left the vehicle, a clock started.

“Shoot targets” were partially concealed behind “don’t shoot targets.” People had to enter a building, clear a room filled with bad guys and hostages and rescue a Teddy bear. People had to shoot and reload on the run as well as while holding the bear. And holding the bear upside down by one leg wasn’t allowed.

The bear had to be treated as if it were a child. The course stopped when the bear was securely fastened in a car seat.

While the competition was friendly, the idea behind it was serious. Almon and Machaby want island law enforcement to know each other and establish stronger relationships.

“We had a good relationship before,” Machaby said. “Now it will be even better.”

Oak Harbor Police and NAS security share jurisdiction on the Seaplane Base. For Ault Field, NAS and Island County Sheriff’s Department work together.

“We work with base security numerous times weekly,” Almon said.

“We trade information and have to work together.”

Almon said a good working relationship is essential to creating tighter bonds between all agencies. Because everyone enjoyed and learned so much, he hopes to schedule another joint day on the firing range in late spring or early summer.

And Almon is planning for the next inter-island pistol competition where he hopes to bring the trophy to Oak Harbor Police Department.

Here are the other results of the first competition:

Four-man team 1st place: Petty officers 1st Class Jonathan Baumgartner and Steven Mabes, Petty Officer 2nd Class Randy McKalip and Chief Petty Officer Dean Willette

Four man team, 2nd place: NAS Petty officers 1st class Michael Hansen, John Swizdor, Mark Taylor and Chief Warrant Officer John Machaby.

Two man team, 1st place: Steve Nordstrand and Steve Almon, Oak Harbor Police.

Two man team, 2nd place: Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Shaw and Chief Petty Officer Jerry Shenefield, NAS.

Individual awards: Scott Fague, Island County Sheriff’s Department and Cedric Niiro, Oak Harbor Police Department.