Encompassing everything from red curbs to alleyways, from metered parking spots to handicapped designated violators, parking enforcement is often seen as a nuisance. But it can also be a means of identifying red flags.
Police officers cannot travel by squad car alone. From motorcycles to ARVs, different details require different modes of transportation.
Today, law enforcement lightbars are becoming even more high-tech with the adoption of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and computer controls. Many lightbars also now feature modular design that allows an agency to replace and repair modules rather than the entire system.
Even though it was toward the back of the exhibit hall, it was hard to miss Oshkosh Defense's new Tactical Protector Vehicle (TPV) at this year's International Association of Chiefs of Police show. It's an imposing vehicle.
Making sure police officers can drive well is not enough. They must also keep their mental skills just as sharp to follow policy under stress and exercise good judgment throughout the pursuit.
"We are all looking to reduce future costs," says Chief Robert Stewart of the Cotati (Calif.) Police Department, whose department sought to save money by reducing its energy use with a new police facility. While green features added $700,000 to the project's final tab, Stewart expects a rapid return on the investment in reduced energy costs.
By far the greatest technological innovation in the short history of in-car video has been the advent of digital recording systems. Whether they capture video on DVD discs, hard drive, or flash memory card, digital systems offer much greater resolution and easier and less expensive evidence storage than earlier analog VHS machines.
What truly sets all of T3 Motion's vehicles apart is an innovative "power management system."
Code 3 reps won't say what makes the multipatented TriCore Technology twice as bright as its LED, halogen, or strobe light-equipped lightbars. All the company will reveal is that TriCore is truly a departure from conventional lightbar technology.
The Carbon Motors E7 prototype patrol vehicle looks something like a cross between an exotic sports car and a prop vehicle from a science fiction film. Its body styling is dynamic, muscular, almost startling, and it has the ability to visibly excite police audiences.
Current trends indicate that saving money and improving community relations will continue to drive law enforcement policy decisions for the foreseeable future. Following this train of thought, vehicles that run on electricity instead of gasoline and operate at lower speeds conducive to personal interaction are good news for both public safety and the public.
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision shielding police officers from being sued in federal court for deaths and injuries to innocent citizens resulting form high-speed chases should not be viewed as an invitation to law officers.
When law enforcement agencies were putting together their fiscal year budgets for 2008, few municipal or county administrators could have forecast the impact of skyrocketing gas prices.
A second later my hood exploded and the cow's rear end smashed through my window.
With only two wheels and a gyroscope balance system, Segway's Personal Transporter (PT) was a hard sell for some as a viable patrol vehicle. But it's certainly caught on in the last few years.
It's unrealistic to believe all deaths and injuries can be prevented from traffic accidents, of course, but striving toward that goal will undoubtedly help reduce such incidents.
Managing the rising costs of police fleets is a challenge that all law enforcement agencies are facing. Fortunately, there are technologies available to help fleet managers better manage these costs and save their departments thousands of dollars annually.
Frightening, instructional, oftentimes inspirational, and even entertaining videos come to us via a variety of dashboard cameras mounted inside America's law enforcement patrol vehicles.
One of the first times I realized the need for armored vehicles in police operations was during the 1968 Glenville Shootout and riot in Cleveland. Here's what happened.
Most of the police executives flying into New Orleans for October's International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) trade show and conference probably had no idea what to expect.