Articles - Vehicles

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.

In the words of one EVOC trainer, "Every officer wants the best vehicle they can get their hands on. Every department wants the most cost-effective fleet possible. Somewhere in between is probably the best place to be."

In the past six years, I've attended 12 TREXPO conferences. Each time the exposition floor at the conference has had a unique character. There was some kind of trend that you could see in the products showcased up and down the aisles. TREXPO East 2007 is no exception. This year the trend was tactical vehicles.

The grisly murder of six-year-old Adam Walsh in 1981 was a wake-up call for America. Not only did it bring national attention to the growing problem of missing and abducted children, it also fostered an overhaul in the system.

Any officer who's been involved in a vehicle pursuit that resulted in property damage, bodily injury, or death should be concerned with at least three levels of liability. Departmental discipline may be imposed if the pursuit violates agency policy. Tort liability may be imposed through a lawsuit filed in state court. And plaintiffs may file a federal civil rights lawsuit seeking damages.