May 2005 Issue

On the patio outside the Long Beach Convention Center there was a clear reminder of what the conference/trade show inside was all about. There, the Long Beach Police Department parked three tactical vehicles, and officers attending the recent Tactical Response Expo (TREXPO) West show had to pass by each to get into the doors.

Police agencies have come to depend on in-car video systems to capture each shift on camera. Not only do these devices provide a way to document events that take place in and around patrol cars, but new technology makes the recorded proof even more ironclad when scrutinized by defense attorneys and jury members.

There are all sorts of things that can take place in or hide in bodies of water. Some will be the result of criminal actions; some will be accidental. Many will require police to respond in order to recover evidence or further an investigation, and this requires personnel specially trained and equipped for such duty: a dive team.

It’s the middle of the night, and I’m sitting in a marked Decatur (Ill.) Police Department Chevy Tahoe with a big dog—a Belgian Malinois named Rico—and Officer Dan Wise, the third-shift K-9 handler. Over continual rounds of coffee, Skoal, and Mountain Dew, the handlers share some insights about their jobs.

It was March 21, 2:55 p.m., spring was in the air in the remote north woods of Minnesota, and the students of Red Lake High School were anxiously awaiting the sound of the bell. What they heard instead was explosions out in the hallway.

If you like the idea of carrying a semi-auto pistol chambered for the mighty .45 ACP but are not comfortable carrying a gun with the hammer cocked and locked, Para Ordnance might have the perfect off-duty alternative for you.

Call me skeptical or overly practical when it comes to gear, but I have played with a lot of it over the years, and I’ve learned to ask myself one question before I commit to it: Will this thing make my job easier and help me accomplish my mission?

When you go into a suspect’s home to execute a search warrant, it’s not uncommon to find several people present, whether suspects, family members, or others. Sometimes, occupants may outnumber officers on the scene. This can create problems of safety and control, making it more difficult to carry out the search. Realizing this, the Supreme Court has provided guidelines on the ability of officers to detain, handcuff, and question occupants while a search takes place.

During the mid-1980s I worked in the department of public safety for a large private senior citizen community of several thousand residents. We were their private police department, composed of retired police officers or former police officers like myself.