January 2007 Issue

Need some ammo for your scattergun? Try out these pellets and slugs.

There was a time not too long ago when the only non-lethal weapon available to American law enforcement officers was a baton. Here is our guide to less-lethal patrol weapons now on the market.

There was a time not so long ago when the pump-action shotgun was known by another name. It was called the “police shotgun.” Back then, the standard equipment in every patrol car included a 12-gauge pump. Today, many agencies have dumped the pump shotgun in favor of the patrol rifle. And I think that’s a mistake.

ArmaLite has long been known for its innovative and trendsetting rifle designs. Now, for the first time in its storied existence, there is a pistol that wears the ArmaLite name.

Eye injuries are one of the most common wounds faced by military and law enforcement personnel. That’s why quality protective eye gear is one of the most important pieces of gear that you can carry into an operation.

It was my fault. I entered the hairpin curve way too fast, and the SUV I was driving went into a spin. But I had two things going for me that prevented the spin from being dangerous: I was in the 2007 Chevy Tahoe Police Package Vehicle and I was on a closed course at GM’s Scottsdale, Ariz., proving grounds.

It has been argued that drug use is a victimless crime. But you’re a cop, and you know better. You’ve seen the overdosed victims, the worried looks on parents’ faces. You’ve also seen the neighborhood deterioration. You know that as drug dealers move in, citizens have a diminished feeling of safety and legitimate businesses move out. This creates an environment suitable not only for drug dealing, but also prostitution, burglaries, robberies, rapes, and murders.

James Mixon was a drunk. In life a drunk is a pretty predictable person. They get people angry, frustrated, and fed up; they get kicked out of the places they live, and get in trouble. James Mixon was no different.

With six years of law enforcement experience, Officer Susanne Simonson-Mullis of the Anderson (S.C.) Police Department hardly considered herself a rookie, and she felt fortunate to have another patrol veteran, Officer Dusty Ashley, working with her on the same beat.

An officer working traffic witnesses a motorist running a stop sign. He activates his emergency lights and pulls the vehicle over a short distance from where the stop sign was. As the officer approaches the stopped vehicle, the motorist suddenly explodes out of the driver’s side door and opens fire with a small-caliber handgun. The distance between the two combatants is minimal, and the officer’s reaction time needs to be even shorter.

It might be nice if law enforcement officers never had to lie to a criminal suspect in order to solve a crime. In fact, some police advisors do suggest to officers that they should never mislead a suspect. Unfortunately, the reality is otherwise.

Over the past decade all sorts of tactical lights have cropped up. Some companies have actually entered the mainstream lighting market based on the popularity of their tactical products. Light Advantage is one such company.

When it comes to the Boston Harbor, what goes in…must eventually come out. And as countless criminals and scofflaws have learned, it's usually the Boston Police Department that brings evidence to the surface—figuratively and literally.