January 2011 Issue

Trouble finding an officer is typical of off-duty incidents. That's the first thing we must understand in order to prepare ourselves for the unexpected off-duty encounter: They can happen at any time anywhere.

Just 10 years ago when law enforcement agencies went out to purchase long guns, they rarely looked at anything other than shotguns. Today, the AR and other military-style rifles dominate the market.

All sworn law enforcement officers carry at least one handgun. Smart ones carry more than one, if they're allowed to. That's why so much of the handgun market is focused on providing cops with handguns.

The first and foremost reason people use any form of mounted optics is they provide a fast, accurate sight. Second, be they red dot or truly telescopic, sights have shrunk in size, making them better suited for duty.

One of the great challenges of turning civilians into crime fighters is developing their sense of being initiated into a unique group of people who will share high-risk adventures and protect not only each other physically, but morally as well, preserving that collective honor we each hold so dear.

Julian Assange and his fellow weasels are not communists or al-Qaida sympathizers, they are anarchists. They believe in tearing down the Western World's institutions.

POLICE Magazine reviews the Smith Optics Aegis Eye Shields, Brite-Strike Traffic and Cycle LED Gloves, Magnum Spider Urban Boots, and 5.11 Tactical's Tac Dry Rain Shell.

Which brings me back to the caliber debate and leads us into this discussion of the FNH USA SCAR 17S, a .308 caliber patrol rifle. There are agencies and jurisdictions where the extra range and penetration of the .308 rifle is a necessity.

To promote the right mindset, we should use words like pre-attack indicators, offensive strategies, and response to aggressive and violent resistance. That's closer to what we really do.

The Phantom from Tag 5 Industries allows undercover officers to covertly record and broadcast conversations using a smartphone app and remote hardware instead of a physical wire on the body.

Non-cops might generously color such cognitive powers as acts of "intuition;" others less taken with the idea of extra sensory perception are more apt to dismiss them as some form of "profiling." By any name, Investigator Christopher Scallon had it working for him the night of April 15, 2007.

After responding to an EDP call, Scranton (Pa.) PD's Officer Rocco Cipriano parked and began walking toward the residence. A neighbor stopped him and said the girl had been outside of the house carrying a butcher knife and told the neighbor she would kill the cops if they came.

When asked to demonstrate weapon retention, most officers place both hands on their holstered handgun and move their hips violently from side to side. This technique is good. But before you are able to react in this manner, the suspect can bridge the open space between you, lower his shoulders, and extend his hands to touch your holstered firearm. Try using a technique that provides a faster reaction.

In the usual case, both the seizure and the search must be reasonable under the Fourth Amendment in order for the evidence to be admissible. The U.S. Supreme Court and federal appeals courts have considered both issues when officers have used K-9s to detect contraband.