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Type: Article

Section: Special Units

Head Shots

Even the summers in England were cold to Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes. So on July 22 when the temperatures in South London were balmy to the locals, Menezes was bundled up in a coat.

August 31, 2005

Poisoning the Well

Quick. Short of a nuclear detonation, think of the worst possible terrorist attack that you can imagine.

August 31, 2005

Counter-Terrorism 101

My northern Jerusalem neighborhood, and the area within a few minutes drive from my home, has been the site of more than 20 terrorist attacks. So I feel like I have earned a Ph.D. in attack tactics and techniques from Terrorist University. What I have learned I now share with you, the American law enforcement officer.

July 31, 2005

Tucson (Ariz.) PD's SWAT Team

Sgt. Robert Allen, weighed down in 50 pounds of tactical ballistic assault gear, has a reporter in his office, a lieutenant standing in the doorway, a ringing cell phone in one hand, and a three-wire mic at his left ear, listening to the Tucson Police Department SWAT team prepare for deployment.

July 31, 2005

Principal Decision Systems International TeleStaff Personnel Management Software

Those of you who have done scheduling for a law enforcement agency know it’s a thankless job and one that opens you up to plenty of criticism. Scheduling is a labor-intensive juggling act and the results rarely please few if any employees.

July 31, 2005

Shots Fired: Long Beach, Mississippi 05/06/1998

Ron Redding needed a rest. The duties of a lieutenant and SWAT officer with the Gulfport (Miss.) Police Department had drained him.

July 31, 2005

How to Start a Crisis Negotiation Team

When on scene, most tactical teams contain more testosterone than a crowd at a British soccer match. But there is one balancing element that keeps it all in perspective. The crisis negotiation team steps up to play a vital role in this very real life-or-death game of wits.

July 31, 2005

SWAT Snipers

For as long as most active SWAT operators have been police officers, there has been one gospel truth about SWAT sniper operations: the 70-Yard Rule. Ask any SWAT sniper what is the average range of a police sniper shooting, and he will answer, “About 70 yards.” Ask him the source of his data, and he will say, “FBI statistics.”

July 31, 2005

A Solid Foundation

Whatever the nature of a tactical callout, one thing is sure—you’ll be on your feet and they need to perform. After all, your feet are as much a “tool” as the rest of your equipment. If you have taken as much care with the selection of your boots as you have with the rest of your gear, you should be able to get through any callout in good condition.

July 31, 2005

Combating Conditioned Hesitation

There are many factors that can lead to an officer hesitating in the kill zone. Any hesitation in a crisis situation can potentially cost an officer his or her life. Factors contributing to this problem include but are not limited to training, the officer’s level of physical fitness, the officer’s mindset and attitudes, suspect/subject factors, and fear.

June 30, 2005

Shots Fired: Pueblo, Colorado 12/23/2004

It was two days before Christmas 2004, and Sgt. Randy Wills of the Pueblo (Colo.) Police Department was a case study in sleep deprivation. It had been a busy holiday season with very little peace on earth and even less good will toward men. Wills needed rest.

June 1, 2005

Po0605 Shotsfired

K-9 Sniffs and the Fourth Amendment

Under what circumstances is it permissible to use a dog to try to detect the presence of narcotics or dangerous substances without prior suspicion? The Supreme Court has considered this issue in three decisions.

May 31, 2005

Bushmaster Firearms A2 .308 Caliber Carbine

It’s no wonder that the AR-15 rifle, in all its incarnations, has become so dominant in the law enforcement patrol rifle market. It’s lightweight, accurate, possesses little recoil, is easy to maintain, and has plenty of capacity.

May 31, 2005

Running with the Big Dogs

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.

April 30, 2005

Beyond the Darkness

Around midnight. Aug. 13, 2003. Officer Kyle Olinger of the Montgomery County (Md.) Police Department patrolled the central business district of Silver Spring.

April 30, 2005

TREXPO West 2005

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.

April 30, 2005

Market Report

Economically speaking, street drugs and club drugs are commodities. They are mass-produced products subject to fluctuations in price due to changes in supply and demand. The way you track the demand on a commodity is to check its market value. But there’s no organized commodity market for illegal drugs, so to gauge demand you have to do a little research, you have to talk to the people who know the drug market.

April 30, 2005

How to Start a Dive Team

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.

April 30, 2005

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