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Managing Editor
Managing Editor Melanie Basich joined POLICE Magazine in 2000 (when her last name was still Hamilton). An award-winning journalist, she has covered such topics as agency budgets, officer suicide, emerging law enforcement technologies, and active shooter tactics. She writes and manages the product section of POLICE.
Thanks to improved technology, trace explosives detectors are now smaller and easier to use. These handheld devices are sized to fit in a cargo pocket and can detect the smallest amounts of explosive materials and the precursors used to make bombs.
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Have you ever had to sift through spreadsheets of data looking for that needle in a haystack that will help solve your case? Trax software from Zetx recognizes cell phone data in any format from any provider and uses it to map the cell towers, create visuals of call information, highlight callers' habits, and even autofill search warrants. And it's simple enough that any officer can use it.
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Law enforcement is a profession that many use to define themselves, but allowing your identity to be based solely on your job is not a good idea. Pursuing an activity outside of policing gives the mind and body a much needed breather. Some officers find surprising ways to fulfill this goal.
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Prostitution is, as they say, the oldest profession. But now gangs are getting in on the action in a big way. Their already established tricks for luring lonely kids into their ranks are also extremely effective in recruiting girls as young as 12 for the sex trade.
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Even if people receive some training, there is more to becoming a leader than taking a class. Training in all its aspects needs to change with the times. But it's a pervasive cultural issue. And it takes time to change a culture.
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Capt. Rhonda Lawson, president of the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE), became the first female field captain in the Texas Highway Patrol's history. In her experience, many officers resent competition with minorities for desired positions.
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Every driver speeds now and again, especially on heavily trafficked thoroughfares. A reminder in the form of a temporary radar sign displaying the driver's speed may be all that's needed to bring down vehicles' speedometer readings.
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You want to be as prepared as possible to use less-lethal devices during call-outs. But if you could limit the cost and danger needed to train in their use, why wouldn't you? That's the idea behind Defense Technology's Low Roll Training Simulator Starter Kit.
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Developed in partnership with veteran trainer Officer Robert Hindi of the Las Vegas Metro Police Department, all DutySmith StreetForce holders are designed for officer safety.
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Even when the AirTEP is deployed and hanging from a helicopter carrying a full load of passengers, it's possible to fly the craft at up to 100 knots for several miles until everyone can be brought to safety.
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