Whether agencies want to give field officers mobile crimefighting tools or better manage ongoing cases, these new and updates offereings from law enforcement software vendors will handle the job at hand. Photos courtesy of companies.

Technology tends to be the emphasis of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference. True to form, many of the coolest products at this year's show, held Sep. 29–Oct. 3 in San Diego, focused on the now high-tech aspects of evidence collection. Multiple companies debuted new and improved takes on video, drug analysis, and biometrics. Plenty of new tablets were also on hand. The following is a quick look at some of the products at IACP 2012 that caught our attention. Photos: Mark W. Clark, Paul Clinton, Stalker Radar, Thermo Scientific, and Ti Training

Tattoos have become very popular in the law enforcement and military communities. Officers who get inked often choose a tattoo of something that has great meaning to them, such as family, their faith, or a close friend. View a few examples of tattoos. Photos courtesy of Steve Winterstein of Five-O Tattoo in Elburn, Ill.

Evaluators in Michigan and Southern California have completed their testing of the 2013 model-year patrol cars, SUVs, and motorcycles. View these photos from the test sites that show the vehicles in action. Read "How to Use Police Vehicle Tests" for the full story.

After retiring its venerable Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, Ford offered law enforcement agencies two choices—the Police Interceptor sedan and P.I. Utility. The vehicles provide a balance of fuel efficiency and power. View our gallery of in-service Ford Police Interceptor sedans, and then read "The New Recruits: In-Service Cop Cars" for detailed stories of agencies using them. Photos provided by the respective agencies unless otherwise noted.

Chevrolet returned to the patrol car market with its Caprice PPV, a smaller, more powerful Caprice than the mid-90s model. This new police-only Caprice has impressed agencies with its mix of agility, braking, and high-speed handling. View our gallery of in-service Chavrolet Caprice PPVs, and then read "The New Recruits: In-Service Cop Cars" for detailed stories of agencies using them. Photos provided by the respective agencies unless otherwise noted.

Law enforcement agencies typically purchase K-9s from trainers or dealers who acquire them from Europe, where legacy blood lines have been long established. Breeds most commonly used for detection and apprehension include the Belgian Malonois, German Shepherd, Dutch Shepherd, and a variety of Labradors. Dogs can be single purpose (for apprehensions) or dual purpose for apprehensions and detection for narcotics, explosives, or cadavers. Read "K-9 Training Challenges" for more detail. Photos provided by Becki and John Johnston of AceK9.com.

This has been a watershed year for law enforcement vehicles. Agencies have been taking delivery of four new models from Chevrolet, Dodge, and Ford. And each of those new models must now be equipped with the latest accessories designed specifically to fit them or enhance their performance as public safety vehicles. Here's a look at some cool new vehicle accessories that have caught the eyes of the POLICE Magazine staff in recent months.

Boston celebrated two centennials in 2012—the building of Fenway Park for the Boston Red Sox and the founding of the Boston Police Department's motor unit, which is known as the Mobile Operations Patrol (MOP) unit. The two centennials came together on Sept. 16, when agency brass recognized the unit's heritage during a ceremony in front of Fenway's "green monster" wall in left field. Photos courtesy of Robert Anthony.

Indianapolis Police Officers Elizabeth Robinson and Betty Blankenship are generally acknowledged as the first female officers assigned to patrol duties in a radio car. For more about this era of pioneering police women, read our related feature, "The First Female Patrol Officers." Photos: Collection of the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, D.C.

Automatically capture and record evidence from your law enforcement vehicle, be it a car, truck, SUV, or motorcycle. View this photo gallery for the latest offerings from sight leading police suppliers.
