Victory Motorcycles, a division of Polaris, has introduced three new motorcycles into the police market for 2012—the Commander I, Commander II, and Vision. The touring-type bikes are conversions of the civilian Victory models Cross Country, Cross Roads, and Vision Tour respectively. The distinctively styled bikes have been upfitted for police use, tested in Michigan and Los Angeles by precision LE drivers, and adopted by several smaller agencies. Victory reps tout the officer-safety features on the cycles.
Heizer Defense has introduced the DoubleTap, a slim and light pocket pistol available in .45 ACP or 9mm with a four-round capacity. The pistol offers an unusual break-action feature and ambidextrous thumb latch controls. Heizer is touting the pistol's engineering and manufacture at an aerospace facility.
Alpine Armoring's Pit-bull VX SWAT Truck debuted at the 2011 IACP conference in Chicago, and the sleek, imposing vehicle looks like it may have rolled off an action-movie set. The 4x4 truck, which is built on a Ford F-550 chassis, offers armor protection up to NIJ Level IV to stop high-power rifle rounds, including 7.62x51, 7.62x54, and 5.56x45. View our gallery for more on this vehicle. Photos courtesy of Alpine Armoring.
In-car video systems now available to law enforcement agencies offer screens embedded in rear-view mirrors, solid-state hard drives, improved viewing angles, wireless file transfer, and other features. View these seven systems available from Digital Ally, Federal Signal, Kustom Signals, L-3 Mobile-Vision, Panasonic, Patrol Witness, and WatchGuard.
Law enforcement agencies usually select helicopters for their airborne unit with the mission in mind—lighter, single-engine craft work well for patrol and surveillance, while larger-capacity, twin-engine craft are better suited for search-and-rescue operations. View our gallery of several of the more commonly deployed police helicopters.
Every well-trained cop can explain the difference between cover and concealment. Because you may have to use your vehicle for cover or concealment in the heat of a gunfight, you'll want to familiarize yourself with three shooting positions—kneeling, crouching, and not hugging cover—to effectively respond to a threat. After viewing the photos, read the full article, "Cars, Cover, and Concealment."
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) has honored some of the nation's bravest and most dedicated officers through its Officer of the Month program. Officers of the month are nominated by their supervisors, and then the nominees are reviewed by the NLEOMF staff. Nominations that make the cut receive consideration from a select committee of NLEOMF board members. Last year POLICE Magazine became official media sponsor for the Officer of the Month program. We have been publishing detailed stories of the officers who have received this honor in print, since June 2010. View this gallery for photos and capsule summaries of the honorees.
Convenient packs full of supplies to treat injuries are worth their weight in gold when you or a buddy is wounded in the field. View our gallery of six offereings from BlackHawk, North American Rescue, S.O. Tech, Tactical Medical Solutions, Voodoo Tactical, and Z-Medica.
Each summer, two insurance-industry associations — the Highway Loss Data Institute and National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) — release lists of the top 10 vehicles stolen across the country in the prior year. For the fourth year in a row, the Cadillac Escalade was the most stolen insured vehicle, according to the institute, which lists only vehicles with theft coverage. The NICB's report is typically more comprehensive because it covers all stolen vehicles reported by law enforcement agencies, including those that are not insured. The 1994 Honda Accord, which could be worth about $2,000 on the open market in good condition, tops the NICB report. The 735,547 vehicles stolen in 2010 represents the fewest number of stolen vehicles since the 659,800 reported stolen in 1967.
Weapon-mounted lights free up the operator to control a handgun or rifle, provide better target acquisition in low-light situations, and offer another less-lethal option to disorient a subject. When added to a sidearm, lasers give officers greater ability to acquire targets and disorient subjects. View this gallery for six options to consider.
Riverside (Calif.) Police Officer Loren Mitchell became the first officer in his agency to work with a police dog when he was partnered up with "PAL" in 1958. Chief Sergio Diaz and the City Council honored the now-retired Officer Mitchell for this historical achievement at a City Hall ceremony. The photo gallery includes an apprehension the pair made during a 1950s traffic stop.
