Category Archives: Street

Back to the Police Belt Knife

Back in the Dark Ages of the 1980’s, when I was a rookie, there was pretty much one standard knife carried by police officers and that was the now-venerable Buck 110. Along with a revolver, the sturdy lock back folder went in its leather pouch on an officer’s duty belt. The one-handed opening pocket knife had not yet been popularized. A new cop is often a “gadget guy.” You look for cool things to buy and hang on your belt or to stockpile in your car. Since knives are rarely issued to patrolmen, selecting one could be an important and fun endeavor. My feeling, at the time, was that the … Continue reading

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Grappler Police Bumper–More Ingenuity at Work

Well, this is different.  I like how, after deployment, you get a stand-off distance of about three car lengths for officer safety.  It is kind of caveman technology, but then, I’m not beneath using what works.  Tell me what you think. Randall

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Broward Deputy Cleared in “Stand Your Ground” Case

In December of 2015, I reported that Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy Peter Peraza was indicted by a grand jury for manslaughter in an officer-involved shooting. He was the first Florida law enforcement officer charged for an OIS in 25 years. Today, Broward Circuit Judge Michael Usan ruled in favor of Dep. Peraza’s Stand Your Ground motion and dismissed the charge. In July of 2013, Dep. Peraza responded with other deputies to three 911 reports of an armed suspect walking in an apartment complex. The suspect refused to drop his rifle and did not comply with the deputies’ commands. Deputies and a witness stated that the suspect pointed his rifle toward … Continue reading

Posted in Legal, Street | 3 Comments

Baton Rouge Police Murders

Three Baton Rouge area police officers were murdered in an ambush this morning. At this time, at least three other officers have been wounded, one black male suspect is dead, while two suspects are at large. The last fallen Dallas police officer had just been laid to rest this weekend and now more LE families have been tragically struck. My agency worked this week to prep for a BLM rally in a local park. A large thunderstorm quashed the protest, but it was a good practice run for our newer officers, who have not yet had to stand a line. Still, it added to the workload for all of us … Continue reading

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Dallas Ambush Shootings

In the past 24 hours, there have been ambush shootings of police officers in Dallas, Texas, Valdosta, Georgia, and Ballwin, Missouri. Five officers are dead and at least 9 are wounded. Some in the law enforcement community are in shock, others are very angry. Family, friends, and concerned citizens have been reaching out to those in our profession with support. Food arrived at our station today, donated by sympathetic locals in appreciation for what we do. A retired officer called and asked that we be careful out on the street. My cousin, an officer in New Jersey, Facebooked me a “watch your back” message. The conversation as my guys arrived … Continue reading

Posted in Officer Down, Officer Safety, Street | 12 Comments

Intrusion Alarm

From my desk, which clearly lacks a light bar, siren, steering wheel, or other useful device, I was scanning the live calls-for-service feature on my computer this morning. I saw a couple of our rookie call signs at a residential intrusion alarm. They had asked for the radio channel and a few minutes later released it, saying they were 10-4 at the scene. When I read the incident notes, I saw that they had found an unlocked slider and entered to check the residence. Were they developing good officer safety habits? Did they announce their presence and authority before entering, as we teach them in FTO? I hoped they maintained … Continue reading

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Walmarts Burden Local Police Departments

Are you “lucky” enough to have a Walmart in your jurisdiction? If so, then the following won’t surprise you much…but it might shock those who don’t work in law enforcement. Tampa Bay Times reporters did a bit of research and found out that Walmart stores are a heavy drain on police agencies and taxpayer dollars. The TBT found that in 2014 there were 16,794 calls for service among the 53 Walmarts in the greater Tampa Bay area, to include Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, and Hernando counties. Fifteen police agencies were asked for data. TBT researchers excluded traffic crashes, medical calls, directed patrols, business checks, and other calls not directly associated with … Continue reading

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Riggs Shield for Mobile Police Protection

This week, one of my detectives, who has a relative in law enforcement product sales, brought a ballistic shield to work that was specifically designed for vehicle ambush protection by California Sheriff’s Deputy Robert Riggs.  It is called the Riggs Shield and was conceived after one of Riggs’ partners was attacked in his cruiser. The Riggs Shield mounts on the inside of the driver’s door of a police car and is quickly and easily removed in the event the officer is attacked while seated.  By grabbing the handle and pushing the shield forward and up, it pulls away for immediate use. Rated at NIJ Ballistics Level IIIa and Stab Level … Continue reading

Posted in Florida Companies, Protective Armor, Street, Technology | 2 Comments

Police Speeder

Once, I fielded a call from an angry motorist following one of our officers who was speeding home.  Immediately, I called the cop and told him to knock it off and see me in my office (small cubicle) the next day.  At readoff, I told the troops to think of themselves as Wonder Woman in her invisible jet when in your cruiser–everyone sees everything you do!  Some of them got the reference. This is a viral video of a “citizen” traffic stop of a speeding Miami-Dade police officer on his way to work. Come on, guys.  We can do better than this. Randall  

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Police K9 Dog Deaths Already High in 2016

Update:  Omaha K9 killed 1/25/2016.  The year 2016 is not starting out well for police K9 dogs in the U.S.  Since the beginning of January, three four K9’s have already been killed by hostile gunfire.  In all of 2015, a total of four working dogs died by gunfire, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.  Of the 26 K9’s killed in 2015, one was poisoned and one was stabbed, in addition to the others who died from shootings or accidental causes.  The average number of police dogs shot to death during the last decade was 3.2 annually. Sometimes we take for granted the indispensable role these trained animals play in law … Continue reading

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New FLIR Scout TK Thermal Imager

FLIR Systems, Inc. introduced their latest handheld thermal imaging monocular at this month’s Consumer Electronics Show 2016.  The FLIR Scout TK entry-level device is the company’s smallest and least expensive model yet.  At an MSRP of $599.00, the Scout TK is more than a thousand bucks less than their Scout II model, which sells at about $1,900. The new Scout TK measures just 4″ x 1.5″ x 1.5″ and weighs only 6 ounces, so it really is pocket-sized.  I got to play with their older PS24 monocular back in 2012 at SHOT.  It was like a handful of science fiction!  Even in the lit show area, looking at the heat … Continue reading

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Ruger American Pistol

Sturm, Ruger & Co. has announced the debut of their newest striker-fired pistol–the American.  This is a full-sized handgun with all the latest amenities:  adjustable grips, 1913 accessory rail, ambidextrous controls, three dot sights, and a black nitride slide coating. I can’t help but like the name and I am surprised it has not been used before on a semi-auto.  Bill Ruger’s company seems to have a winning touch and the American will likely continue their streak.  Here’s the press release: Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is proud to introduce a new line of full-size duty pistols. Designed with the latest U.S. Military standards in mind, the Ruger … Continue reading

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Indian River Sheriff’s Office OIS

Indian River County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Lester pulled over this suspect, who was riding a tagless scooter, at oh-three-hundred.  After appearing to be minimally cooperative, the convicted felon sucker punched Lester, then took a revolver from the small of his back and shot the deputy.  Dep. Lester returned fire and chased the suspect on foot.  In the audio, you can hear the difference between the badguy’s .357 and Dep. Lester’s .45. IRCSO K9 Falko found the suspect, who had two of Dep. Lester’s bullets in his gut, hiding at a packing plant.  Dep. Lester is in stable condition with a gunshot wound to the leg.  The suspect, who had done … Continue reading

Posted in Firearms, K9, Street, Tactics | Leave a comment

Florida Deputy Indicted for Manslaughter

Broward Sheriff’s Deputy Peter Peraza was indicted Friday by a grand jury for manslaughter in an on duty shooting. He is the first Florida law enforcement officer to be indicted by a grand jury since 1991 for an officer-involved shooting. In July of 2013, Dep. Peraza responded with other deputies to reports of an armed suspect walking in an apartment complex. The suspect refused to drop his rifle and did not comply with the deputies’ commands. Deputies stated that the suspect pointed his rifle toward them. He was shot and killed by Peraza, who fired three bullets. It was found that the suspect’s weapon was an unloaded air rifle. The … Continue reading

Posted in Legal, Officer Safety, Street | 2 Comments

Terrorists and Cops Part Two

Two weeks ago, I wrote about terrorism migrating to our shores in the aftermath of the Paris attacks.  Then came the ISIS-inspired San Bernardino massacre.  Sadly, a homegrown extremist shooting occurred sooner than anyone thought would.  Local, state, and federal agencies responded swiftly to contain and extinguish the threat in SoCal. One of my colleagues complained Thursday that many departments have a “it won’t happen here” attitude toward agency preparedness.  He suggested more active shooter, tactical combat casualty care, and improvised explosive device training for all officers.  I would listen to him.  He has experience as a U.S. Army explosive ordinance disposal technician and combat medic.  Yeah, he’s seen the … Continue reading

Posted in Concealed Carry, Firearms, Off Duty, Officer Safety, Protective Armor, Street, SWAT, Tactics | 1 Comment