Category Archives: Street

Terrorists and Cops

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Randall

As extremist violence proliferates around the globe, it will be local law enforcement who directly confronts the threat in this country.  The coordinated attacks on civilians in Paris last Friday by eight terrorists wielding AK-47’s and suicide bombs could well have been perpetrated in any of our cities right here in the USA.  Are you prepared to be the badge on ground zero when it goes down? While law enforcement has been criticized for “militarization,” those same armored vehicles, tactical equipment, and rifles, are exactly what we need to counter threats like

Posted in Officer Safety, Street, SWAT, Tactics | 7 Comments

Reconsidering a Carry Gun

Posted on November 14, 2015 by Randall

A co-worker has been literally salivating (his desk is a wet mess) over the idea of buying a new Glock 43.  Although he was gravitating toward the .380 ACP Glock 42, the later introduction of a similar frame size chambered in 9mm made up his mind for him. Detectives at our agency are issued the .40 cal. Glock 27.  My buddy likes the idea of the Glock-format pistol in a smaller package for off-duty carry.  Good so far.  He excitedly texted me one weekend that he had put a hundred bullets through a G43 at another department’s range and he was “totally sold” on the gun.  The dude is fixated. … Continue reading →

Posted in Concealed Carry, Firearms, Off Duty, Street | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Failure to Supervise

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Randall

In October, a Zephyrhills Police Department sergeant was fired for failing to supervise an officer during an arrest.  The officer went to a suspect’s residence to talk to him about a misdemeanor retail theft.  After speaking to the suspect through a hanging screen at front door, the officer ordered the suspect out of his home.  The man declined and stood passively inside the doorway with his hands raised. Following several warnings, the officer deployed his TASER at the suspect, then entered the residence to effect a physical arrest for the petit theft.  A charge of RAWOV was also filed.  The incident was captured on the officer’s TASER CAM.  The sergeant … Continue reading →

Posted in Street | 1 Comment

Next Generation CAT Tourniquet

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Randall

North American Rescue is updating their popular Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT).  The graphic above displays the new features.  A strengthened windlass rod, clip, and strap address the issue of high torque when the unit is applied correctly. As we found during TCCC training earlier in the year, dual routing of the strap through the buckle is better, but a little difficult with one hand since the strap has trouble sliding.  The new single routed buckle with teeth should help preloading and administering the CAT in all conditions. No word on release date or price yet. Randall

Posted in Medical, Officer Safety, Street, SWAT, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Texas Teen Has Deputy’s Back

Posted on September 6, 2015 by Randall

This photo and the text below were posted to Harris County, TX Sheriff’s Deputy Tommi Kelley’s Facebook page. Tommi Jones Kelley Ok, so EARLY this morning I was pumping gas in my patrol car (reason I look like a Hot Mess!)…& add it was pouring rain… When this teenager I’ve never met before is standing right behind me & says, “ma’am, do u mind if I stand here behind you while u get ur gas?” My initial response was “and why?”… His reply, “to make sure You stay safe!” Finished pumping my gas & he was still standing there, in the rain 😕. He then just walked off & started … Continue reading →

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Arby’s Employee Refuses to a Serve Officer

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Randall

How would you feel if you were refused service at a restaurant solely because of how you looked? Apparently Sgt. Jennifer Martin of the Pembroke Pines Police Department knows the feeling.  An employee at an Arby’s declined to serve the uniformed officer. Although the store manager provided her the food, he laughed about it and said his worker could decline to serve her.  Sgt. Martin asked for a refund.  Arby’s corporate issued an apology.  Dade County PBA called for a chain boycott and the employees’ termination. Pembroke Pines Chief Dan Giustino said, “I am offended and appalled that an individual within our community would treat a police officer in such a … Continue reading →

Posted in Misc., Street | 2 Comments

Odortec’s Skunk for Crowd Control

Posted on August 23, 2015 by Randall

How would you fancy someone “taking a chunk of rotting corpse from a stagnant sewer, placing it in a blender and spraying the filthy liquid in your face.”  Skunk brand crowd control liquid, made by Odortec Ltd., delivers that vile scenario, according to one Reuters reporter.  Sounds like The Running Dead. We all know that dispersing unruly masses with smoke, CS, or OC can be effective if the crowd is given lawful orders, clear instructions, and viable escape routes.  Skunk is marketed as a “non-lethal malodorant” that comes with a strong incentive to flee from your own gag reflex. Skunk’s formula is water-based, eco-friendly, biodegradable, non-flammable, and made from food-grade … Continue reading →

Posted in Officer Safety, Street, Tactics, Technology | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Some Things I know from Street Patrol

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Randall

Some things I know from street patrol: I’ve learned at least three ways to disable a GILLIG transit bus. 1203 on a tanker placard means gasoline–much danger. Blue street reflectors indicate fire hydrants.  Don’t park near them at a structure fire. When running lights and siren, use the inside or outside lanes at intersections for easier maneuvering. If you are directing traffic, stand in the debris field in the center of the intersection.  It’s safer. Your patrol car is like Wonder Woman’s invisible jet–everyone can see what happens inside. Head wounds bleed profusely and are not necessarily life threatening…but bleeding from the ears is

Posted in Humor, Street | 2 Comments

Smith & Wesson Centennial Revolvers Revisited

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Randall

Does the pervasive plastic pistol have you feeling a bit listless and melancholy lately?  Striker-fired boredom setting in?  Well, perk up your life with a Smith & Wesson Centennial revolver!  Sometimes going “retro” can get you caught in a new frame of mind that will liven your dreary modern existence. The quintessential J-frame revolver by Smith & Wesson has been around since its birth in 1950 as the Chief’s Special or, later, the Model 36.  Designed as a small, concealable handgun with moderate power from its .38 S&W Special chambering, the platform has morphed into many versions during its 60-plus years. In Smith & Wesson-ese, the “Centennial” model, introduced in … Continue reading →

Posted in Firearms, Off Duty, Officer Safety, Street | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

How Criminals Defeat Keyless Entry Systems

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Randall

We had experienced some curious auto thefts where a suspect was seen pointing something at a victim’s car, then opening the door and driving away.  The owner’s keys were still inside the house.  We had it all on surveillance video and it was puzzling.  This type of theft occurs by a relay attack. Passive Keyless Entry Systems are the latest technology that let drivers walk up to their car and open the doors or trunk without pushing a button or touching a key.  As long as the fob is in your pocket or purse, you are hands-free to get into the vehicle.  Once inside the car, the driver uses a … Continue reading →

Posted in Detectives, Street, Technology | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

New Florida Transient Occupant Law

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Randall

The text is a bit lengthy, but I have pasted in the new Florida State Statute 82.045, which allows a law enforcement officer to remove transient occupants from a home at the owner’s request.  This has been gray area for the police when confronted with ejecting an unwanted guest from a dwelling where they had taken up temporary residence.  Generally, it has been practice to treat as a civil matter and tell the homeowner that they must start a lengthy eviction procedure to remove the persona non grata. The statute addresses factors a LEO may use to determine if a subject is a transient occupant, procedures for their removal, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal, Street | 3 Comments

Pohl Force Mike Three and Four Outdoor Folders

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Randall

Dietmar Pohl has been designing knives for over a decade and a half.  He is a recognized expert in tactical knives for military and law enforcement uses and has written acclaimed books on the subject.  The knife company he founded, Pohl Force, featured two new folders at BLADE Show 2015.  These were the Mike Three and Four Outdoors. Pohl Force’s EOD (Euro Ops Division) partnered with Italy’s Lionsteel to produce these robust knives.  The Mike Three and Four are modified versions of Pohl Force’s popular Mike One and Two.  The production of the Three and Four dialed back some of the more expensive manufacturing components and processes to bring the … Continue reading →

Posted in Knives, Off Duty, Street, SWAT | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Tourniquets for Police Patrol

Posted on May 24, 2015 by Randall

There was an officer-involved shooting in the City of St. Petersburg last week.  In the exchange of gunfire, an officer was hit in the leg by a bullet from the suspect’s pistol.  Unfortunately, the officer’s Combat Application Tourniquet (C-A-T®) was in his cruiser.  He attempted to fashion a field-expedient tourniquet from a garden hose to help staunch the flow of blood.  I am glad to report that he survived.  The suspect did not. This shooting caused SPPD to examine their issuance of the C-A-T tourniquet.  Some officers complained that the C-A-T is difficult to carry on a crowded gun belt.  SPPD Chief Tony Holloway, in turn, approved the purchase of … Continue reading →

Posted in Medical, Officer Down, Officer Safety, Street | Tagged , | 5 Comments

NOPTIC Thermal Imaging System

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Randall

…and another thing!–I am jealous of the FLIR system on the orbiting police helicopter above!  It would be cool if I had a thermal imager in my cruiser to pick out bad guys hiding in the darkness like those rotorheads up in the chopper.  Well, someone has come up with just this idea. I had not seen the NOPTIC, nighttime optical thermal imaging camera, until recently.  The NOPTIC camera mounts on the A-pillar spotlight of a police car and sends infrared imaging back to the in-car computer screen so the officer can see at night without the compromises of a visible light beam. Using a passive IR camera, the NOPTIC … Continue reading →

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QALO Thin Blue Line Ring Series

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Randall

QALO Rings, about which I have previously written, has a new line of wedding rings that honor police officers and firefighters.  The Thin Blue Line and Thin Red Line rings allow you to show commitment to your profession while protecting the hands that hold your spouses tight.  Yes, they make them for both men and women. QALO, pronounced Kay-Lo, will donate 20% of the proceeds from the sales of these rings to care for the families of fallen officers through the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.  A similar fund will distribute the 20% to families of fallen firefighters through the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and Firefighter Wife.  Says QALO: … Continue reading →

Posted in Misc., Officer Safety, Street | Tagged | 5 Comments