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Category Archives: Technology
SmartWater CSI Forensic Marking Technology
SmartWater CSI, LLC is a British company that has been involved in forensic marking technology for over 17 years. Their products include a chemical “DNA” marker that can be applied to a piece of property to give a positive identification at a later date, should it be illegally appropriated, and a sort of invisible dye pack that can be employed by law enforcement to “mark” a criminal suspect during the crime. Business owners can install SmartWater devices that spray the marking chemicals on robbers and thieves so the suspects are tagged as they leave. Recently, SmartWater has begun North American operations out of Ft. Lauderdale. I spoke to a representative … Continue reading
Posted in Technology
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New Celox RAPID Hemostatic Gauzes
As I was finishing a half lap of SWAT Round-Up International’s vendor area, I had spied my old friend, an Orange County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy. My friend introduced me to Dr. William Brooks at the Advanced Trauma Specialties display. Dr. Brooks was demonstrating some new Celox RAPID hemostatic gauzes. The Celox RAPID gauzes come in Z-folded 3″ X 5′ and 1″ X 5′ lengths, the latter of which is called Celox RAPID Ribbon gauze. Celox granules are laminated to the high density gauze material to provide easy packing into a wound for quick bleeding control. Celox is made with Chito-R™ (chitosan from shrimp shells) that binds to red blood … Continue reading
Posted in Medical, Officer Safety, Street, Technology
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New Morphix Technologies TraceX Explosives Detector Kits
Morphix Technologies is releasing a new explosives detector kit, which is made to test for home made explosives (HME) and improvised explosive devices (IED). I received a Morphix Chameleon Chemical Detector kit, which I reviewed in April of 2012. It is good basic technology for the rank and file. The Morphix TraceX HME kit tests for nine different explosive families in under three minutes with a single swabbing. The results are clearly indicated in the window of the test box. The kit is rugged and sealed in its own protective plastic case, which fits in a cargo pocket. No word on pricing for the TraceX, but the Chameleon was running … Continue reading
Posted in Officer Safety, Street, Technology
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St. Petersburg Police to Test StarChase Pursuit System
About a year and a half ago, I wrote an article about the StarChase Pursuit Management System. StarChase fires a GPS loaded projectile at a fleeing vehicle. Once the projectile is attached, it allows the police to back off the pursuit and electronically follow the vehicle in hopes of a less volatile ending. Assistant Chief Melanie Bevans has said that the St. Petersburg Police will be trying out the StarChase technology because, “This is something that we have found that we think will make (pursuits) just a little less dangerous.” Police chases resulted in 17 crashes in 2012 for the St. Petersburg Police. St. Pete will be the first police … Continue reading
Pennsylvania Capitol Police are Adopting the Tavor
This is just in from IWI and the Pennsylvania State Capitol Police. Harrisburg, PA (August, 2013) – IWI US, Inc., a subsidiary of Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), is proud to announce that the Pennsylvania State Capitol Police have chosen to carry the IWI US TAVOR® SAR. The Pennsylvania Capitol Police are a section of the Pennsylvania Department of General Services. They provide law enforcement, security and parking enforcement services to the State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and at state government buildings in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Scranton. “We are honored that the Pennsylvania State Capitol Police have chosen to be outfitted with the TAVOR® SAR,” Michael Kassnar, Vice President of … Continue reading
Cabela’s ColorPhase Camouflage Changes Hues
Cabela’s ColorPhase camouflage changes from brown to green hues and back depending on the ambient air temperature outside. In weather under 65°, the brown dominates the specially treated dyes in the fabric. Above 65°, a green shift takes place. In the video, you can see that only certain areas of the garment are treated with the rapid-change, temperature-activated dyes. I am sure this type of camo will be hot topic for the Military and, later, SWAT. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has been investigating the color shifting abilities of marine squid for similar purposes. ColorPhase is a step in that direction. Randall
Posted in SWAT, Technology
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Zero Motorcycles 2013 Electric Police Models
Zero Motorcycles of Santa Cruz, CA has introduced police-specific 2013 electric motorcycles for street and on/off road patrol uses. This follows two years of testing with local California law enforcement agencies and the London, England police. I don’t know why I think these electric motorcycles are cool, but I do. I got to train on some of our big Kawasaki KZ1000’s back in the day, but I’m not a rider and I was never able to go to police motorcycle operator’s school. Something about not having sidecars for the dog. Still… Electric cars for policemen are not currently on my wish list. When a neighboring jurisdiction got Prius’s for their homicide … Continue reading
Posted in Street, Technology
Tagged police technology
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Atlas Devices Lightweight Tactical Ladder
Cool looking ladder. The Atlas Devices vendor was busy showing it to a guy in khaki pants and a polo shirt. His name badge read only USSOCOM. No name. No branch. No unit. A real Operator. With a U.S. government line of credit. I wanted to see the ladder, but the free market kinda had the floor. I came back to Atlas’ SOFIC booth an hour later. My audience was granted at that point. This lightweight tactical ladder articulated out to 10′. It weighed a mere 12 lbs. It was obviously strong, as the vendor extended it fully, propped each end onto a Pelican case, then stood in its middle … Continue reading
Posted in SOFIC, SWAT, Technology
Tagged Atlas Devices, Lightweight Tactical Ladder, SOFIC, Special Operations
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Polaris Defense Shows Off Non-Pneumatic Tires for ATV
We were walking by the Polaris Defense booth at the SOFIC Show and saw some rebar sticking out of an ATV tire. Upon closer inspection, the tires were a see-though honeycomb design between the rim and tread that supported the weight of the vehicle. Polaris calls the tires the NPT for non-pneumatic tire. They aren’t run-flat, they are never-flat. The implications of this type of airless design are vast. Polaris Defense acquired Resilient Technologies, LL, who had been researching and constructing never-flat tires for several years. According to Polaris, “The NPT is composed of a central polymeric web surrounded by a rubber tread band which allows continuous operation, even if … Continue reading
New CopDots Technology Aids Law Enforcement
CopDots™ is a unique method for marking personal property to deter theft and identify stolen items. Using an applicator pen, the owner marks a piece of property with tiny microdots the size of a grain of sand. The dots are laser etched with a personal identification number (PIN) that is registered to the owner. The PIN’s are stored in a secure international database, which is only accessible to law enforcement. The microdots are affixed with a special adhesive. The adhesive fluoresces under UV light. A 30X magnification is required to read the serial number. As an owner applied number, the PIN can be entered into NCIC/FCIC for later recovery of the … Continue reading
Posted in Misc., Technology
Tagged CopDots, CopDots DNA, DataDots Technology Ltd, FLEPRU, IACP, Recovering Stolen Property
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Counterfeit Money and the Patrol Officer
I was lucky to have taken a class in Fraudulent Documents when I was a detective. I found the entire subject riveting (really). Back at my agency, I get requests to examine currency for the officers when they are on counterfeit calls. I try to pass along some basics to the patrolmen, because there are a few shortcuts to identifying real money from fake. Quick ground school on the Federal Reserve Note: “Paper” currency is made from 75% cotton and 25% linen. To be durable and hard to reproduce, U.S. currency is more cloth than traditional paper, which is made largely from wood cellulose. The counterfeit pens you see used … Continue reading
Gov. Rick Scott Literally Shoots Down Police Drones
Okay, not literally, but I get a kick out of when people misuse the word. Anyway, Gov. Rick Scott signed into law this week legislation which will, in essence, keep law enforcement drones grounded by way of severe restrictions. Effective 6/1/2013, the Florida Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act would prohibit law enforcement agencies from using an unmanned aerial vehicle (defined as a drone in the act) to gather evidence or other information, or from using evidence obtained or collected in violation of the act in any state court of law. A drone is defined as a powered, aerial vehicle that: 1. Does not carry a human operator; 2. Uses aerodynamic forces … Continue reading
Posted in Humor, Legal, Misc., Technology
Tagged Florida and Drones, Gov. Rick Scott, Law Enforcement Surveillance, Police Drones, police technology
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NavElite Trekker H Wrist Worn Compass Review
I remember a hostage rescue simulation, calendars past, that involved a rural house surrounded by very heavy woods. I was an ATL then. A sniper and I were tasked by the team leader with clandestinely scouting the location, staging the outer perimeter, and finding the best ingress to the target for the assault element. We kind of got disorie…un-uhhh…lost. Thankfully, it was just a training scenario. NavElite currently produces a compass that I would certainly recommend to active guys in SWAT. Wearing a wrist-mounted direction finder that has backlighting can be a huge advantage in tactical operations. Yeah, you could fool around with a flashlight and hand held lensatic compass, … Continue reading
T.U.C.Rig — Tactical Under Carry for Equipment
A West Central Florida police officer/SWAT member has come up with a simple carry method for ancillary equipment with external clips or sheaths. She calls it the T.U.C.Rig for Tactical Under Carry Rig. Consisting of a nylon strap, single buckle, and hook and loop closure, it can secure items that have clips, such as knives and flashlights. It can also be threaded through pouches with belt loops or MOLLE attachments. The T.U.C.Rig mounts on the ankle, arm, or even on body armor vest straps. For the last two months, I have been using the T.U.C.Rig to tote my C.A.T. Tourniquet while on shift. I attach the hook and loop of … Continue reading
Armored Mobility Inc. Rapid Response Carrier and SAPI3 Plate Review
My agency responded to an active shooter in the workplace last week. Shots were fired. Hundreds of workers, fearing the worst, hid in their offices. There were gunfire injuries to a civilian. Our PD response was swift and decisive. The shooter was arrested. Afterward, some of my co-workers expressed a desire to upgrade their patrol load out to include a critical incident vest. I could not help but give them my opinion on the importance of armor and ammo. I currently have an Armored Mobility Inc. (AMI) Rapid Response Carrier with two AMI SAPI3 plates in the CVPI trunk while on duty. Armor–check. Multiple AR-15 and Sig magazines. Ammo–check. Since … Continue reading