StarChase Pursuit Management System

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Randall

Who doesn’t like playing “Tag” or “Cops and Robbers?”  When you combine the two games, you come up with a serious solution proposed by StarChase LLC to a serious problem for law enforcement.

The StarChase Pursuit Management System “tags” a suspect vehicle fleeing from law enforcement and leads authorities to the vehicle by the use of real-time GPS tracking, thereby minimizing the risks of a high-speed pursuit.

Started in 2001, StarChase, LLC, is a Virginia Beach, VA based company that specializes in pursuit management solutions using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components and existing technologies.

The StarChase System uses a laser-aimed compressed air launcher in the grill of a police car to affix a GPS tracking projectile on a suspect vehicle.  The projectile sticks to the vehicle’s surface with a proprietary adhesive.

Grill Mounted Launcher

Once the projectile is in place, dispatchers use GPS radio signals from the projectile to track the target vehicle and update its mapped location.  The system is scalable and has different upgrades or options, based on a department’s needs.

The launching system has been determined to be less lethal by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).  The projectile can be deployed by the officer from a control panel inside the police cruiser, or activated by the use of an optional fob when outside the cruiser.

Upgraded mapping can be linked to in-car computers to provide the responding officers with the vehicle’s position.  The GPS information can also be programmed into AVL or Continue reading →

Posted in Officer Safety, Street, Technology | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Revision Military Announces Batlskin Modular Head Protection

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Randall

Revision Military has sent out a press release debuting their new Batlskin Modular Head Protection.  This gear may seem pricey, but I think it will be the future of helmets for the Military and SWAT teams.  As with most new technology, the cost per unit will probably come down as there are advances in materials and production processes.  I think this will be a more common look in ten years.

Randall

Essex Junction, VT, USA (May 4, 2012) – Revision Military, a world leader in
protective soldier solutions, announces the much anticipated retail debut of its Batlskin
Modular Head Protection System. Designed for use with the Advanced Combat Helmet
(ACH), the system is now available for purchase by active duty military and Law
Enforcement Officers (LEO) within the U.S. and Canada. Initial size offerings
accommodate the ACH helmet’s two most common sizes: Medium and Large, with
Small and X-Large sizing available this summer. Comprised of the Front Mount, Continue reading →

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Pistol Wear Trump Card Holster Review

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Randall

In February, I wrote an updated review of the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380.  I featured a Pistol Wear PT-2 concealed holster in the article and I had much positive feedback on it.  I really liked the PT-2, so I decided to try a different Pistol Wear version that is slightly scaled down.

The Pistol Wear Trump Card and Sub Compact Trump Card are lightweight concealed carry holsters that can be worn under the arm, inside the waistband, or outside the waistband.  They are designed to be used in support of business attire or causal wear.

Much like the PT-One and PT-2, the Trump Card has a breathable elastic belt that is adjustable by the use of hook and loop fields for size.  Three separate snaps allow the belt to be taken on and off without wearing out the loop area—ingenious!  To account for under the arm carry, the belt is adjustable up to 46” with extensions of 10” and 20” available.

Trump Card’s pouch is perspiration and solvent resistant so that the handgun’s finish is protected even during moderate exercise or oppressive weather conditions.   While the PT’s One and 2 have a generous open-topped pouch for the firearm, the Trump Card and Continue reading →

Posted in Firearms, Off Duty | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

New Report by American Heart Association Zaps TASER International

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Randall

A new report released on-line by the American Heart Association magazine Circulation associates sudden cardiac arrest and death with the application of an electronic control device (ECD), more specifically a TASER International model X26.

Dr. Douglas P. Zipes, a cardiologist at the Indiana School of Medicine, conducted the study, which was peer reviewed for publication.  Zipes, coincidently has been paid over a half million dollars to testify as an expert witness against the police and TASER, according to TASER International.  Zipes has conceded he is paid $1200.00 per hour to testify as a witness against ECD’s, but he said that gave him no incentive to do the research.

Zipes studied eight cases from 2008, seven of which were fatalties, in which a TASER X26 was deployed and caused unconsciousness.  He concluded that TASER use can result in cardiac electrical capture and ventricular arrythmias, leading to cardiac arrest.  The eight cases Zipes studied were ones in which he was a paid defense witness.

As reported in the Vancouver Sun: “In the testimonies that I’ve given, when cross-examined by the TASER (lawyers), they would repeatedly say to me, ‘Well, Dr. Zipes, point to me to one peer-reviewed scientific article showing TASER produces cardiac arrest.’ And Continue reading →

Posted in Medical, Officer Safety, Taser | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

L. A. Police Gear Jumbo Bail Out Bag Review

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Randall

L. A. Police Gear (LAPG) is an on-line retailer catering to the law enforcement crowd.  I have been buying equipment from them for years.  LAPG has a product line of their very own that includes BDU pants, polo shirts, hats, backpacks, gear bags, and novelty items (think tactical ballistic nylon MOLLE-bearing Christmas stocking!).

A prime attribute to LAPG brand products is the economical price point.  When I went looking for a new front seat equipment holder, I chose LAPG’s Jumbo Bail Out Bag.

Back in the late 1980’s, I bought a small briefcase style piece of luggage to contain the everyday flotsam of gear that washes aboard the passenger compartment of a working police car.  Paper was cutting edge then, so you had to have the requisite aluminum clipboard, laminated city map, citation book, state statute book (the old Metro Dade was standard), ordinance book, pens, Whiteout, and a sheaf of forms.

Some guys bought flat Fiberglas seat organizers that hook over the passenger seat and hold the stuff.  I had one for my K9 truck because my dogs had run of the interior.  I found that Continue reading →

Posted in Concealed Carry, Street, Tactical Bags | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Mecklenburg Act Brings Murder Charge for Aggravated Fleeing

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Randall

Deputy Mecklenburg Photo: HCSO

On Friday, Gov. Rick Scott attended a ceremonial bill signing at the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office for the Deputy John C. Mecklenburg Act.  Deputy Mecklenburg was killed in the line of duty on July 3, 2011 during a high speed pursuit.

The act provides for capital or life murder charges when a human being is killed during the commission of a crime involving aggravated fleeing or eluding from law enforcement officers when there is serious bodily injury or death.

Mecklenburg, a Hernando County deputy for just over two years, was one of a number of officers and deputies who were attempting to stop a vehicle traveling the wrong way against traffic in Brooksville.  The suspect, Michael James Anthony, was eventually arrested on I-275 in St. Petersburg, but not before there were two cruiser crashes and a failed P.I.T. maneuver during the high speed pursuit.  One of the crashes resulted in Mecklenburg’s death.

Also included in the new legislation is the addition of correctional officers and correctional probation officers to the list of law enforcement victims which constitute life felony murder charges.  The changes to F.S.S. 784.02 and other related statutes take effect on October 1, 2012.

Randall

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Florida Highway Patrol the Latest Victim of Media’s Crystal Ball

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Randall

On January 29, 2012, there was a terrible series of crashes on I-75 in Alachua County in the Paynes Prairie Preserve area just south of Gainesville.  Smoke from a wildfire and early morning fog conspired to create deadly road conditions, which resulted in six vehicle crashes and 11 fatalities.

A 38-page report released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement yesterday detailed a number of findings indicating the Florida Highway Patrol, and specifically FHP Lt. John Gourley, made decisions that morning which would ultimately impact the events on I-75.

Following the release of this report, mainstream media outlets immediately slanted the findings of the report to insinuate that the FHP made errors that caused the crashes, despite the FDLE conclusion that no member of the FHP acted with “criminal intent” and that “agency personnel acted in a manner which they believed was appropriate and in the best interest of restoring the safe and orderly flow of traffic to the roadways.”

District Lt. Gourley was off duty on Jan. 29 when he was notified of the closure of I-75.  He came in service and responded to assume command at the scene.  He personally observed road conditions on I-75 and U.S. 441, another affected roadway, for over an hour and a half.  He drove the eight mile Paynes Prairie I-75 stretch several times, each time noting Continue reading →

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A Few Words on the SWAT Attitude

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Randall

I have been talking lately with a few SWAT guys about their perspectives of their different tactical teams.  What I am hearing is nothing new.  While I won’t go into politics or particulars, I will say a central theme in my many discussions has revolved around attitude.

Not as in Attitude with a capital “I’m a badass SWAT guy, so blah, blah, blah.”  Attitude, as it relates to a positive approach to training for and execution of high-risk operations.  A shared bad morale will destroy a Team from the inside out.

To address some of the myriad complaints I have heard, if you are focused on your agency’s shortcomings related to internal or external politics, command structures, team utilization, and/or management personalities, then I suggest you are fixated too high above your pay grade.

The strength of a Team starts with its individual warriors.  Each officer’s concentration Continue reading →

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Spyderco Waved Endura4 For Duty Carry

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Randall

I have carried many, many knives on duty.  It seems I am always trying to find one better than the last.  My uniform pockets have contained uncounted blades unleashed by nail nicks, thumb studs, opening holes, coil springs, leaf springs, and even centrifugal force (yes, a Bali-song).  I recently decided to try something completely different:  mechanical fabric resistance!

In the 1990’s, custom knifemaker Ernest Emerson patented an interesting design he originally called The Wave.  The folding knife’s blade has a “hook” at the top that catches the edge of the pants pocket and pulls the blade open as the knife itself is withdrawn. Continue reading →

Posted in Knives, Officer Safety, Street | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Memories and Police Patrol

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Randall

I hate to be a big buzz kill, but you will not be doing these cool law enforcement things forever.  Just as your equipment gets old and weathered, so will you.  And like your gear, you will be obsolete one day.  Reality check.

I am writing these mean words to remind you to enjoy these times of your life.  I was once in my twenties, lean and invincible.  Professionally, I had it all:  Midnight Shift, SWAT, and K9.  I didn’t know how well off I was.  My work days consisted of speeding from one adrenaline rush to the next.

It is all a blur now, though.  I’m twice as old as I was then.  Probably twice as slow, despite decades of physical maintenance.  So many of those critical incidents are not quite lost in my head, but buried in the past and difficult to dig up.

In some ways, I am lucky in memory.  I have meticulous K9 records, which benefitted me in Court then and aid my recollections now.  I also wrote the majority of the after action debriefings from the 12 years of SWAT operations while I was Team Leader, so those missions are archived.

Nothing will bring back the slide show of daily amusements and frustrations from the last 25 years.  I wish I could remember all the quirky happenings from thousands of shifts.  I’m Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Street | Tagged | Leave a comment

Morphix Technologies Chameleon Chemical Detector Review

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Randall

Morphix Technologies has released a seven minute training video which gives some simple statistics and dangers about Meth Labs.  The video also addresses Morphix’s Chameleon Chemical Detector, one of their products for detecting hazardous chemicals by first responders.  I got my hands on a Chameleon kit for testing in October.

The Morphix Chameleon is a chemical detection unit that is worn on the forearm or attached by Velcro to the uniform of a first responder.  The purpose of the kit is to provide an officer, firefighter, or soldier with immediate visual identification of the presence of hazardous gases.

A passive detector, the Chameleon has ten windows, called cassettes, which change color when exposed to certain chemicals.  The Chameleon can be configured for Clan-Meth Lab, Chemical Suicide, or Haz-Mat detection by simply changing the cassettes.

The kit is easy for an operator to use.  Once strapped on, the officer needs only to glance at it to be alerted.  The cassette windows start out a single color.  If a cassette changes to two colors, it has been exposed to the toxic chemical.  No power source is required.  The cassettes have chemically reactive strips inside that remind me of “litmus paper” from junior high school Chemistry.

I found the Chameleon to be very unobtrusive.  The face of the kit measures 3 7/8” X 2 ¾.”  The entire armband weighs less than two ounces.  The strap is adjustable up to 14” in circumference.  A larger 18” armband is available.

The cassettes for each different type of hazard are individually pre-packaged, so the user just inserts all the cassettes in the armband and he or she is ready to go.  Initially enclosed in foil, the cassettes are loaded just prior to deployment.

Once opened, the cassettes have a 24-hour service life. They also remain viable after salt or Continue reading →

Posted in Medical, Officer Safety, Street, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Video Games Can Aid Police Training

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Randall

"Dude, get out of the fatal funnel."

Do you wander around your house, punching out your finger-gun from the low ready, practicing room clearing?  Sure you don’t; neither do I.  And I’ve only been embarrassed about it a couple of times.  I think many of us seek out opportunities to practice our skills whenever we can.

First-Person Shooter video games take us on exciting missions in exotic locales.  The danger is not real, but the format is much like a simulator for teaching search techniques.  While not a scenario trainer like, say, a FATS machine, an FPS game can give you reps in considering tactical angles and problem solving.

In the confines of a video game, you can practice slicing the pie, hallway movements, room entry, fields of fire, and threat identification.  In some FPS’s you can dial down the number of adversaries to make it more like a building search, rather than a straight-up firefight.

I have found that some of the older games like the Rainbow Six series have missions in single player mode that let you clear specific areas, such as the British SAS’s Hereford Continue reading →

Posted in SHOT Show, Street, SWAT, Tactics | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Smith & Wesson Announces New M&P Shield Pistol

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Randall

M&P Shield in .40 S&W

This week, Smith & Wesson unveiled their new M&P Shield semi-automatic pistol.  Made to compete in the single-stack concealed carry arena, the Shield is a slimmed down version of their popular striker-fired polymer pistol offerings.  By my calculations it is .25″ thinner than an M&P9, weighs 2.7 ounces less, and is .6″ shorter on the slide topline.  It is available in 9mm or .40 S&W cal.

I think with the law enforcement popularity of the full-sized M&P guns, the Shield will be a nice compliment to those who want a smaller version of their everyday duty pistol for secondary weapon or off-duty carry.  It is a training advantage to carry the same format Continue reading →

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Avoiding the Dangers in a Chemical Suicide Response

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Randall

Low Threat Tactical Clearing Exercise, Normally Run with SCBA’s

On Monday in Boston, a BU pharmacology grad student committed suicide by lethal chemical.  Police and Fire department personnel responding to the apartment at 676 Massachusetts Ave. were in danger from highly toxic sodium azide, which has effects similar to cyanide.  Four police officers and two EMT’s were taken to the hospital for exposure to the chemical.

I had just written an article on April 2 about a dangerous malathion suicide attempt, where first responders needed medical attention.  Last June, I wrote an article for BlueSheepdog called Chemical Suicides–A Safe Response.  I thought it very important to post that article on ThinBlueFlorida for obvious officer safety reasons.

Police officers respond to thousands of cases a day of a person unconscious in a vehicle.  In most cases, the officer will find the driver has a medical issue, is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or is just plain sleep deprived.  Unfortunately, there is another scenario lurking out there that can be very dangerous.

Chemical suicides have been on the rise.  According to a New York State fire official, of the 72 chemical suicides in the U.S. since 2008, 80% have resulted in injuries to first responders.  These incidents are on the increase, with more than 25 chemical suicides having been reported in the early months of 2011.

A thorough officer safety assessment at the approach of a “person down” can prevent a secondary exposure to toxic chemicals that may be present.  There are potential warning Continue reading →

Posted in Medical, Officer Safety, Street | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics–Now Running

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Randall

The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Florida came through my county today.  The Torch Run is in its 31st year of raising awareness and funds for the Special Olympics.  Each year in Florida over 5,000 law enforcement officers from more than 300 agencies will carry the Flame of Hope on a 1,500 mile relay through 66 counties.

The Flame of Hope’s journey began March 26 in Escambia County and will finish on May 9 in Osceola County, in time for Opening Ceremonies to the Special Olympics Summer Games in Lake Buena Vista, FL on May 18.

For the last ten years or so, Bill has been my agency’s Special Olympics representative athlete.  Each year, he greets us and thanks us for our participation.  He is right up front at the photo ops and assists in handing off the torch to our department from the previous relay department.  This morning, Bill told me how excited he is to be cycling at the Special Olympics Summer Games in May.   Events hosted at the Summer Games include track and field, soccer, bocce, tennis, volleyball, cycling, and other special competitions.

It was a hot, humid, 85 degrees during our run.  Our route travels about four miles from a Continue reading →

Posted in Misc., Off Duty | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments