Smart Gun Technology Skirts Common Sense and Second Amendment Rights

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Randall

ArmatixArmatix GmbH of Germany is selling a new .22 cal. handgun that is slaved to a radio frequency identification (RFID) wristwatch.  The pairing makes the gun active when the watch is within ten inches of the firearm and deactivates the gun when the watch does not have the proper PIN entered or is more than ten inches away from the pistol.  I am skeptical on several fronts.

Other than having to shell out nearly $2,000.00 for the Armatix Smart System ($1,399-gun,$399-watch, add taxes), I can think of a number of defensive scenarios in which this “smart” alternative would be ill-advised stupid.  I am addressing the shortcomings of this product from the defensive firearm scenario, since the iP1 is clearly not a competition or range gun.  Strike one:  .22 cal. long rifle rimfire.  Moving on.

Trusting your safety and that of your loved ones to the functional integrity of a plastic wristwatch may be my biggest reservation.  Continue reading →

Posted in Firearms, Politics | 2 Comments

ELSA Mobile Language Translation

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Randall

ELSA RTT DeviceELSA is a mobile language translation system designed for first responders, government agencies, health care, and financial services among the end users.  Live translators interact with the user and client.  This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  My department recently received two test and evaluation devices from RTT Mobile Interpretation, the developer.

An ELSA device is a simple black box that is made to be clipped to the belt of the user.  With the push of a button, live translators are available over a wireless network to assist with translating a mind boggling 180 different languages and dialects.  Four small microphones on the top of the unit capture the voices.  A large speaker lets the users hear the translator.

The interface is made to be as elementary as possible.  It has one big cop-proof button that powers the unit on and off and serves as Continue reading →

Posted in Street, Technology | 3 Comments

Sticky Holsters for Concealed Carry

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Randall

Sticky Holsters Bodyguard 380Mike Christoff started Naples, FL-based Sticky Holsters based upon his 25 years of experience as a police officer in Michigan and in Florida.  Sticky Holsters use a proprietary material as the outer shell of the holster.  I would not characterize it as “sticky” so much as it is “real grabby,” but that would not make for a good company moniker.

Sticky Holsters makes 17 different sizes of its signature holster, so finding a fit for your handgun should not be a problem.  The range of sizes travels from the tiny Beretta Bobcat to the FN 5.7.  These are not only meant as pocket holsters (and you would have to be a super large human to pocket carry a 5.7,), but because of the tactile properties of the material, they can serve as IWB holsters.

Sticky Holsters mouth Continue reading →

Posted in Concealed Carry, Firearms, Florida Companies | Tagged , | 5 Comments

FHP Trooper Files Lawsuit for Misuse of DAVID

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Randall
AP/Photo

Trooper Donna Jean Watts
AP Photo

How many times does this have to be repeated to us?  DAVID is for official use only.  Period.  Period, period.  The latest shenanigans that involve the inappropriate access of Florida’s Driver and Vehicle Information Database is articulated in a lawsuit filed by Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Donna Jane Watts.  Watts is suing 88 law enforcement officers, and the 25 police agencies where they are employed, for a breach of the Federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act of 1994.

Following Trooper Watts’ 2011 high speed pursuit of Miami Officer Fausto Lopez, in which Watts ordered Lopez out of his marked police car at gunpoint and arrested him for reckless driving, Watts said she was subsequently harassed at her protected address.  She claims she suffered an invasion of privacy when her DAVID records were illegally accessed by scores of LEO’s.

This is far from being the first time DAVID has been misused.  Former Clearwater Police Lt. Richard Crean was caught using DAVID to run license tag information for a friend’s child custody battle.  An audit of his DAVID usage showed hundreds of questionable queries from 2011 to 2012, as he apparently looked up celebrities, local female restaurant servers, other officers’ wives, a television news anchor, and Continue reading →

Posted in Misc., Technology | Tagged | 1 Comment

FBI Publishes Report on Active Shooter Events–2000-2012

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Randall

FBI sealLast month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation published the findings of a study of Active Shooter Events (ASE’s) that occurred from 2000 to 2012.  One thing is clear from the data, and you can probably guess what it is.  Active shootings, injuries, and deaths have all increased during in years examined.

The FBI studied a total of 110 active shooter events during this period.  Complete data was not available for every instance, but there was enough information for an examination of the trends in several areas of concern.

While you might think most of the incidents occurred on school campuses, 40% of ASE’s occurred in businesses, while 29% were in schools and 19% outdoors.  This would indicate that the majority of the ASE’s take place indoors.  Sound building clearing tactics, especially of the hostage-rescue type, are important for first responding officers.

Forty-seven of the 51 ASE’s with response time data showed that police officers arrived in under seven minutes.  The median police response time for 51 of the incidents was just three minutes.  That is quick to get boots on the ground.  It also makes the next set of stats sobering. Continue reading →

Posted in Officer Safety, Street, SWAT | 2 Comments

Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Slain

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Randall

OCSO Dep. J.S. PineOrange County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jonathan Scott Pine was apparently ambushed and murdered during a foot chase last night.  Dep. Pine was pursuing an auto burglary suspect that had fled from him, when the suspect shot Pine in a backyard.  Dep. Pine, a three year veteran of the OCSO, leaves behind a wife and three children.

The murderer was violent felon who had been released from prison in 2012 after serving just three years of a seven year sentence for two bank robberies in Maryland.  He committed suicide several houses away from Dep. Pine’s shooting.

Our condolences to Dep. Pine’s family and co-workers.

Randall

Posted in Officer Down, Officer Safety | 1 Comment

Gradually Detectives

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Randall

Crime Scene TapeIt has been nearly five years since my cell phone rang in the middle of the night and I had to respond out to a homicide as an investigator.  Since leaving the both the Detective Bureau and SWAT, I had absolutely reveled in hanging up my on-call status, which had lasted for over 21 years.  Having now returned to DB:  Ringggg!  Back to the salt mines…

I woke two of my burglary dicks and told them that we needed to go in to assist.  This would be their first full-blown murder as new detectives.  No, they were not the primary investigators, just the minors helping out the pros.  Still, their work would be important to the case. Continue reading →

Posted in Detectives | Leave a comment

New Double Tap P-Flex Grip

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Randall

That ↑ minimizes this ouch ↓

Double Tap

Double Tap P-Flex GripThe P-Flex is $25.00 from Double Tap.

Randall

Posted in Firearms | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Rob Pincus Introduces New Winchester W Series Ammunition

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Randall

Rob Pincus was once again at SHOT Show Media Day at the Range in the Winchester lane.  He was giving demonstrations of the new Winchester W Train and Defend line of ammunition.  According to their literature:

“The W Train & Defend ammunition system is designed to provide threat-stopping power with less recoil to the shooter. The system pairs its range-ready Train rounds with technology-driven Defend rounds, both designed to limit the recoil felt by the shooter. This system provides a perfect solution for new shooters, especially women, who are interested in training to become proficient with their personal defense ammunition.”

Both the Winchester Train and Winchester Defend are ballistically matched for consistent performance, whether in practice at the range or in real life self-defense.  The Train ammo has brass cases and FMJ projectiles.  They also have lead-free primers for indoor range practice where required.  Defend ammunition comes in nickel-plated cases and jacketed hollow point bullets. Continue reading →

Posted in Concealed Carry, Firearms | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

StealthSCOPE by Zistos Video Systems

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Randall

Zistos StealthSCOPEI spent some quality time with Robert Levine and Michael Sterflinger at the Zistos Video Systems SHOT Show 2014 booth.  I was not just impressed with their Made in the USA (Holbrook, NY) products, but with Zistos’ extremely strong customer service attitude.  I also got to play with one of their cool new toys—the StealthSCOPE.

The StealthSCOPE is a tactical tool that has a small articulating camera head that can be maneuvered into tough, tight spaces for covert video surveillance.  I took photos of its sibling, the ExplorerSCOPE.  The “wand” of these scopes moves in four directions to be able to place the camera in the desired orientation.

A 980 nm infrared laser provides a light source to the camera that is invisible to the human eye.  With this IR laser and enhanced video electronics, the StealthSCOPE can see in total darkness for 20+ feet.  In visible light, the StealthSCOPE provides images up to Continue reading →

Posted in SWAT, Technology | Tagged | Leave a comment

Karbon Arms Shorts Out, Concedes to TASER

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Randall

KarbonMPID copyThe U.S. District Court, District of Delaware has awarded TASER International $2.38 million in damages from patent infringements by Tampa, FL manufacturer Karbon Arms, LLC.  Karbon Arms was also permanently restrained and enjoined from making, using, or selling any MPID or MPID-C, or any “substantial components” of their conducted electrical weapons thereof.

TASER International filed its civil action against Karbon Arms in May of 2011.  TASER claimed that Karbon Arms infringed on two (later three) patents held by TASER.  In December of 2013, District Court Judge Richard Andrews cleared the way for a trial by ruling that Karbon Arms had infringed on TASER’s U.S. Patent 7,800,885.  A trial date was set for January 13, 2014.  On January 10, the plaintiff and respondent entered a joint stipulation Continue reading →

Posted in Florida Companies, Taser | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Timberline Tactical Dave Young Combat Breaching Tool

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Randall

GATCO/Timberline has brought on board police trainer and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Dave Young to design their new Timberline Tactical Combat Breaching Tool.  This tomahawk is 17″ overall with a full tang D2 blade at RH 60.  Dave explains all its features in the video.  MSRP will be $225.00.

Dave has over thirty years of experience as a corrections officer, police officer, and Marine.  He has dedicated his time to training LE and the Military in officer survival, force on force strategies, and tactics.  He is the founder and director of ARMA Training.  Thanks for your service, Dave!

Randall

Posted in Knives, Misc., SWAT | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

New Smith & Wesson Performance Center 686 Revolver

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Randall

Smith & Wesson PC 686While I am on revolver kick, Smith & Wesson is releasing a brand new Performance Center version of their Model 686 Distinguished Combat Magnum.  This 7 shot L-Frame model will have a 2.5″ barrel, bead blasted finish, unfluted cylinder, and custom wood grips.  There is a red ramp front and adjustable rear sight.

Other features to the PC 686 are a chrome teardrop-shaped hammer spur, chrome trigger with stop, precision crowned barrel, and a cylinder cut for moon clips.  S&W’s Performance Center has tuned the action.

Aaron and I shot this gun at Media Day.  The trigger in double action was silky smooth.  In single action, the hammer dropped with a light click.  S&W reports the trigger pulls at Continue reading →

Posted in Concealed Carry, Firearms, Off Duty, SHOT Show | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

New ERGO Delta Grips for S&W J-Frame Revolvers

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Randall

ERGO Delta Grip ProfileOverheard at the Show from some GunPressMediaInternetCommandos:  “You gotta check out the new ERGO Delta Grips for the J-Frame.  They are ultra-high-speed-tactical and probably will show up on immediate-action SpecOps outside of CONUS!”  Maybe the word “Delta” fooled them.  Maybe I exaggerate.  Sigh, I checked the map and wandered down to ERGO’s booth in one of the rabbit warren ballrooms off the SHOT Show main hall.

I have an affinity for my .38 Special revolvers and in the environment of .327 SmallBlock chambered AR-15’s and the latest in super Cryptoflage-patterned BDU’s, I could have used a bit of Old School Firearm-ery at that moment.  The new Delta Grip by ERGO is an interesting mod to the J-Frame’s handle shape.

The Delta Grip angles your wrist slightly forward for what ERGO says is a “better natural pointing and Continue reading →

Posted in Concealed Carry, Firearms, Off Duty, SHOT Show | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Slide Fire Turns an AR-15 Upside Down!

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Randall

At SHOT Show 2014’s Media Day at the Range, Slide Fire showed off a fixed mounted upside down semi-automatic AR-15 that mechanically bump-fired to shoot in “full auto.”  Watching it chatter elicited much joy from the assembled press, who did not fail to gather when the demonstration dinner bell was rung.

There were many remarks from those around me who said that they had thought that Slide Fire was a flash in the pan.  There was surprise at the growing popularity of the product line, which kinda turns a semi-automatic rifle or shotgun (AR’s, AK’s, 10-22’s, Saiga’s, etc) into a fully automatic firing weapon.  This is done with a modified stock and Newton’s Third Law of Continue reading →

Posted in Firearms, SHOT Show | Tagged , | Leave a comment