Uncle Mike’s Law Enforcement Kodra Sidekick Ankle Holster Review

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Randall

I’ll get this out right up front:  I am not a big fan of the ankle holster for handgun carry.  Okay, moving on.  I have been asked about a good choice in ankle holsters for on duty wear.  I favor the Uncle Mike’s Law Enforcement Kodra Sidekick Ankle Holster for a durable and inexpensive way to leg-mount your firearm.

Kodra is a ballistic nylon material, akin to Cordura (a brand name), that has good abrasion resistance and a softer texture than other standard nylon materials.  Uncle Mike’s uses this to construct a wearer-friendly holster at a low price point.

The Uncle Mike’s Sidekick ankle holster has a strap that loops through a hard plastic buckle and fastens back on itself with hook and loop to cinch the rig down on your leg.  I find this method of securing much better than having two large hook and loop fields overlapping together to hold the holster shut.  The strap and buckle on this holster decrease the tension on the Velcro, where in other holsters two sections of hook and loop pull against each other in an elastic tug of war to free themselves.

Continue reading →

Posted in Concealed Carry, Firearms | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Easy on the Less Lethal…

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Randall

I just got back from an armed barricaded suspect call.  Why do they always come out right at the end of shift?  I was a little taken aback when I saw that the three officers at the door to the knife-wielding suspect’s room were armed with either TASERs or a less lethal beanbag shotgun.  I made some adjustments to the personnel configuration and brought a handgun up to the door.

We practice to have lethal cover with a less lethal option available when practical.  But the lethal cover should be up front, not from the guy way at the back of the stack.  When another sergeant and I did the initial TASER orientation and certification for the entire patrol division some years back, we took some of our SWAT concepts and applied them to the street officers’ instruction.

One of the main training points demonstrated the proper contact and cover movement with two officers.  When approaching a possible threat area, the officer with the handgun or long gun is up front and his less lethal back-up behind (when the situation calls for the potential use of a TASER).  The ECD-armed officer always has lethal cover.

For instance:  “My husband just gave me a black eye.”  Where’s he go?  “He’s in our mobile home.”  Welcome to Florida.  May we go check on him?  “Sure.”  Does he have weapons in the trailer?  At this point, I don’t care if she says, Continue reading →

Posted in Officer Safety, Street, Tactics, Taser | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

MagPod Magazine Monopod Mount

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Randall

MagPod is a simple idea.  Here is MagPod’s take:

  • Designed specifically for PMAG
  • Replaces standard floorplate, no tools required
  • Lightweight (weighs less than 1 ounce) and compact
  • Always ready to use, nothing to deploy
  • Optimized footprint virtually eliminates see-saw motion when using the magazine as a monopod
  • Overmolded Santoprene basepad for improved traction on hard/slick surfaces
  • Stippled side panels provide sure gripping surface for reloads
  • PATENT PENDING/AVAILABLE MID-2013

If you have ever gotten down into a prone shooting position with an AR-15,  you know that, sans-bipod, resting the base of the magazine on the ground makes sense to steady the weapon.  In the photo below, metal mag floorplates meet cement.

Admittedly, this is probably not what Eugene Stoner had intended, but it does work.  Our friends over at The Firearm Blog did Continue reading →

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U.S. Fire Arms ZiP Pistol

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Randall

The U.S. Fire Arms ZiP pistol blurs the line between toy and real gun. We recently received a safety BOLO for this odd looking .22 cal. LR handgun. It uses Ruger 10/22 magazines. The ZiP can certainly be mistaken for a futuristic toy gun. I wouldn’t want to get hit with 10 CCI Stingers out of this thing, though!

The largely polymer ZiP has a 5.25″ barrel and is 7.5″ long overall. The action is single action, striker fired. Its reported weight is just under 16 ounces.

The ZiP pistol can also be configured as a short-barreled rifle with the add-on stock. They call the modification a BattleZiP Survival SBR (ATF SBR license required).

I have read the ZiP is supposed to be shipping currently. MSRP for the basic black gun is around $199. The ZiP is designed, engineered, and made in the USA.

This may be a look into innovative gun designs for new generations. Although I think it has a Lego-ish appearance, it is important to know the thing fires real bullets.

Randall

Part Two and Shooting the ZiP Here

Posted in Firearms, Technology | Tagged | 2 Comments

Florida Leads Nation in Death Sentences

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Randall

National Totals from the DPIC

The non-profit group Death Penalty Information Center published their 2012 report on December 18.  Florida had the most death sentences in the country for 2012 with 21 total.  California (14), Texas (9), and Pennsylvania (7), and Florida combined to serve 65% of the nation’s death sentences.  The projected nationwide total for 2012 will be 78, up from 76 in 2011.

Florida executed three inmates in 2012:  Robert Waterhouse, David Allen Gore, and Manuel Pardo.  Florida currently houses 407 inmates on death row, second only to California with 724.  In 2000, lethal injection replaced the electric chair for Florida’s executions.

As the use of the death penalty is at all time low since 1976, FBI UCR reports also show the 2011 murder rate of 4.7 per 100,00 at its lowest point since 2000 where the murder rate was 5.5 per 100,000.  The DPIC report cites a study by the National Research Council which indicates that 35 years of death penalty data show the deterrence factor to death sentencing as “fundamentally flawed.”

I have never bought into the belief that the existence of the death penalty prevents people from murdering others.  A death sentence and execution will, however, prevent that person from killing again.  A PDF of the DPIC report is linked above.  It contains some interesting facts.

Randall

Posted in Legal, Politics | Tagged | Leave a comment

CRKT Otanashi Noh Ken and Sakimori Fighting Knives

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Randall

I wrote about the Columbia River Knife and Tool Hissatsu in my last knife review.  Here are video press release for two new James Williams-designed Japanese fighters that will be debuted at the upcoming SHOT Show in January.

Randall

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Holiday Suck

Posted on December 25, 2012 by Randall

Two of my good friends, who formerly worked at my department, got into an OIS in a neighboring city. God Bless them and their families. Thankfully they prevailed…

Randall

Posted in Misc. | Leave a comment

Merry Christmas!

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Randall

Merry Christmas from us at ThinBlueFlorida. May you have a joyful holiday. If you are working, thank you for your service and be safe.

Randall

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Transparent Ballistic Shields by AP&T International

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Randall

At SWAT Round-Up’s vendor area, I spied a product with which I am very familiar—transparent shields!  I stopped at the booth and met with David Malouff, AP&T International’s Vice President for Sales and Marketing.  We have been using AP&T’s 11” X 16” Level IIIa handheld transparent shields on operations for over 12 years.  I told Malouff we were very happy with their attributes and performance.

AP&T International is a corporation that specializes in ballistic protection through the use of their proprietary transparent material that is H.P. White Laboratory tested for ballistic integrity and compliance to current NIJ Level IIa through IV standards.

The advantages to a transparent shield are obvious.  Increasing the shield operator’s visual range makes for more efficient movement and threat assessment.  A shield is useless if the operator takes a header over unseen obstacles in a house or yard.  Negotiating stairwells can be problematic when you can’t see what is in front of the lower half of your body.

A clear shield also allows for all the officers behind the shield bearer to see what is going on in front of them.  That amounts to more eyes on target and less of a “blind snake” approach to the problem.

We use our small handheld 11” X 16” AP&T shields for some very specific work in Continue reading →

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Thoughts from the Week…

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Randall

I have some random observations from this week. The first is from dinner with a couple of the guys. The conversation was dominated by a discussion of hardening up our schools. All the officers at the dinner have young kids. After Sandy Hook, the dads are pretty focused on safety in the educational environment.

This week, we received training at Read Off on changes to photo pack procedures that have been “mandated” by the State Attorney’s Office. Not well received by the officers. It seems the Innocence Project, who fathered the changes, had police misconduct and potential witness misidentification as prime motivators– and did I mention police misconduct? The new blind administrator, sequential procedures caused a collective eye roll by the captive troops.

One of our cops went to a local gun/tactical store yesterday. He said they had a single AR-15 left on their normally stuffed racks.  And it was a 9mm sub gun…

A Million CCF Holders in Florida, as of this week. I’m glad to see so many citizens exercising their Second Amendment Rights by way of our respectful state laws. We had officers out just an hour ago with a driver who declared he was carrying a firearm under his CCF license. The encounter went smoothly. My fingers are crossed that this will be the norm and not the exception.

Randall

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Another Vote for the Ruger LCP

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Randall

I was minding my own business at my desk the other day, when I overheard one of our twenty-year veteran sergeants say this to an officer:  “I have lots of guns…Glocks, 1911’s…but off-duty I carry that little LCP. It fits in my pocket and I know that everywhere I go, I’m always armed.”  He went on to add that he carries it in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster.

Another vote for the Ruger LCP goes out from one of our seasoned SWAT guys who also pocket carries.  His rides in an Uncle Mike’s product.

Both of these guys are state-certified law enforcement firearms instructors and long time officers.  Say what you will about the .380 ACP as a defensive cartridge, but firearms that chamber it are off-duty favorites of guys who carry guns every day at work.

Randall

Posted in Firearms | Tagged | 2 Comments

UTAS UTS-15 Bullpup Shotgun Review

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Randall

On SWAT training days, you see some strange weaponry brought out to the range.  This is an UTAS UTS-15 military and police combat shotgun.  It has a 15 round capacity of 2 3/4″ 12 gauge shotgun shells, feeding from two 7 round tubular magazines above the 20.5″ barrel.  Overall length of the gun is 28.3″ and its weight is a light 6.9 pounds.

UTAS (pronounced YOO-tash) is a Turkish firearms company that prides itself on innovative design.  That is apparent in the UTS-15’s build.  UTS-15 is a pump-action, bullpup shotgun. The receiver is 100% fiber reinforced injection molded polymer.  In fact, 80% of the gun is polymer. Between photos one and two below, you can see only moderate muzzle climb during a shot, despite the shotgun’s light weight.

Continue reading →

Posted in Firearms, SWAT | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Emergency Medical Conditions and the Law Enforcement Response

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Randall

We had two officers injured in a fight this week with a person refusing medical treatment at a local hospital.  The situation highlighted what can be a gray area for the police officer, which is the question of when to provide hands on assistance in the involuntary detainment of medical patients.

In debriefing the troops, we found that there was confusion with some of the officers over an “incapacitated person” verses a Baker Act when it comes to dealing with uncooperative patients–either on the street or at a hospital facility.

From the Department of Children and Families legal information of Emergency Medical Conditions:

“Chapter 401.455, F.S. governs situations when an “incapacitated” person appears to have an emergency medical condition in a pre-hospital or ED situation, as follows:

“F.S. 401.445  Emergency examination and treatment of incapacitated persons.
(1)No recovery shall be allowed in any court in this state against any emergency medical technician, paramedic, or physician as defined in this chapter, any advanced registered nurse
practitioner certified under s. 464.012, or any physician assistant licensed under s. 458.347 or s. 459.022, or any person acting under the direct medical supervision of a physician, in an
action brought for examining or treating a patient without his or her informed consent if:
(a)The patient at the time of examination or treatment is intoxicated, under the influence of drugs, or otherwise incapable of providing informed consent as provided in s. 766.103;
(b)The patient at the time of examination or treatment is experiencing an emergency medical condition; and
(c)The patient would reasonably, under all the surrounding circumstances, undergo such examination, treatment, or procedure if he or she were advised by the emergency medical
technician, paramedic, physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or physician assistant in accordance with s. 766.103(3).  Examination and treatment provided under this subsection shall be limited to reasonable examination of the patient to determine the medical condition of the patient and treatment reasonably necessary to alleviate the emergency medical condition or to stabilize the patient.
(2)In examining and treating a person who is apparently intoxicated, under the influence of drugs, or otherwise incapable of providing informed consent, the emergency medical
technician, paramedic, physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or physician assistant, or any person acting under the direct medical supervision of a physician, shall proceed wherever possible with the consent of the person. If the person reasonably appears to be incapacitated and refuses his or her consent, the person may be examined, treated, or taken to a hospital or other appropriate treatment resource if he or she is in need of emergency attention, without his or her consent, but unreasonable force shall not be used.
(3)This section does not limit medical treatment provided pursuant to court order or treatment provided in accordance with chapter 394 or chapter 397. (chapter 394 and 397 don’t provide authority for medical treatment except as cited above)”

For the purposes of F.S. 401.445, the attending physician must be on the scene of the emergency for police officers to operate under this statute and circumstance.

On the street, officers are frequently called to assist the medical first responders with a combative person who needs to go to the hospital because because they have injured themselves, but then refuse consent.  Many times, they do not reach Marchman Act criteria.  They just don’t want to have that nasty gash on their forehead looked at.  The paramedics, on the authority of the “doc-in-a-box” or emergency medical director, insist the patient Continue reading →

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Shooting a Venture Ballistics Level III Shield

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Randall

In a earlier article, I talked about visiting the Venture Ballistic Composites manufacturing facility.  I was given a few test shields by Venture President Todd Garrett.  He also “loaned” me a Level III shield from one of their upcoming projects.  He encouraged us to shoot it.  So we did.

On the range, we fired two .308 Winchester Federal Match Grade 168 grain BTHP bullets and an American Eagle 5.56 X 45 FMJ at a Venture Ballistics Level III blank.  The distance was 25 yards.  The .308’s were fired by a Springfield Armory M14.  The 5.56 was shot from an Adams Arms AR-15.  The firing order was .308, 5.56, and .308.  There was zero Continue reading →

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Intrepid Networks “Sting” Police Technology

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Randall

If there is one thing I have noticed that is lacking in our tactical operations and drug busts, it is a solid situational orientation to our ground assets in a fluid incident.  For example, when coordinating a buy-bust takedown you may have multiple units working within the scenario:  narcotics officers, confidential informants, SWAT members, uniformed patrol, heck, throw in a K9 team or two.  Each of these personnel has distinct function, but often no one knows exactly where the other one is in relation to the target.

Intrepid Networks, with roots in Central Florida, has designed their Sting software platform as a way to increase law enforcement’s situational awareness and intelligence management.  I spoke with Intrepid Network’s product manager Jim Schmorde at SWAT Round-Up International.  I’m not necessarily a technology guy, so at points I nodded my head as if I understood.  Mr. Schmorde was a good sport.

Sting uses the existing Android mobile technology and networks and builds an electronic framework for the First Responder.  Schmorde displayed some Android phone and laptop images that showed the visual tracking locations of sample officers on a mapping function.  Okay, cool.  Dense urban canyon penetration.  What became more clear as the demo continued was that this is an integrated system that can provide so much more that just GPS coordination.

Sting has the ability for officers to share real time intel photos on the fly, or construct and archive a data trail containing date, time, position, direction, and even environmental info, in addition to text notes, speech-to-text note, and other multimedia functions.  Kinda like the movie Minority Report, without Tom Cruise waving his hands around in the air.

From Intrepid Networks:

Sting™ is a complete software solution designed for law enforcement specialists. Our product is developed specifically for officer and supervisor use in everyday operations as well as emergency response situations. Sting™ increases Continue reading →

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