American Cop 2009.11-12

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YOURE A TaRGEt: CaN YOUR ARMOR TaKE It?

LE MAS PART DEUX Pressure Problems?
New NIJ Standard
Dispatch Vs. Patrol ETHicaL MinEfiELDs
FOCUS:
Cars & Crashes: Carbon Motors E7 Corrections: Prison Gangs Private Security: Cyber Space Nightmare Hard Tools: FNS 120 Super Scope
PROTECTING THOSE WHO PROTECT . . .

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2009
Volume 5, Number 6, Issue 26
NOV DEC
Cover Photo Joe Novelozo
32
40
FEATURES
34 40 44 46 48 54
4
RUgERs NEw SR556 DAVE DOUGLAS

A Worthy Patrol Partner
Is YoUR BoDy ARmoR JUnk? JIM DONAHUE

NIJs Tough New Standard
DispaTcH Vs. PaTRoL JAMIE ZELLER

Keeping Your Dispatcher Happy
WHaTcHa Gonna Do? BILL HUBBARD

Ethical Quandries
PoLicE SToRy C.W. BILL BLACK
The Day I Almost Shot Elton John
LE Mas FoLLow Up BOB PILGRIM

High-Pressure Problems?
WWW.AMERICANCOPMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
20
26
COLUMNS
16 20 22 24
CORRECTIONS BriAn dAwE CaRRy OpTions MArk HAntEn PRivaTE SEcURiTy Ed pALUmbO OfficER SURvivaL JOHN RUSSO
18
18 HigH TEcH JIM DONAHUE
RESOURCES
56 spoTLigHT 68 aD inDEX
46
26 HaRD TooLs pAUL mArkEL 28 REsERvEs PERRYW. HORNBARGER 30 32

STREET LEvEL JOhn MOrriSOn CARS AND CRASHES SUZI HUNTINGTON
58 REaLiTy CHEck II CLint Smith
DEPARTMENTS
8 RETURn FiRE 13 GooD TO GO GEAR 70 InsiDER RUminaTions
16 22 THis SUREFiRE combo pack! 26 32 40 44 46 48 54
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CoRREcTions: PRison Gangs PRivaTE SEcURiTy: CybER SpacE NigHTmaRE HaRD TooLs: FNS 120 SUpER ScopE CaRs & CRasHEs: CaRbon MoToRs E7 YoURE A TaRgET: Can YoUR ARmoR TakE IT? DispaTcH Vs. PaTRoL ETHicaL MinEfiELDs I ALmosT SHoT ELTon JoHn! LE Mas PaRT 2: PREssURE PRobLEms
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AMERICAN COP (ISSN 1557-2609) is published bi-monthly by Publishers Development Corp., 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128. Periodical postage paid at San Diego CA 92128, and at additional entry offices. Subscriptions: One year (six issues) $24.95. Single copies $5.95 (in Canada $9.50). Change of address: four weeks notice required on all changes. Send old address as well as new. Contributors submitting manuscripts, photographs or drawings do so at their own risk. Material cannot be returned unless accompanied by sufficient postage. Payment is for all world rights for the material. The act of mailing a manuscript constitutes the authors certification of originality of material. Opinions expressed are those of the bylined authors and do not necessarily represent those of the magazine or its advertisers. Advertising rates furnished on request. Reproduction or use of any portion of this magazine in any manner, without written permission, is prohibited. Entire contents Copyright 2009 Publishers Development Corp. All rights reserved. Title to this publication passes to subscriber only on delivery to his address. SUBSCRIPTION PROBLEMS: For immediate action, write Subscription Dept., 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to AMERICAN COP, 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128.
AMERICAN COP
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Thomas von Rosen, CEO;
Thomas Hollander; Randy Mold; Marjorie Young
PUBLISHER Roy Huntington

Editor Suzi Huntington Executive Editor Sammy Reese Managing Editorial Assistant Stephanie Jarrell Editorial Assistant Kerin Van Hoosear Art Director Richard Stahlhut Production Manager Dennaye Cusick Web Site Manager Lorinda Massey Promotions Coordinator Elizabeth ONeill Advertising Sales Director Anita Carson Advertising Sales Assistant Dana Hateld Staff Photographer Joe Novelozo Clint Smith Mark Hanten Ed Palumbo John Russo Perry W. Hornbarger Dave Douglas John Morrison Jeremy Clough Paul Markel Jim Donahue
CONTRIBuTING EDITORS
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americancopmagazine.com Editor: Suzi Huntington Advertising: Delano Amaguin, (888) 732-6461 e-mail: delano@americancopmagazine.com Advertising: Denny Fallon, (800) 426-4470 e-mail: denny@americancopmagazine.com americanhandgunner.com Publisher & Editor: Roy Huntington Advertising: Steve Evatt, (800) 533-7988 e-mail: steve@americanhandgunner.com
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gunsmagazine.com Editor: Jeff John Advertising: Andrew Oram, (866) 903-1199 e-mail: andrew@gunsmagazine.com shootingindustry.com Publisher & Editor: Russ Thurman Advertising: Anita Carson, (866) 972-4545 e-mail: anita@shootingindustry.com SPECIAL EDITIONs fmgpublications.com Editor: Sammy Reese Advertising: Scott McGregor, (800) 553-7780 e-mail: scott@americanhandgunner.com
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I wish Id been able to read this article when I first became an officer, it wouldve saved me a lot of time trying to get my setup correct and comfortable.
Survival: PERCEPTION VS PERSPECTIVE

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I just read the article ( Are You Duty Ready , July/August 2009) and I was very pleased to see my own duty belt was set up very similar to Bob Hindis. Id like to make one observation and potentially help any new officers out there. Make sure you have a belt keeper between your handcuff pouch and your holster. My department issues Safariland holsters and without a belt keeper, the handcuff pouch will move rearward. With this style holster the handcuff pouch will prevent the strap on the holster from moving forward freely if its against it. I also place a belt keeper just behind my holster to prevent anything moving close and defeating the combat grip needed when grabbing my gun. I wish Id been able to read this article when I first became an officer, it wouldve saved me a lot of time trying to get my setup correct and comfortable. Thanks for a great magazine. Daniel Hall Mustang Police Department Mustang, Okla.
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Thanks for the sage advise. I always wore keepers directly in front of and behind my holster to help keep it locked in place and to prevent the other stuff from sliding into it. SH I always read with great interest any and every story about concealed carry. Ive been carrying for almost 15 years and have a box full of used holsters to prove it. I liked the article by Ralph Mroz (The Cops Guide To Concealed Carry Holsters, July/August 2009) and Id like to add a tip I discovered. I think the greatest things since
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REVISION GOGGLES STOPPED A .22 MAGNUM BULLET.

TAC Officer B.D.
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I was point man on a Tactical Response Team serving what could have been a routine drug search warrant. It wasnt. When I stepped on the porch, approaching the glass sliding door and yelled State Police , the guy in the house suddenly opened up with a .22 mag shooting through the glass door. I felt myself get hit in the head it felt like getting hit by a truck. Lucky. The round hit my Revision Desert Locust goggles. They absorbed the impact and deflected the bullet. They took the energy from the bullet that otherwise would have been used to penetrate my skull. Ive been a cop for 12 years and full time SWAT for 8 years. Im a first-hand account that quality eyewear can save your life. Revision goggles saved mine.
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before sliced bread are suspenders! Yes, good old-fashioned suspenders. They not only support my pants and keep me from walking out of them; they also help balance the load, help my back and keep me from ripping wider holes in my gun belt. And yes, theyre comfortable too. If you dont want to look like an old coot, which I am, you can wear them over a t-shirt and wear another, un-tucked shirt over that. John Lochaby Weatherford, Texas Even young coots like my husband wear suspenders and youre right on all points regarding them. He even tried to get me interested in wearing them, but they didnt work out. Besides, Im a girl and Ive got hips. His favorite are from www.duluthtrading.com. SH
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As a rookie officer I wondered in amazement how my field training officers could spot a parolee out of a crowd and knew just how to speak to the them versus the average citizen. One FTO explained it to me as the 5-Percent Rule. Ninety five-percent of the people are good and respect your authority; the other five-percent are the problem chil11
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past victimization, and even becoming victims ourselves. Law enforcement needs active hunters, who know who the 5-percent are on their beat. We need people not afraid to keep a close eye on them and take action when the time is right. David Johansen Southern California Law Enforcement Officer Well said, David. Ill only add cops can help resolve any confusion between criminal and racial profiling by articulating why they knew so-and-so was a wolf. Quantifying the who, what, when, where and why is a critical part of criminal profiling and is often overlooked as just good instincts. SH
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In the Win This Package (July/August 2009) section, question #2 asked, Have you ever served in any branch of the United States Armed Forces? No letter answer was given for Navy. Since when is the Navy not part of our Armed Forces? Hank Goettelman Crypto Technician 3rd Class O brancher Ive been with the magazine from the start and love it. In the July/August 2009 Win This Package questions, you left a lot of veterans out by not listing the United States Navy in question two. After serving 25 years in the Navy, Im now a peace officer for the state of confusion (California State Park Service). We may only be State Park Rangers but were the sworn Warriors of the Woods, protecting the parks from the people, people from the parks and doing our best to just maintain, considering our states current fiscal nightmare. I truly hope this was just an oversight on the magazines part and not a hit against the Navys active-duty and veteran personnel out there. Keep writing a great rag. Gary F. Brennan Santa Cruz, Calif.
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dren of society who respect nothing. Unfortunately, those 5-percent cause 95-percent of the problems. The up-side of the equation is by concentrating on the 5-percent you manage to solve 95-percent of the problems. The rule sinks in quickly and its not long before every rookie realizes he/she has a lot of repeat customers. The technical term for the 5-percent rule is criminal profiling, but current political correctness often instructs new officers to treat everyone the same. Theres now confusion between criminal and racial profiling, which have nothing in
12
Im such a dork! I can only fall on my sword and offer my most humble apologies for such an egregious blunder. This is only a small sampling of the letters I common. Retired Lt. Col. Dave Gross- received, kicking my butt for not includ3/13/09 4:04:21 man (a noted law enforcement trainer and PM ing the Navy as one of the answers. Im author of officer safety books, such as The even a military brat and my stepfather Bullet Proof Mind) explains when cops was career Navy. Ill work hard to not conduct criminal profiling theyre acting let something like this slip by again. If I much like the sheepdogs trained to spot do, please keep sending me those letters wolves preying on a flock of sheep. of Whoop-Ass. SH A cops unique ability to see the wolves hiding among the sheep is one not shared AMERICaN COP TM welcomes letters to the editor. We reserve the right by politicians and lawyers, and because to edit all published letters for clarity and length. Due to the volume they dont have this perspective they often of mail, we are unable to individually answer your letters or e-mail. In believe we dont either. These skills are sending a letter to American COP, you agree to provide Publishers Develgenerally not taught in the academy, but are opment Corp. such copyright as is required for publishing and redistributhanded down from generation to generation ing the contents of your letter in any format. Send your letters to Return Fire, American COP, 12345 World Trade Dr., San Diego, CA 92128; of officer and its what keeps the public and www.americancopmagazine.com; us safe. This tradition needs to continue, lest e-mail: ed@americancopmagazine.com. we become report takers, only documenting
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GOOD To GO GEAR
JoHN CoNNoR If youve been waiting for a real handheld light-cannon; an illumination weapon which can slam a dirtbags pupils shut with one quick close-range blast and scramble the eggs of his equilibrium with its sun-like strobe; something with the reach for lighting up long alleys and deep into ravines without pulling it on wheels the STOPLITE STL-300J was made for you. This 700-lumen blinder can be used as a stand-alone handheld unit or mounted as a vertical foregrip on the 1913 rail of a long gun. Right-side pushbuttons select Steady and Strobe functions of the light and another serves as an on/off switch. Either function can be activated in Momentary mode by the big thumb-sized pushbutton mounted on the rear of the pistol grip. A powerful red aiming laser, adjustable for windage and elevation, is mounted on the left and controlled by a red button on the right. It can be operated independently or in tandem with the light. Theres even an accessory power receptacle so you can add, for example, an IR illuminator and/or aiming unit for use with Night Vision gear. Four CR123 Lithium batteries are stowed in the butt, yielding a long eight hours of runtime at peak power. The grip has hand-lling ergonomic contours, and the rear portion is a grip-enhancing rubber overmold. The large rail-locking retention screw and quick-release bar provide fast, easy mounting and dismounting. The t, nish and details are typically slick SIG SAUER. What a great excuse for buying a SIG 556 to mount it on! $215 MSRP; limited lifetime warranty. www.sigsauer.com
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Glory is something that some men chase and others find themselves stumbling upon, not expecting it to find them.
Petty Officer Marc Lee
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JoHN CoNNoR An officer moving from Patrol to Investigations found his big, bulky Level-III polymer duty belt holster doesnt cut it in soft clothes. How `bout a recommendation, he asked, On a leather or fabric belt holster offering both speed and security? The search extended to about six feet: Bianchis model 82 CarryLok and 4584 Evader have both, plus a very comfortable carry. The extremely strong FingerLok mechanism forms a tough synthetic trigger guard clamp in the rear portions of these rigs, engaging the Auto Retention device instantly when you holster your weapon. Check the small curved paddle behind the trigger guard areas in the photo: Thats where your middle nger naturally falls when you grip the butt of your sidearm, and all it takes is an inward push to release the weapon for an upward draw. The front areas of both the leather model 82 CarryLok and fabric-faced trilaminate model 4584 Evader are smooth inside and semi-rigid enough to hold shape well and accommodate one-handed re-holstering. Both holsters position handguns fairly high and with a moderate forward cant ideal for most situations and operators. Both also have extremely low exterior impact noise signatures, meaning an unintended bump against a hard object isnt going to sound like a fastball bein whacked into the center eld bleachers I like that and it can be invaluable in dark, nasty places where you wanna sound like fog www.bianchi-intl.com
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15
CORRECTIONS
BEHINDTHEFENCE.
BRIANDAWE
here have been gangs in our prisons and jails for as long as there have been prisons and jails. Its the natural result of confinement when groups vie for control of the limited commerce and contraband flowing inside a correctional facility. Self-protection has also been a major impetus in the formation of gangs behind the walls as was the case with the Aryan Brotherhood. The AB was founded in San Quentin Prison in California in 1967 in response to the formation of the Black Guerrilla Family, which began operations the previous year. The Mexican Mafia, Neta, Le Nuestra Familia and more recently the Assembly of Authentic Islam are just a few of the dozens of gangs that have their roots in correctional facilities.
PRISON GANgS: An OvERviEw T

Indeed many of the most notorious and violent street gangs we now see across the nation had their beginnings in our nations prisons and jails. The gangs are not going away. As our facilities become more overcrowded and understaffed gangs will become more emboldened and will flex their internal muscles in new and more dangerous ways. Their reach goes beyond the walls and affects the safety of
THE StAts
the public and the lives of Correctional Officers and staff who deal with them on a daily base. Once again we in corrections find ourselves placed in a position of having to do the impossible. Even when the threats stare us right in the face we are forced to be reactionary rather than proactive, the results shouldnt surprise anyone
ccording to the National Alliance of Gang Investigators as reported in the 2005 National Gang Threat Assessment, 11.7% of federal inmates, 13.4% of state inmates and 15.6% of county inmates were gang members. Over 325,000 inmates are now estimated to be gang members. It is reported that over 1/3 of all violent incidents in our prisons and jails are gang related. In recent years a disturbing trend has developed, we are now finding that the violence imposed against staff has gone beyond the walls and followed my profession into the streets. In 1996 in Shelby County, Tennessee, Jail Officer Deadrick Taylor was gunned down in front of his house and murdered in front of his family. Officer Taylor had placed a gang member on lock down status the day before. Because of this, a hit was ordered on Taylor and four members of the Traveling Vice Lords brutally followed out that order using an assault rifle (AK-47) and handguns. This is not a singular incident according to the 2005 report, Latin King members are known for
their control over correctional officers and routinely order hits on those who fail to cooperate with them. The advent of private prisons has spurred even more gang activity as well. Private prisons will often put inmates from various jurisdictions in the same prison, sharing the same yard and housing units. Assaults, murders and riots have resulted from such policies. Inmates from Hawaii, when shipped to private prisons on the mainland, formed gangs to protect themselves when previously the Hawaii DOC reported limited gang involvement by these inmates. One of the biggest riots in private prison history took place in 2004 at the Crowley County Correctional Facility near Olney Springs, Colorado. Reports indicate one of the issues that sparked the violent outbreak and caused millions of dollars of damage came as a result of inmates from several states being thrown together. Nearly 200 inmates from Washington and over 100 from Wyoming were mixed in with 800 inmates from Colorado. Under the best of circumstances inmates dont play well together. Add to the mix the anxiety of being hundreds of miles from home with little contact from family and friends, new rules, directives and inmates from various backgrounds and cultures and the results shouldnt surprise anyone.
The DOJ's GangTECC Web site is a wealth of information and powerful tool to help you ght gang violence. 16
angs have become such a huge part of the prison culture most correctional agencies have their own internal gang units. These groups work with street officers to identify and coordinate efforts aimed at thwarting gang activity both on the streets and behind the walls. The federal government through the Office of the Attorney General
Getting Organized
Brian Dawe is the Executive Director for The American Correctional Ofcer (www.americanco.org) and the American Correctional Ofcers Intelligence Network (www.COIntel.net). He can be reached at ACOIN1@aol.com or by calling him at 307-883-9707.
has established GangTECC, which is a multi-agency center designed to serve as a critical catalyst in a unified federal effort to help disrupt and dismantle the most significant and violent gangs in the United States. GangTECC is comprised of members from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Marshals Service (USMS) and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Department of Homeland Security. The government has also established the National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC), which is described as a multiagency effort that integrates the gang intelligence assets of federal, state and lo-
More organizations are concentrating on the impact gangs have and are devising ways to combat this violent onslaught.
cal law enforcement entities to serve as a centralized intelligence resource for gang information and analytical support. Every year throughout the nation seminars and conferences are held to address the mounting problem of prison gangs. My organization hosted the American Correctional Officer Medal of Honor and Fall Training Conference in September, focusing on this very subject. And more organizations are concentrating on the impact gangs have and are devising ways to combat this violent onslaught. Were getting a handle on some of the more dangerous gangs and identified them as Security Threat Groups, made good progress in identifying their individual members behind the walls and on the streets and are sharing information across jurisdictional and agency lines. However as more inmates have been stuffed into fewer cells our ability to separate gang members, decrease the violence and gather intelligence is being significantly hampered. How do you separate these inmates when there are no empty cells to send them to?
For more info: GangTECC, www.usdoj.gov/criminal/gangtecc/

WWW.AMERICANCOPMAGAZINE.COM 17
HIGH TECH
JIM DONAHUE
Cutting Edge widgets and other new stuff.
CUTTING THROUGH THE BULL

W
Is your agencys patrol car technology from the dark ages? How do you get to todays level without breaking the bank or crashing the whole system?
Patrol Car Technology

hen it comes to getting functional computers into your patrol cars theres no one-stop shopping, no one vendor has it all; they each have their specialty areas. Current needs of your agency should be carefully compared against what you already have. You might
Reporting For Duty
already have computers in your cars, but were they installed ten years ago when 1Mb of hard drive space was the cats meow? In that case youre faced with selecting new computers, new mounts, modems or air cards and of course, the now requisite printer. Selecting each piece can prove vital to the gear remaining functional under adversity and doing no harm to the officers who share a car with it. And the software thats a whole nother story. Maybe you need to update or upgrade your mobile client, the governor of the whole system. Its what allows your CAD to handle inquiries to NCIC and your state/local systems as well as car-to-car or car-to-dispatch messaging. BIO-key Internationals MobileCop, Motorolas Premier MDC and others offer this, but they also have to play well with the other programs your mobile configuration uses such as mapping software and GPS technology.
Beware of the salesman in shiny suit, wearing what looks like a Mr. T starter set of gold chains. Chances are hes only trying to sell you Snake Oil.
onverting most report forms to a digital format is fairly easy and most agencies have had great success in the paperless report. Collision reports have been more problematic however. The problems lay mostly in the diagramming software, which in most cases is overly complicated. A critical aspect to consider with any of the crash programs is data sharing the ability to interface with NCIC and state databases so vehicle or personal data can be imported to the report directly from the database. This one aspect helps significantly reduce the amount of typographical errors, particularly with VINs, submitted in reports. Data sharing also helps with electronic ticketing, allowing officers to import most of the information on the ticket, reducing the margin for error and also saving a heap of time writing it out. And administrators have learned electronic traffic ticketing has increased the volume of citations issued, thus increasing the amount of money generated into the coffers. Thats a financial home-run in these difficult times, so you can be certain youll be asked to include this software as well. So you have your shopping list of hardware, software, underwear and whatever its likely multiple vendors will be providing all this software. Each piece must talk to all of the others so the data sharing will work. Additionally, all finished reports and tickets need to automatically be disseminated correctly; to the departments record system, the court system and any other agency in Make your list and check it twice youre sure to nd out whos naughty need of the finand nice in the world of sales. ished product.
The Best Defense
etting all of this stuff to work the way you want is a project of its own, getting it to play nicely with all of the other players is an exponentially greater task. This isnt like going to the store and buying a toaster or fax machine. In this case, youre choosing partners and itll be a marriage, of sorts, because itll be a long-term relationship and it will require a leap of faith on your part to get it launched. Getting the entire system to work cohesively will take patience, diligence, and maybe some vodka or Valium to calm your nerves. You could easily spend a year or two getting all of the wrinkles worked out. At the outset, you cannot imagine all the decisions youll make, obstacles youll handle and political waters youll navigate to get it done successfully. Having vendors who behave as trusted partners is more valuable than gold. Let it be known to even one vendor of what youre up to and your voice mailbox will be full constantly. Youll have messages from people and companies you didnt even
18
know existed. If you allow it, shinysuited salesman, who are perfectly manicured, and have, exactly what you need, will consume a disproportionate amount of your day. Theyll swamp you with literature and DVDs showing their best side. A few may even have snake oil for sale.
Is A Good Offense
Before talking to a single outsider, you should know, in concrete terms, what you want to accomplish. It should be stated in simple terms of the impact on the job rather than in technical terms. Let the vendors figure out the technology. You need to have clear goals relating to making your cops safer, helping them get the mundane tasks done more quickly, and very specific operational goals of the project. Armed with a game plan, youll know at the outset whether a vendor is worth your time or consideration. For example, if your court wont accept electronic tickets, you dont need to talk to a vendor who only has that to offer. Every salesman wants to give you a demonstration of his product(s); after all its their job. Your job is to control the show. Before each demonstration, make a list of the specific things you want to see the product perform; call it your critical item list. It could be anything from seeing it handle instant messaging between cars to writing a traffic ticket. Typically, sales slime want to show you the most glitzy and glamorous aspects of their latest software, but you cant be absorbed by the show; youll risk losing sight of the agencies needs. Whether or not you watch the canned show is your call, but be sure you see exactly how the proposed product will handle the jobs you need. The glitter is pretty, but in reality it may simply be useless. The relationship with each vendor will endure over a period of months or years. Implementation of the products will have a rollout followed by a period of refinement. There will be changes, corrections and alterations that can be driven only by your unique experiences. You cant imagine what theyll be until youre in the deep end of the pool and the vendor has your money. Editors note: Go to www.americancopmagazine.com and click on Web Blast to get a complete questionnaire you can use when interviewing a snake oil salesman, uh, I mean a vendor. For more info: MobileCop, www.bio-key. com; Premier MDC, www.motorola.com
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A Plate Carrier for Patrol

active shooter situation, the barrage of cell phone calls should let you know its hitting the fan. So now that you know youre going to a gunfight with rifles, what do you need to take with you? If youre on patrol, its really quite simple, its what you already carry on your belt plus a rifle, ammo, and hard armor. Personally, I wouldnt screw with much of anything else. Youre going hunting for a killer, and your biggest assets are speed, surprise, and aggression (and dont ignore your instincts telling you about the IEDs, ambushes and this whole thing might just be a diversion). Food, water, and a doctors bag dont make the cut for me. This is an assault, not an occupation, and youll be getting more resources before you starve or die of thirst. You do need a Combat Application Tourniquet (C-A-T) though, theyre name says it all. If you dont already know about the C-A-T yet, talk to any well-trained medic whos been in the sand box lately these things will save your life. Thats what youll need if the fight goes wrong, but what about while youre in the fight?
5.11 Tacticals Large Plate Carrier is an ideal design for the patrol ofcer responding to an active shooter call. See how its sitting above his gun belt?
very day Im a little more convinced the next big terror attack will involve active shooters. A couple of issues ago I introduced a couple of bandoliers from BLACKHAWK!. Theyre great for responding to an active shooter scenario, but they both lacked
ou need a simple plate carrier with extra magazines. You also need a placard front and back identifying you as a cop, because without them an armed citizen or off duty cop could easily mistake you for the aggressor. Even if they dont shoot you, they might direct precious resources to go after you, rather than the real bad guys. The folks at 5.11 Tactical make good gear, and they have a great patrol plate carrier thats the ideal solution. 5.11s Large Plate Carrier is easy and quick to get on, with only one Fastex buckle on each side. Its made of sturdy but lightweight breathable mesh and is cut high enough to accommodate a duty belt. The Large Plate Carrier is covered with MOLLE webbing and has Velcro front and back for ID placards. 5.11s double magazine carrier with bungees is an excellent pouch to carry extra ammo. Or better yet, get two of their stacked double pouches with cover, and go into the fight with eight magazines plus whats in your gun. 5.11 uses their Slickstick system to weave the pouch to the MOLLE webbing on the vest. Its a good, low profile system and its reasonably priced about $60-$100, depending on how you configure it. Not working patrol? Stay tuned, and Ill address plate carriers for those not already equipped with a gun belt in an upcoming issue.
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Peter Pipers Plates For Your Porter Plate Porter
one component that might save your ass hard armor. Real bad guys know you should bring a rifle to a gunfight, and they know theyre going to; remember the LA bank shootout? As cops we often have no real idea what type of call were going to until were in the middle of it, but in an
oull have to have plates for your plate carrier. Protective Products International offers just what you need. Their 10" x 12" triple curve ceramic plate, and 10" x 12" single curve ceramic plate are NIJ threat level IV stand-alone plates. Just so you know, theres no such thing as a level IV (soft body armor) vest, IIIA is as good as vests get. NIJ requires level IV plates to stop 7.62mm FMJ and .30 caliber AP bullets ouch. Weighing in at approximately eight pounds each, theyre not light, but worn snug to the body in a good plate carrier theyre not only manageable, theyll give you a lot of comfort. Protective Products International sells their plates directly to officers with proper ID, and they also offer plate carriers and pouches to go with their armor.
For more info: 5.11 Tactical, www.511tactical.com; North American Rescue, www. narescue.com; Protective Products International, www. body-armor.com
The buck I mean, the armor-piercing round stops here! Protective Products Internationals level IV plates are made to bring you comfort in an otherwise uncomfortable situation. WWW.AMERICANCOPMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
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PRIVATE SECURITY
ED PALUMBO
Issues and trends on the private side of law enforcement.
Unified Risk-Management
A Cyber Space Nightmare
n the modern age, private security (in the corporate arena) has the most perplexing of challenges protecting assets, human and physical, as well as intangibles such as intellectual property and cyber data, while accomplishing this with restrained budgets. While many security managers relish the idea of a challenge, none I know look forward to meeting demands of their employer knowing their efforts are compromised from the very start. Unrealistic approaches, like unimaginative people, cant succeed, certainly not in such treacherous economic times. A rational framework must sustain even the most progressive security programming. Such is the case with the growing trend towards convergence, linking the physical security platform of a company guarding, gates, barriers, building and perimeter controls with logical or cyber elements. Convincing corporate leaders a converged organizational approach
makes financial and management sense cant be easy even in companies where the embrace of new technologies is the reason for their very existence; it can be downright painful and near impossible in companies that are more prosaic as they approach and manage change. To be successful security organizations must become integrated, if not pervasive. Easier said than done the fault line for performance primarily rests on the perceptions of security management and securitys ability to manage these perceptions with accurate intelligence aligned with mainstream operations. As we will see in the illustration below, perceptions can be shattered by the most surprising sources, revealing leadership and infrastructure as fragile when exposed to truly dangerous adversaries.
FIGURE 1
Corporate Budget
10% 14.5% .5% 75%
SURVEY SAYs
or security to become influential Entertainment and relevant it must act in an all-encompassing manner. Traditional security functions Dinner Out must evolve toward consolidation, what many in the industry recognize as a unified risk-management function. When something unexpected occurs, Corporate Junkets negatively impacting the organization, security leadership must be accountable. Whether this comes in the shape of an internal scandal that rocks the Security board of directors or an indecipherable flu virus that spreads beyond borders and fells employees, organizations will hold security to account for awareness and enhancement. This is best accomplished by workSource: Corporate Budget Ofce ing with leadership groups to redefine a comprehensive resiliency strategy. Security leadership should oversee development of a unified risk-management strategy aligned with each function to accomplish core objectives and preserve the confidentiality and integrity of critical resources. Under a unified risk-management function all potential hazards are considered, focusing on counter-measures that limit the impact of events, producing timely insights for decision-making regardless of the source of intelligence. Not everyone is convinced of this strategy: According to a study done in 2007 by Deloitte & Touche companies surveyed were divided between actively investigating or carrying out convergence and not pursuing it at all. 43-percent of the executives said their organizations had integrated information and physical security, with an additional 3-percent in the process or intending to integrate within the next 12 months. The push to integrate is relatively new; with just 17-percent of those whose companies integrated saying they had done so more than three years ago.
Oh Buggers!
n addition to the natural ambivalence of some corporations to embrace such transformation other, hidden vulnerabilities can yield disastrous results: Self-defeating aspects of convergence include as with any human endeavor involving two or more people the prospect of breaches of security committed by actual people, not systems failure. It should come as no surprise to anyone who studies human nature, especially in
22
the conflict realms like law enforcement and the protective arts, the weakest link, that singular element most susceptible to failure, is within each of us, not the hardwiring behind card readers and video surveillance equipment. If there are any doubts about that theorem, ask Sir John Sawers. Dont recognize the name? Thirty years ago his name would be known to no one, even in his own organization, his agents would refer to him only as M. But, this is not Ian Flemings MI6. According to the Daily Mail, the new head of MI6 has been left vulnerable by an extraordinary security breach after his
Dominate the
Darkness
She put no privacy protection on her account, making it visible to any of the sites 200 million users.
wife published intimate photographs and family details on Facebook. She put no privacy protection on her account, making it visible to any of the sites 200 million users. Sir John is due to take over as chief of the Secret Intelligence Service in November, putting him in charge of Britains spying operations abroad. (Should he survive this convergence of the stupendously embarrassing and the profoundly stupid, he will be referred to as G, not M, or even C, the actual designation of Britains WWII MI6 chief.) Based on his wifes exploits his new title may in fact have many letters, as in FUBAR a wholly American WWII codename but that may be too sarcastic at the moment. There are fears the hugely embarrassing blunder may have compromised the safety of Sir Johns family and friends. His wifes entries on the social networking site have exposed potentially compromising details about where they live and work, who their friends are and where they spend their holidays. Its worth repeating that this man is due to assume responsibilities as Britains chief spymaster and, most dismaying of all, Sawers will be responsible for that governments new cyber security organization when he begins in November. Unified risk-management approaches may be the first order of business for G, as they should for any self-respecting security professional, with or without subversive elements in ones own home.
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OFFICER SURVIVAL
JOHN RUSSO
Getting home in the same condition you went to work in.
SHOppINg fOR OffICER SAfETy

f your spouse is anything like mine, shell tell ya youre hard to buy for. So to help you avoid the tie and sweater curse, you can leave this magazine in a conspicuous place with big circles around the stuff you really want. While this may look like a Christmas round up (and it is), its also a focus on the kind of quality gear thatll help keep you alive in the field.
For when your rie becomes the glass entry tool, the GAT from XS Sight Systems allows you to multi-task with your rie just remember to keep your nger off the trigger.
This Woolrich Elite Series CCW shirt isnt screaming cop. Now if youll just stop wearing your uniform pants and boots to and from work, youll be the only one who knows youre packin.
has a hardened pointed tip that protrudes in front of the muzzle. This allows the user to breach glass without having to remove their hands from their weapon. Its easy to install and extremely durable. At around $80 you should give it a look.
Power Poker
XS Sight Systems is known for their excellent rapid acquisition sights, now theyve gone in a new direction and created an AR accessory thatll make you say, Why didnt I think of that? Its called the GAT, which stands for Glass Assault Tool. This little device bolts onto the muzzle behind the flash hider and
Stark Equipment Corporation has just hit the market with a new grip for an AR. But this isnt just another grip, this thing completely changes the feel of the AR. Through better geometry, it gives better control over the weapon during firing while allowing precise trigger line-up. It has an integral trigger guard that helps when using gloves and with its flared base, your hand wont slip down. They even put a great storage space in the grip for batteries or small parts. It comes in black, earth, OD and camo colors and its only about $40.
Get A Grip
steel sight containing a fiber optic lightpipe encapsulated in Lexan. They come in red or green for just about any gun. More importantly, their fast acquisition makes you faster on the range, which means youre better and safer on the street. Check out their new AR sight, which makes cowitnessing second nature. They only cost $30-$50 depending on your gun and once you have them; you can buy replacement light-pipes.
SureFires LX1 is a redesign of an old-standby and is now more pocket-friendly.
Bright Idea
SureFire has redesigned their popular L1 light. Its been dehorned to make it more comfortable to carry in the pocket and is now called the LX1. Add the T1A Titan or the E1B Backup, and you have plenty of good options for a pocket/back up light with the power to win the fight. SureFire makes some pretty interesting knives too. The EW-04 Delta Folder is one I like, especially for uniformed patrol. Prices for these lights vary, from about $150-$240. The knife is a bit more at $425.
Batteries Not Included

Stark Equipment Corporations AR grip is ared to help keep your hand from slipping off.
HiVis sights have gained notoriety for their line of innovative sights. Their handgun sights are good and wont cost you an arm and a leg. Theyre a
HiVis sights for duty handguns uses the technology they developed for long-gun sights and transferred it to handguns. Theyre bright and rugged.
Dont Go Commando
Former Navy SEAL Mike Noell is the poster-child for success stories.
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Having started out in his garage, hes made BLACKHAWK! a benchmark for all things tactical. From rugged packs and the Serpa holster (now with a quick disconnect system), to knives like the CQD Mark 1 Type E, theyve gone off and made a line of engineered-fit underwear. I know, how are my chonies related to officer safety. Well, Ill tell ya, if your tightie-whities are creepin and crawlin, you may be more focused on that than the task at hand. These new undies will keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter very impressive.
Optimum Optics
Nowadays about 70-percent of you are carrying a gun on duty with Trijicon night sights riding the slide. Not only have they improved these throughout the years, but also theyve come out with their own line of scopes illuminated with tritium and fiber optics. Also new is their RMR (Ruggedized Miniature Reflex). This thing is impressive to read about but even better to shoot, especially as an add-on to an ACOG. And if you really want to be awed, take a look at their night vision or the new Advanced Thermal Weapon Sight. This baby is so advanced; it can see 10-minute-old footprints!
Armed And Stylish
A few short years ago the name Woolrich conjured up images of hardy mountain men dressed for the elements. Woolrich Tactical quickly changed that with their ever-expanding line of user-friendly gear aimed at the armed professional. I use their excellent base layers while moose hunting in Canada, their great tactical pants and shirts on the range, and their rugged outerwear on duty and anywhere else the elements turn nasty. Woolrich has you covered with the latest designs. Im especially fond of their Elite Series CCW shirt; this baby opens on the sides giving you quick access to your gear.
For more info: XS Sight Systems, www. xssights.com; Stark Equipment Corporation, www.starkequipment.com; HiVis Sights, www.hivizsights.com; SureFire, www.surere.com; BLACKHAWK!, www. blackhawk.com; Trijicon, www.trijicon. com; Woolrich Tactical, www.woolricheliteseriestactical.com
HARD TOOLS
Paul MARKEL
essential tools for the job.
The FNS 120 Super Scope, way better name than Hybrid BinoScope.
FNS 120
SUper Scope
I CAN SEE CLEARLy NOW
sometimes even good binos arent powerful enough. Observing a target from a fixed position is the job of a spotting scope. The spotting scope has the power or magnification advantage over field binoculars. The downside to most spotting scopes is size and weight. Truth is, most departments use both; binoculars for a quick peek and spotting scopes for long-range, continuous observation.
A
I
ny cop worthy of wearing the badge is constantly checking his surroundings, always looking for something. While on patrol youre looking for anything out of the ordinary or verifying alls in order.
There are times we need to look at something very specific surveillance or stakeouts come to mind, as do tactical scenarios. Sooner or later the time will come when youll need to get a close look at something from a considerable distance away. The go-to tool is usually a good set of binoculars, but
Peek-A-Boo
ve been using spotting scopes for a number of years. Large, powerful spotting scopes are great for long distances but theyre all subject to scope tremor and they can magnify the suns mirage to the point of distraction. Also, the vast majority of spotting scopes are monocular which work just fine for what Id call short-term viewing. On the range you take a peek through your spotting scope, verify your shots and get back on your rifle. On a surveillance you can spend hours looking though a spotting scope trying to keep track of a target. If youve ever been there and done that you know the headache that comes from hours of staring through a scope. Unless youve suffered head trauma, all humans have binocular vision. Since most spotting scopes are monocular, therein lays the problem for long-term viewing. Rogue River Super Scopes have come up with a solution and its called the FNS 120 Super Scope. As the name Dont look into the light! The big 120mm implies, this spotting scope has objective lens gathers copious light. a 120mm objective lens, nope I didnt fumble the keyboard, thats 120mm. What makes the Super Scope so unique is what caught my eye when I first glanced at it its binocular. When I showed it to a cop buddy of mine he said the 120 Super Scope looked like his binoculars and spotting scope hooked-up and had a baby. That over-simplified observation is really not too far from the truth. Rogue River took the viewing comfort of binoculars and combined them with the power and clarity of a spotting scope.
Dynamic Entry Small Pry tool.
The Super Scope uses crystal-clear binocular eyepieces. No more eyestrain or fatigue associated with already arduous surveillances.
The DNA
etting down to specifics, the Super Scope has a detachable binocular viewing unit that uses interchangeable eyepieces. Two eyepiece sets are included with the kit. These are 21mm for 30x magnification and 30mm for 20x. Other
26
eyepiece sets will be available later. The focus knob is ambidextrous. Overall length for the assembled scope is 22" and the total weight is around seven pounds. No, youre not going to be picking it up to take a quick peek. Theres a rotating tripod mount wrapped around the center and an extendable sunshade on the front end. The entire scope kit is shipped in a padded, lockable hard case. Inside the hard case the scope rests in a removable nylon soft case, thus you have the hard case for regular, daily transport and a soft case for field deployment.
Range Test
While checking out the Super Scope I didnt have the opportunity to snoop on bad guys, but I did take it to the rifle range. Ive found the most stable platform for my spotting scope is to use the utility straps on my field pack and cinch it down
With the Super Scope you get a quality spotting scope without eyestrain and fatigue from using it. Thats pretty good in my book.
tight. My first impression was the view through the scope was crystal clear. The objective lens naturally gathers a tremendous amount of light and the focal lens eyepiece set is high-end as well. Rogue River describes their eyepiece lenses as high resolution, low dispersion, and fullycoated apochromatic (corrected for four colors). I had to look it up too. The Super Scope lets you use both eyes to see distant targets exceptionally well. At 100 yards I could read the stock number printed on the paper target I posted, the letters were 1/8". At 350 yards I could read the1.5" letters on the same type of paper target. Is the Super Scope pricey? Sure, but its a high-end optic, not some cheap Chinese knock-off and our job is too damned important to rely on cheap optics you get what you pay for. With the Super Scope you get a quality spotting scope without eyestrain and fatigue from using it. Thats pretty good in my book. For more info: Rogue River Super Scopes, www.roguesuperscopes.com
RESERVES
PERRY W. HORNBARGER
DEDication and professionalism that goes beyond pay.
Winnebago Blues
D
oes your departwhen faced with times ment own like these. and staff a The commobile mand center comin my jurismand center of some diction is a type? As some of joint operayou know personnel tional effort costs are generally for our greater than 90-perpolice, fire cent of any departand sheriffs ments budget. Even at departments that we dont generally and was put to take into account those unthe test in late foreseeable long term situ2005 in the afTodays lesson is about sharing This command post serves three of our ations where personnel are countys agencies police, re and sheriffs. It was purchased through a grant termath of hurneeded on extended opera- and no one agency has all the responsibility. It makes this a win-win situation. ricanes Katrina tions, for sometimes days and Rita when it on end, at homicide scenes, missing persons, SWAT operations, was called to go to the gulf coast to assist in the relief effort. I etc. The overtime costs for these operations can be astronomical. was fortunate to be a part of that deployment and continue to In these tight economic times a little creativity may be needed to staff the unit, by virtue of being retired from the Fire Departhelp stretch those budget dollars. One way we can do that is by be- ment and through my auxiliary police position. Fire personnel ing creative in staffing these operations. Those who have a reserve primarily staff the command post, but because its used more or auxiliary component and a mobile command center of some in police operations we occasionally use auxiliary personnel type have most of the pieces in place to cut down overtime costs to augment various positions. If a police department had more responsibility in staffing the command post, an auxiliary unit would be a great way to supplement staffing. ou dont have a mobile command center? What about some of your neighboring cities or counties? Our mobile command center was purchased for multiple users through a Department of Justice grant in 2005. Check around your area, you may be able to scrounge a retired delivery van or ambulance, or maybe an RV dealership has something to donate to the cause.
WE WANT ONE TOO
Command posts can really go a long way in keeping your personnel warm and dry in bad weather or giving your command staff a place to go, away from the media and public to think and make sound decisions. Depending on what your department can afford, a little ingenuity can go a long way. Using your reserve officers to augment your personnel in operations such as these can be an invaluable resource. What can they do? Here are a few ideas. Your needs may vary and you may have additional duties your people can do.
Incident Documentation (Scribe) Command Post Security Canvassing L E presence in search teams Resource tracking Staging Ofcer Manning the phones Keeping the coffee pot full
to stay on the street answering calls. As you know the world doesnt stop just because you have a major incident going on. Be creative and maybe even offer additional training in this discipline so they can be better prepared to assist you when needed. There is nothing wrong with having a trained team available at your disposal for times like these. I can assure you; most volunteer members are dedicated and would jump at the chance to do something like this and many will seek this additional training on their own at no cost to you.
Smart Stafng
Keep in mind when youre tackling this, most reserve officers are volunteers and some still have an obligation of putting bread on the table. Never forget this when youre trying to augment your staffing. Most of we volunteers really enjoy doing things where we can truly be utilized and can see our efforts make a difference. Many agencies have this tremendous resource available and are crazy to not use it more often.
Specialty built rigs like this can be very expensive, but with grants or private donations, dont let that scare you away.
All of these jobs are fairly simple and with just a little common sense and training almost anyone (even an idiot like me) can do them. Assigning some of these jobs to a trained reserve officer will help free up your regular guys
Perry W. Hornbarger is the Unit Commander of the Chestereld, VA Auxiliary Police Unit. He can be reached at hornbargerp@yahoo.com.
28
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STREET LEVEL
John morrison
STRAIGHT TALK ON SUPERVISION & LEADERSHIP ON THE FRONT LINES THE STREETS.
MEASUrE EVErY Word:

A regular correspondent here at COP recently wrote in commenting that we have lots of great info and advice for experienced officers and sure, even for rookies whose leather gear has lost its Academy luster but really, nothing for the noobies; the greenest of probationary cops. He made good points, discussing a number of things he wished someone had told him early in the game. Suzi, Roy, and I batted it around and agreed that niche was unfilled. Were still discussing whether the subject deserves a regular column, an occasional feature, or what. You could help us in two ways: First, with your input as to the need, and second, your own suggestions: hard-won wisdom to pass along to the rawest ranks. Here are the first three to slide off my Teflon-coated mind.
If Only Id Been Told
easure every word coming out of your mouth. Then get a chamber gauge and check your throat and rectum, because believe me, every last word, any random comment may boomerang back on you, flying down your gullet or zipping up your butt. In my experience, looking hard at terminations of probationary officers for general or unspecified reasons, a majority of them involved some degree of running off at the mouth. Most often, rookies feel compelled to introduce themselves at length or ingratiate themselves to senior officers for their own comfort. Its a natural pack-joining inclination, sure, but one frequently carried too far and extended to the wrong people. Subjects like their brother-in-law the convicted felon, whos really a nice guy though and we hang out, even go drinking; drug use or petty crime as a teenager Man, sure is strange I wound up on this side of the law! or exaggerated tales of their sexual conquests, bare-knuckle brawling, binge drinking in college and more get around and stay around, hanging invisibly but pungently over the rookies head. Such attacks of verbal diarrhea are often the deciding factor in whether to retain or release a probie. Rookies often feel like no one listens to them. Oh, they do! Veteran cops hear and retain everything; they just dont show it while running an Idiot Check on the rook saying it. Rookies should know too that many senior officers who eagerly listen to their life stories and uninformed opinions are the last people they should be confiding in the troublemakers, professional lightweights, division gossips and losers. Officers with ten
Rookies should measure every word, then gauge their throats and rectums
years on the job can be divided into those with ten years experience, and those with one years experience times ten. The latter are the ones most likely to be jackin jaws with rookies. Tell those rookies not to be too eager to make lifelong friends. Be courteous to all, familiar with none, and give yourself a couple of years. Youll either develop the ability to know real cops and real friends by their actions or youll be a jaw-jackin loser yourself.
nce theyre kicked loose from the Academy, many rookies get overwhelmed with the demands of real-world learning, long night shifts yielding scrambled sleep patterns, daytime courtroom appearances, and the
30
Rest, Eat, Drink & Exercise

compulsion if theyre well-intentioned good guys to continue the same level of family and social interaction they enjoyed as civilians. As a result of trying to devote 100-percent effort in nine different directions, they wind up shorting all of them,
which creates even more stress and potentially career-cracking pressure. They rapidly build up a condition of chronic sleep deprivation, telling themselves they can hack it when human physiology insists they cant; eating un-
healthy, wolfed-down crap they wouldnt have looked at much less consumed a few months back; dehydrating themselves, not drinking enough water which is far more dangerous than they know, because even low-level dehydration significantly effects judgment and small-motor muscle coordination and quickly falling off the exercise schedule which kept them in the top ten percent of their class. Tell `em it doesnt have to be and shouldnt be that way. Advise your rooks to tell family and friends The Academy may have seemed tough, but this is the crucible; they will have to experiment to achieve adequate sleep patterns, concentrate on a healthy, scheduled diet, hydrate properly, relieve stress and maintain fitness not just to get through it, but to survive it. Rookies should ask spouses and other family members for understanding, cooperation, and most importantly, to sound off if they think their rookie is slipping out of control Assure them maximum effort will be made to keep family and friends relations running right, but it wont be as it was before this new life requires serious adjustments. And drinking adult beverages? Just this: One drink in 24 hours; eight hours minimum bottle to throttle. Let it be a mantra. Keep the booze lecture brief. If theyre smart they wont need more. If theyre stupid, fire them.
Tactical
First Impressions Only Happen Once
Illuminator
That line is a fallacy, particularly in law enforcement, and especially for rookies. About 90-percent of all their early career contacts are first impressions, including every new citizen they deal with. Frequently, probationary officers let their uniformed appearance themselves, their uniforms and gear go to hell either because theyre busier than they ever thought possible, or theyre cultivating, they think, the veteran cop look. Thats bullshit. Explain to your rookies and I hope youre living the example being sharply groomed, neatly pressed, polished and squared away in every detail is not about personality, its about professionalism. And professionalism is not negotiable There are only about ten more volumes I can think of, but space is limited and we want to hear your best advice to new bluesuits. Send your advice to: suzi@americancopmagazine.com
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31
CARS AND CRASHES
SUZI HUNTINGTON
A Real-Life Fantasy S
Surviving In your mobile office.
Isnt she lovely? The Carbon Motors E7 a real police car. And check out the suicide doors!
hopping for police cars can be a pretty mundane task for the bean counters, or a giggle-filled thrill ride for the cops who get to test-drive the new cars. During my career, and later as an EVOC instructor, I was exposed to several different police models from Chevy and Ford; old stand-bys like the Fairmount, Crown Victoria, The prisoner seat has easy-to-use seat belts and the whole area is sealed off from the LTD II, Caprice, Impala Finally, front seats made to accommodate front compartment so prisoner-yuck cant and Malibu. I also worked your duty gear. Note the logically placed sneak forward. There are drain holes in the in other atypical vehicles shotgun and rie mounts. oor to make hosing it out a breeze. transformed to look like police vehicles; F-150, Bronco and Blazer to name a few. On more than one occaI had an academy classmate who was seven-feet tall if sion I found myself scratching my head wondering, Who he was an inch, and hed stuff himself into one of those tiny the hells idea was it to call this a police car? LTD IIs it reminded me of a circus clown-car. I think the only people those little cars were made for were OompaLoompas, even I felt claustrophobic in them. Their one redeeming quality was they were really fast and fun to drive until I crashed it. cant exactly With Fords, I learned the police package was nothing say Carbon more than a bigger alternator and beefed-up suspension (gee, Motors is wow), the same package used for taxis. Im not sure what new to the the police package is for Chevy or Dodge, but I do realize the field of car manupolice market is a very small portion of any of the Big-3 aufacturing considertomakers sales. They make cars for the masses and theyre ing everyone innot going to spend a boatload of money making something volved with making special for us. Is there anybody out there who will specificalthis law enforcely design and manufacture a vehicle for police? Enter Carbon It looks a little like an airplane ment-specific veMotors Corporation (golf-clap please). cockpit, but all the switches and hicle have lengthy levers are centrally located in backgrounds in the center console. If you look the automotive carefully, youll see the most industry. It would important feature of the E7 be more apt to say ince the E7 is built solely for law enforcement, itll come the variable-sized cup holder. theyre in a class completely equipped, from the factory (in Connersville, IN) all their own. Theyve spent a lot of time researching our with no need for you to finish the project. No more add-on needs. Theyve conducted focus groups with hundreds light bars, prisoner cages, push bumpers, sirens, etc. Veof street cops, picking their brains about what they love hicles purchased from the other guys are delivered to your agency or hate with the average police car. From there, Carbon ready to tour the city as a passenger car. Then your auto mainteMotors built a genuine police car. nance crew has to strip out all the stuff not appropriate for police The E7 is the answer to every cops prayers and every cars and install all the police gear. And all this stuff is bought afteradministrators and bean counters shopping lists. While market and usually at a premium. only the prototype is currently available, Carbon Motors When an E7 is at the end of the road your agency can either sell is taking orders for the production model, which is due to it to another agency or Carbon Motors will buy it back to recondiroll out in 2012. This may seem like an eternity to wait, tion it or part it out and recycle as much of it as they can. Once a but this dream car didnt just happen overnight. standard police cars come to the end of its career your mechanics
Who?
$aving$ Real & GREEn
Continued on page 63
32
Caliber: Capacity: Barrel Length: Length: Height: Width: Weight: Twist: Grooves:
SpEciFicAtiOnS:
5.56 NATO / .223 Remington 30 Rounds 16.12" 32.75" 36.00" 7.75" (Sights Folded Down) 2.50" 7.92 lbs (Without Magazine) 1:9 RH 6
34
Dave Douglas
RUgERS
NEw SR556
with no ejection, a position for suppressor use, one for normal operation and finally one for difficult operating environments. The latter uses the widest gas vent and provides absolute reliability under heavy use or with difficult or heavily fouling ammunition. The energy is transferred by the piston driven, electroless nickel and Teflon-infused coated transfer rod to a one-piece bolt carrier with integral transfer key.
A WoRTHY PaTRoL PaRTNER
here are times when its really hard to keep a secret. This was one of them. I was at the Ruger factory in New Hampshire during what turned out to be the worst ice storm in 20 years. The purpose of the trip was to be introduced to their new little pistol, the LCR. All the writers had to sign nondisclosure forms for anything we saw in the plant during the visit. Fortunately, the embargo end date on the LCR was only a few months off and making it much easier. However, one thing I saw there, and signed my life away not to disclose, turned the secrecy requirement into a far more difficult task. Why? Because, it was way too cool! As is the custom with many manufacturers, Ruger was introducing the LCR at the upcoming SHOT Show. But, when they showed us their new SR556 rifle, they said it wasnt going to be introduced for a while, as final prototype testing was still ongoing.
Engineering
Early in the project, Brian Vuksanovich was asked if he wanted to participate. Being one of Rugers chief engineers and an avid AR shooter he jumped at the chance. He told me, What we wanted to do was make a more durable rifle, but we wanted everything to fit in the same envelope. I also wanted everything to work with all the older stuff. Thats part of the reason we kept the lower receiver standard and MIL-SPEC. We made most of the changes to the upper. We took all the things that were wrong with the design and improved them. One of our goals was to make the improvements without screwing up the things that were good in the original design. Brians an avid reader of a number of Internet AR forums and commented on the amount of traffic carrying erroneous information. He said, Some folks have been saying the receiver is cast and the barrel isnt up to MIL-SPEC standards. They were guessing, but they guessed wrong. Everything on the gun is high quality. The receivers are forged aluminum and the heavy contour, chrome-lined barrel is cold hammer forged from MIL-SPEC 41V45 Chrome-Moly-Vanadium steel. Also, we chambered the gun in 5.56 NATO, which as you know, also fires .223 Remington ammunition. When we introduced the gun at the NRA show in
35
Operating System
The lower is a standard AR system receiver. Everything is MIL-SPEC, allowing you to accessorize as far as your wallet will take you. The upper receiver is where Ruger put their stamp on the design, significantly improving function. The patent-pending, two stage, piston-driven, operating rod system delivers a smooth power stroke to the bolt carrier while venting combustion residue out the bottom of the gas block. The gun runs cooler, cleaner and is easier to maintain than gas driven rifles. This significantly improves operability and most importantly, reliability. It has an adjustable fourstage gas regulator allowing the shooter to select single shot
RUgERS
NEw SR556
38
Phoenix, we put 20,000 rounds through it. No one cleaned the gun and we used a bunch of different ammo, Hornady, Black Hills, Remington, Winchester White Box and Federal. There were no malfunctions at all, Vuksanovich commented. Brian is pretty proud of the SR556 and rightfully so.
hook-and-loop fasteners to hold the rifle in place and internal magazine pockets.
Does It Shoot?
If all these high-speed accessories are attached to a black brick, they wont save your bacon when the balloon goes up. The real question about Rugers new SR556 is does it shoot and will it continue to shoot when you need it. The answers are yes and yes and then some. Accuracy out of the box was astounding. The 16.12", chromelined, 1:9 twist barrel provides more than adequate accuracy. I shot magazines loaded with random brands of ammunition. Federals TRU 55gr, Hornady TAP in 55gr and 75gr, ATKs XM193 and ICCs frangible. It fed everything given to it with no malfunctions and yielded MOA 1" groups to 2.5" groups consistently.
Quality Parts
The SR556 comes standard with a one-piece, 10" Troy Industries Quad Rail Handguard providing ample room for mounting sights, optics and accessories. The handguard is made exclusively for Ruger and is pinned to the upper receiver giving the piston driven transfer rod a rigid platform. Its so solid that after 100 rounds fired from a grenade launcher attached to the handguard rail there was no wear and the attachment was still as tight as when first attached. Troy Industries folding BattleSights are also included. These are easily removed or replaced, rugged, high-quality sights allowing co-witnessing with MIL-SPEC optics. They can be folded down with the push of a button, or quickly flipped to the up position. The rear sight is windage adjustable and includes short and longrange apertures. The front sight is elevation adjustable and protected by encompassing wings.
The list of quality included features for the Ruger SR-556 is a long one. It also comes with a six-position telescoping M4-style buttstock housing a MIL-SPEC buffer and spring. The pistol grip is a Hogue Monogrip and three Troy Industries rail covers are part of the package. Also supplied are three, 30-round Magpul PMAGs. They feature a storage/dust cover, stainless steel springs and a self-lubricating, antitilt follower. These are true 30-round mags not the load 28 and call it a 30-rounder type. They stand up to a lot of abuse and when dropped from the mag well during a rapid reload you wont need to worry about tweaking the mag lips a major source of failure-to-feed malfunctions. The rifle is shipped in a padded carrying case sporting the Ruger logo,
Patrol Ready
Ruger has long been known for building tank tough firearms that can take a beating and still perform at a level cops need. The SR556 comes from the factory equipped with just about everything needed in a patrol rifle. Its practically out of the box ready to put in your patrol car.
For more info: www.ruger.com

39
Is YoUr BoDy Armor JUnK Or A JeWeL?

Understanding The New NIJ Standards
hould you throw your body armor in the trash or thank the guy in the department who selected it? Chances are, neither action is appropriate, though a few department decision-makers may deserve to be given a serious dose of whoop-ass. As a technology buff, I often write about computers, cameras and the like. When I was asked to research and write this article, it threw me a curve. My editor reassured me body armor involves more technology than anything else a cop uses. Ive learned that is the understatement of the decade so much for my computer-only stance. Rarely has so much information been put forward by so many, resulting in total confusion of the masses. Geek-speak, techno-jargon, turf-wars, slick-tongued sales people and a myriad of others have all peed in the soup, making the result mostly useless. How did you, the user/wearer of body armor end up with the particular vest you were issued? Did the vest-fairy visit you? Did you just hut-hut right down to Supply and pick up your required gear without a care or thought about it? Probably.
Jim Donahue
Courtesy: Point Blank and PACA Body Armor
Some Basics
The reality is most cops are wearing a vest selected by someone in their own agency who probably didnt have a clue about the nuances of vest design or standards and was trying to work within a very
limited budget. Thats not to say inexpensive vests are crap, in fact a cheaper vest may be better than a zoot-deluxe expensive one. Its just a matter of fact. Sorry. Remember, its only your life youre entrusting to the administration to make the best and safest choice for body armor. Exactly what do you have? is a legitimate question and one you should be able to answer. Every vest has a label on the inside and it must show two pieces of data; the threat level certification, e.g. II, IIA and IIIA, and its expiration date. The expiration date is nothing more than the manufacturers warranty and is typically around five years. Dont interpret this to mean you should toss yours simply because its out of warranty, and it doesnt mean itll no longer be able to stop a feather should someone shoot you with one. Wearing a vest, even one beyond the expiration date, is better than not wearing one at all. Body armor deteriorates over time. How quickly it deteriorates and to what degree depends on how often its worn, the conditions (such as extreme heat and perspiration) under which its worn, and how the owner cares for the vest. The best way to care for your body armor is to lay it flat or hang it in a climatecontrolled environment. Dont fold, roll or wad it up; this will cause set wrinkles, which is death to the materials. Dont launder your vest, only wipe it off with a damp cloth and dont use bleach. Most MSAs Templar armor series also odor-eliminator products can be bad for meets new NIJ standards. your vest, so theyre not recommended. Its
were borne as a result of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, so theyve been at this for a few years. Theyre the ones whove established the minimum performance requirements. In recent years the NIJ has come under fire; their testing procedures were sketchy, inconsistent, and considered unreliable. Some accused the NIJ of being run by former executives of the body armor industry. The NIJ testing process was akin to having the answer key to a math test they told you precisely where on each vest theyd be shot for the test. As might be expected, some in Art by: Sequoia corporate America, in Blankenship their drive for sales and profits, added extra layers of protective fabric to their vests in the test-spots to be shot/tested by the Todays highly tted vests are often engineeringNIJ. The remainder light years ahead of technology only a few years old and offer enhanced ballistic protection. Here, of the vest would rethe Trilhouette TG series from Protective Products, main light and airy, Inc. (PPI) offers a honeycomb carrier system and and unfortunately, recessed closure system. wouldnt stop rounds nearly so well. Other manufacturers would repeatedly submit the same poorly manufactured vest model to the NIJ until one squeaked by. Then theyd claim all of their vests met NIJ certification standards. Things got so bad Congress investigated the NIJ some years ago and they issued a report calling for a complete overhaul of the agency and its operations to ensure officer safety. Nothing happened. What bullshit. Actually, Ballistic ResisThe Dress Vest from Armor Express is a vistance of Personal Body Arible carrier that can t a wide range of ballistic mor NIJ Standard 0101.06, panels from the company. originally published in July a simple concept, take care of your vest 2008 is what happened. Having realized and itll take care of you. theyd gotten a little sloppy over the years, Point Blanks new NIJ .06 certied NIJ instituted significantly tougher stanVision Level II armor is considered dards and testing for body armor. I must get one of the lightest systems available Government Undersight? a bit technical here. If youre not into detail, today. The new concealable carrier Whos in charge of ensuring your body skip the next couple of paragraphs, but I ensystem is loaded with advanced armor passes muster? And whats muster? courage you to read them anyway. features, including ThorShield techThe National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is nology a lightweight, conductive the government agency tasked with certimaterial lining that protects ofcers Heart Of The Matter fying body armor. Think of the NIJ as the from electroshock weapons such as research, development and evaluation arm Threat Level is a scientific measure preTASER devices and stun guns. of the Department of Justice (DOJ). They sented from shooting a variety of ammuWWW.AMERICANCOPMAGAZINE.COM 41
Safarilands AJ Carrier is the cover that holds all six of Safarilands new models that adhere to the NIJ-06 standards. The models are: XT-300 Type II, XT-300 Type IIA, XT-700 Type II, XT-300 Type IIIA and MT-330 Type IIIA/Spike 3.
more realistic threat criteria and the new testing procedures are so difficult no m a n u f a c t u r e r s pre-existing prodThis carrier for women offers specic construction methuct line could pass ods to meet a female ofcers t needs. It has 12 points certification. This of adjustment for an exact t. (Photo: Armor Express) is good for you and nition at various velocities, i.e. 9mm, .40, me because the manufacturers had to go .45, etc. at body armor. The body armor is back to the drawing board and make betthen certified to a specific level (II, IIA, ter products. Depending on whos in the IIIA) based on its ability to stop the par- discussion, some cling to the NIJ as the fiticular level of threat. Level II is what most nal word while others have abandoned the agencies issue their officers; Level IIIA is NIJ in favor of their own or FBIs tougher what they should be issuing. Theres really specs. Who should you believe? Thats no reason not to issue IIIA vests; the differ- your call, but in every case, it needs to be ence in weight is negligible. an informed decision. Testing Methods are a whole different issue. They deal with the circumstances of the shoot distance, velocity, shot loca- Get What You Pay For tion on the vest, environmental issues, in Are there trade-in programs for my curessence how hot the shot is and the situation rent vest so I can get a new one for little under which its fired. The NIJ establishes or no cash? As of this writing the simple its own testing methods, which includes fir- answer is no. But if youre paying for ing rounds specially loaded to ensure con- your own vest, dont be a cheap bastard. sistency of velocities and many of them are A new vest meeting current NIJ standards loaded to be faster than duty ammo. will range in price from $600 to $1,000 For a full view of the NIJ 0101.06 stan- youd spend that amount on a rifle or some dard, go to their web site: www.ojp.usdoj. other toy, so why recoil in horror over paygov/nij/ its good bathroom reading. ing for body armor? Now back to plain English. Lighter is nice, but not necessarily betThe FBI, among many larger agencies, ter. For years, cops demanded body armor decided to do its own testing and create that was lighter and cooler to wear and the its own body armor specifications be- manufacturers dutifully complied. Their cause (in their opinion) the NIJs standard methods however reduce the number wasnt tough enough. But todays NIJ of layers of protective fabric resulted standards are tougher than ever. Theyre in vests that were significantly less effecnow consistently applied, are based on tive. And on top of that, they charged more
42
money. Huh? What? Why am I wearing a vest? Thats a question you should answer for yourself. If youre only wearing it because you
Other ballistic containment devices like this portable shield from Point Blank, have specic guidelines concerning their ballistic ratings.
Point Blanks Vision and HI-LITE armor for women features a new contoured shape, streamlined stitching and Point Blanks Smart Seam construction. ThorShield technology is incorporated, along with a higher neckline for additional coverage and a wide range of other features.
have to (by way of agency policy), you might as well stop reading this article now. Be honest with your answer. If you have the option of selecting your own type of vest, you should know the answer intuitively, itll help guide your purchasing decision. What kind of vest should I choose? Only the best, strongest, save-my-ass kind. Officers working urban environments may think they are most in need of the higher level of protection. Well dont get lulled into thinking just because you work in Squirrel-fart Montana you wont come up against tougher rounds. Some of the quietest towns on earth Editors note: Id personcan be home to some of the weirdally like to thank Gene Wolest and most lethal ammunition. berg, former Senior CrimiOne expert said, If a cop is wearing nologist for the San Diego The Lo Pro also from Armor Express, offers a high body armor with a threat level cerPolice Crime Lab. Genes level of concealment, perfect for under uniform wear. tification below IIIA, hes playing Rustireless efforts in testing soft sian Roulette with his life. I agree; you new round, or a new gun the bad guys are body armor throughout the 1980s and want the most protection available. Your using to kill cops. Theres an ongoing evo- 1990s played a large part in many of the family may thank you for it some day. lution of weaponry. Your vest from three changes made to NIJ standards. He was a years ago was certified before new threats champion of officer safety and I wish he were even known. Will your old vest work? were here to see his hard work come to Last Years Model Probably, but maybe not. fruition. Gene passed away in May 2000 A vest you may have been issued or purSecond, and perhaps more important, I still miss him. chased recently under the previous set of body armor technology is constantly imstandards is still safe to wear. Vests most of proving. Just another money grab, right you are using today have saved many lives, remember when cell phones weighed three For more info: so theres no need to panic. Must a vest be pounds and cost $1,000? Are you still car- www.armorexpress.com replaced when it expires? No. Most likely rying a cell phone like that? Body armor www.safariland.com it should be replaced right around the expi- technology has improved over time just www.body-armor.com (Protective Prodration date because ammunition and guns like cell phones. Todays body armor is ucts, Inc.) change. Were constantly receiving officer better able to stop rounds than its predeces- www.MSApoliceline.com safety notices about some new weapon, a sors because the scientists and engineers www.pointblankarmor.com
are constantly trying to make it better. Maybe you should consider replacing your vest every few years, you upgrade your cell phone that often it sure as hell isnt going to stop a bullet. Make a vest choice you can justify to your family. A good vest is not designed to be comfortable; its designed to be comforting (to you and your family). As I bring this writing to a close, I must acknowledge the significant contributions made in the research phase. Especially helpful were Don Hacklander of San Diego Police Equipment Company and other industry experts. We all owe them a debt of gratitude.
43
DISpATCH VS. PATROl

JAMie ZeLLeR
Think before you start blabbing into your lapel-mike. Your dispatcher, believe it or not, is your friend not your enemy.
5 Ways To Piss Off Dispatchers

motel located in my neck of the woods and there was a nickname-officer who insisted on calling this hotel, The Penny. For years until this place was demolished he kept calling it by that stupid nickname until it was common knowledge so much so we would forget the real name for the establishment when citizens were calling in. Arg! Dont make life harder than it needs to be. Asking questions about the call youre dispatched to when all the answers were already voiced or in the text of the call itself is annoying. We all have bad days. When were doing a hundred other things in dispatch-land and the officers ask questions with the answers directly in front of them, it takes away time better spent helping your beat partners. They might be going to a call where its important to know if their suspect has any weapons registered to them. Were all aware a majority of law enforcement officers have military backgrounds, which is admirable and honorable. Thank you for your service. That was then, this is now. At times, our job is confusing enough; please dont use military jargon on the radio. Ive heard some strange things. For example, I had an officer say, No Joy when advising the disposition of his call. Whos Joy and what does she have to do with the call? Some of you new police officers who retired from the military seem to think your dispatchers are pulling rank on you when they dispatch you to two or three calls back to back. I promise this isnt some grand scheme by government officials to get you back for the pre-war partying days while stationed in Japan. Its just business, nothing personal Dispatch isnt keeping things from you on high priority calls. Theres no conspiracy or guessing game we take joy in. Dispatchers have many tools available to find out almost
ave you ever wondered why it seems your dispatcher sounds like theyre out to get you? Come on, I know youre thinking, why are they so rude?! Thats an edited thought, you know what Im saying open mikes happen. At times dispatchers have a crazy busy job requiring intelligence, multi-tasking abilities, patience and some serious bladder control. While you might just be starting your shift, your dispatcher may have been there for 10 hours already upset because someone just called in sick. Now they have to stay because theyre at the bottom of the seniority ladder. It sucks being low man on the totem pole. So, you ask what are some things that irritate dispatchers to no end? In the limited space I have, the following are my top five.
There Are Stupid Questions
The world doesnt revolve around you 110-percent of the time Ive added the extra ten percent because were always there for you 100-percent of the time. But when you run a subject, are fourth in line for your request and within 45 seconds ask, is anything back yet? Take a second to listen to the radio traffic and gauge your response time accordingly. Patience young Jedis, not only are your teletype dispatchers processing your request but theyre making phone calls for various reasons and some agencies dispatchers are even entering stolen vehicles and missing persons information you took out in the field. Please be patient, we know you need the information and well get it to you as fast as we can. Why must everything have a nickname in your world? I understand the need for codes for restroom breaks, the felony warrant that turd youre talking to has, and the like. But a code for that ballgame in the street? Yup, theres actually an 11-code in our jurisdiction for that and Ill never understand why. So why do officers in the field feel it necessary to shorten everything even if its only a three-letter word? I remember a particular
44
Its Not Your World
Drop Your Pack Please
Name Game
Thats All We Got
oure assigned to be the uniformed presence while the narcs serve a search warrant for drugs. Once the teams made entry and all the bad guys are in handcuffs, one of them keeps running his mouth and just wont shut up. Though hes sitting on a stool and handcuffed behind his back, one of the narcs hits him in the face, knocking him to the floor. The sergeant from narcotics acts like he never saw it. You find the front glass broken-out of a business while patrolling your beat on midnight shift. Sure enough, theres been a burglary and the burglars are long gone. While youre waiting for the owner to arrive, you have your back-up unit hold the scene while you go make a quick trip to answer natures
Whatcha Gonna Do?
Ethical Quandries
Bill Hubbard
Look Within
46
??
call. When you return, you see an item you know was just inside the broken glass before you left is no longer there. Youre assigned to detectives and notice one of your fellow suits is simply never to work on time, he disappears for various lengths of time on any given day and you know he goes home long before quitting time, yet his time sheet matches yours hour for hour. Ethics dont you just hate em? Our first reaction is to question why a fellow officer would put us in this position in the first place? Another reaction is, this would never happen to me where I work. But probably, our most common reaction is to prefer not to think about it an hope nothing like this ever happens around us. Or, if it happens, just ignore it become and ostrich and bury your head in the sand. Dont ask dont tell. Its infuriating to turn on the news or pick up a newspaper, when virtually every issue has at least one story of some cop somewhere who compromised his badge by doing something dishonest or illegal. When I started many years ago as a very green rookie little did I know before my career would be over, Id participate in the arrest an off-duty officer from another jurisdiction for DUI or have to blow the whistle on an officer who flat-out lied in an Affidavit for an Arrest Warrant. But the crowning event was the night four of us followed an on-duty, uniformed officer in his marked unit we videotaped him burgling a restaurant. We took him down at gunpoint and drove him to jail in the back seat of his own police car. Im sure none of these officers who screwed up in these situations ever intended to be dishonest, crooked, or criminal cops when they started their careers so what happened? Im equally sure; officers whove kept their badges clean all these years never dreamed the dirty cop syndrome would be as rampant as it is today. I, for one, am shocked and sick of it. Heck, the public thinks were all like that. In talking to many officers who choose to keep their badges untarnished, I know a lot of the rest of you are sick of this, too. First and foremost, you must assume a mindset. I had a professor in college who called this The Percolator Method. You pound it into your brain until it finally drips down to your heart. Then, you can think it, live it and believe it. The mindset you have to assume is dishonesty at any level will not be tolerated in
Ethics are not situational. yourself . Before you can Wrong or right what set the bar high for anywill your decision be? one else out there, you must be willing to raise it for yourself and live up to it. In Street Survival by Calibre Press, and in The Bullet Proof Mind by Lt. Col. David Grossman, I learned I must assume a mindset that in a lifeor-death fight I will never give up. We pound that into our brains, so in the moment when were in that fight, our brains are already programmed and it kicks in. When the fights going on is not the time to decide, will I live, or will I die? We program ourselves long before that time with, no matter the circumstance, no matter the injury, no matter the pain, I will fight through it and I will live. Having survived that life-ordeath fight, I know this axiom is true Ive been there. hell do you think youre doing? Stop And so its in assuming a non- it! Trust me it works. corruptible mindset. We program ourselves now that no bribe will be accepted, no cleavage beats a ticket, and Silent Code Of Crap The blue code of silence is crap whether on-duty or off we will not cross the line into illegal activity. its dead and gone. The autopsy was pretty Then, even if the temptation arises, ugly, too. It only had a place if everyone the little guy in the back of your head playing had the bar raised high on themis programmed to shout, What the selves. Cops of integrity were able to ward off political pressure or advancement-hungry Internal Affairs officers by banding together. But, in recent years, the autopsy on the code of silence showed we were openly inviting fellow officers to commit dishonest, immoral and illegal acts because they had the assurance no one else with a badge would rat them out. Look where that took our profession. Bury this code, mourn its passing and let it go. By now youre probably saying, What a nut-job, goodie-two-shoes, he wants me to be How accurate is your time sheet? We all know the the most-hated, allchronic time sheet cheaters arrive an hour late around department and take a two-hour lunch yet it never seems to appear on their time sheet. snitch! Au contrere.
?
What I want you to do is have a hand in creating an atmosphere in your agency where there isnt anything to snitch. This brings me to my next point accountability. Do you have the sort of friendship with a select few other officers who care about each other enough, and have given each other permission, to keep each other under a magnifying glass and tell the unvarnished truth whenever it needs to be told? If not, do it. My own band of brothers consists of four others and me. I consider myself extremely fortunate to even be able to sit at the same table with these officers of integrity and distinction. Were brutally honest with each other as we examine each others personal and professional conduct. The shot is called when it needs to be made, no apologies necessary. These troops help keep me in line, and I them. Even if you havent committed to an accountability partner, I encourage you to care enough about those you work with those very ones who may take a bullet for you someday, or you one for them to address little problems when theyre little. Be a friend show some concern. In every single situation described in this article, officers working near those who screwed up admitted in the aftermath there were warning signs. An officer doesnt just show up for work one night and decide to go break into a restaurant. There was a gradual decline in his life his co-workers noticed, but no one came alongside and said, Whats
47
nit 645, see the cleaning lady at 5220 S. Latonka Circle. She said she was cleaning the house and observed a white male armed with a bat in the basement. She believes its a burglar and the homeowners are out of town. Description? Hes dressed in all white with a white baseball-type cap. The cleaning lady will meet you out front. 640 for cover? 640, Im two blocks away. I had just been dispatched to a burglary in progress call and was going to be assisted by my sergeant. I had been out of the police academy six months and these calls still made my mouth dry and my hands sweat. Not so for my sergeant, a salty veteran who had spent three tours in Vietnam prior to
C. W. BiLL BLAcK
joining the force. It was said if hed had a twin brother with him Vietnam might have been called the Six Day War. As I pulled into the neighborhood I tried to think of what the textbooks had to say about handling a burglary in progress call. Tear gas? Canines? The SWAT Team? An air strike? As I turned the last corner heading toward the house I realized that Sgt. Rambo and I would probably have to go in after the fiend. What I didnt realize was that I had taken a corner a little too fast. My clipboard, flashlight, and briefcase had slid across the patrol car seat spilling what was left of a Big Gulp in my lap. That should be fun to explain. My sergeant stood in the front yard talking to the cleaning lady. I tried to dislodge my baton that had gotten stuck under my seat and smashed my knuckle against the doorjamb. As I approached the front yard I noticed the blood from my scraped knuckle dripping on my spit-shined shoes. What happened to you, kid? my puzzled sergeant asked. Oh nothing, an old karate injury. Mustve scraped it again. Well, come on, he said. We have a burglar to catch. Cleaning lady here says she saw some guy in the basement with a bat. No one is supposed to be home. She ran to the neighbors and called us. Is he still there? I asked, fearing the answer. Thats what well find out, Sarge said. As we approached the front door I noticed the neighbors had gathered in their front yards. A few set up lawn chairs, expecting an entertaining afternoon and curious as to how their tax dollars were spent. I knew I should have stayed in graduate school. Scared? my sergeant asked, looking down at the Big Gulp stain on my pants.
48
THE DAY I ALmoSt SHot ELtoN JoHN

Its not what you think, I said. Come on, theyre starting to sell tickets out here. Remember kid, take no guff, cut no slack, hook em and book em and dont look back, he chuckled as he kicked open the door and drew his gun. One thing was certain, there wasnt room for him and me and the barrel of the gun through the door. I let Sarge go first. We crept through the main floor looking into closets and cupboards looking for our bat-toting burglar. I followed behind trying not to sneeze or trip over furniture. My sergeant was gliding from room to room like a jaguar stalking a rabbit. Shhh! I hear something, whispered Sarge. Its the cat, I said. How do ya know? he commanded. I just stepped in the litter box, lifting my foot and receiving icy glares from Sarge and a lethargic Siamese on the couch. The upstairs is clear. Lets hit the basement. Sarge moved to the downstairs doorway. I half expected him to toss a hand grenade down the stairs. Instead he tiptoed down one step at a time with the lights off, a textbook descent. I was close behind. The only light was from the basement windows and the afternoon sun. You could tell a teenager lived down here. Posters of sports heroes and high school mementos adorned the walls. We checked the laundry room and game room. How I kept from knocking over a rack of pool cues Ill never know. We had one room left to check the downstairs bedroom. The door was closed. Sarge and I got on each side of it ready to buttonhook in as we flung it open. One, two, three, I whispered as Sarge opened the door and
Art by: Sequoia Blankenship
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Operational Mindset, Operational Clothing
EtHICAL
Continued from page 47
going on, dude? Lets go have some coffee and talk. A little concern in the early stages can divert a disaster in the future.
Quit Your Bitching

By now youre reading this and saying, The first time I have to take someone down for something illegal or dishonest, Ill be branded a snitch Ill forever have to go to coffee and meal breaks alone and the next time the defecation hits the rotating oscillator, my back-up wont come. To that I say quit whining, grow up and get a life. If policing with the bar raised high isnt your cup of tea, go flip hamburgers at the McDonalds. If we keep our own badges clean and weed out the ones who shouldnt have been among our worthy ranks in the first place, back-up will always be there. Heres one last thing to pound into your head: should you have to arrest another officer, or call attention to dishonesty or corruption you did not cause the problem. It was the deliberate, conscious choice of that individual that caused the problem. Youre merely the one who had the guts to shine a light on it and say, Not on my watch. Dont let that person with the tarnished badge goad you into some sort of perverted guilt trip that you are the one who caused all of this. You didnt they did, same as any other criminal. Dont prolong the inevitable for the already compromised officer who will go on, hell-bent on finding another hole to fall in and he will. You just might get dragged down with him when it comes to light you had previous knowledge and did nothing. You, my friend, have just unintentionally started yourself down a slippery slope, and youve lost the ability to put on the brakes. The International Association of Chiefs of Police coined the Law Enforcement Oath of Honor. Go to their Web site, www. theiacp.org. Find it, print it, hang it in your office or tape it to your clipboard pound it into your percolator. Do it now. Its only three little sentences, but it says a whole lot:
Rugged, reliable www.eotac.com
EOTAC
On my honor, I will never betray my badge, my integrity, my character, or the public trust. I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions. I will always uphold the constitution my community, and the agency I serve. (Bill Hubbard is in his 29th year wearing a badge, and is certified as an Executive Peace Officer by the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. He is the author of Substantial Evidence: A Whistle-blowers True Tale of Corruption, Death and Justice, available at www.amazon.com)
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anything about anyone. There are also steps in getting information to you in a timely fashion. The dispatchers take the call and enter the most important information on a high priority call as fast as they possibly can. Updates are added as they get them. There are barriers at times, such as relaying information through a translator or dealing with an uncooperative reporting party. Things like that can delay the information coming to you. I know my partners in dispatch work very hard to keep our officers in the field safe by asking reporting parties about the presence or possibilities of weapons, drugs and alcohol. The information is entered and given out over the radio as fast as humanly possible to assist you in gauging the dangerous situations youre put into every day. Stay safe out there and ponder this for a moment: You may know where Willyou you be you are and God may know where are; but if your dispatcher doesnt know where you are, you and God if he show better be on good terms.
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52
Jaimie Zeller is a dispatcher with a medium-sized, West Coast PD. P.S.: Dont piss her off or youll be the report unit for graveyard shift.
A RE Y A RE W
LE Mas FoLLow-Up
Bob Pilgrim
ts been said there is no free lunch and you cannot evade the Newtonian laws of physics. If a stationary object is propelled at high velocity there is correspondingly, an equal and opposite reaction. Chemical propellants launch objects by developing pressure through some kind of reaction and then suddenly releasing it via the path of least resistance. To increase velocity, the projectile is either lightened and or propellant volume increased to develop greater launch pressures. In this case, Le Mas has done both to achieve the exceptional velocities they have from short barrels. However, that is only part of the story and proprietary bullet design and construction also contributes to Le Mass unusual performance on hard and soft targets. Although there was debatable physical evidence of over pressures, it was not until I experienced repeated misfires with Le Mas and other high performance rounds in a subcompact 9mm pistol that my shooting partner insisted it was the fault of hot ammunition and not the gun that I decided to have samples tested. A commercial ammunition manufacturer that does not consider Le Mas a competitor conducted the tests according to SAMMI protocols. Nine millimeter and Le Mas .45 ACP CQB II and .45 ACP CQB sub machine gun ammunition were fired from 4" and 5" pressure barrels respectively, with a universal receiver and Ohler 83 system. Each cartridge was completely rotated and tests occurred at room temperature. SAMMI pressure specifications for standard 9mm is 35,000 PSI and for +P it is 38,500 PSI. SAMMI does not have a pressure specification for +P+, but
54
other sources rate it at 42,000 PSI. Proof loads range from 52,000 55,000 PSI. Sixty-grain Le Mas at 1,944 fps averaged 41,400 PSI with a high of 43,200 PSI. The 9mm is over SAMMI specifications, but not dangerously so. Maximum pressure for standard .45 ACP is 21,000 PSI. For +P it is 23,000. I was unable to locate pressure specifications for +P+ .45 ACP and I am not sure if such a round exists, but proof loads range from 31,000 33,000 PSI. Le Mas 85-grain CQB II .45 ACP averaged 38,200 PSI with a high of 38,900 PSI and a velocity of 2,032 fps. The SMG load clocked a velocity of 2,246 fps and an average pressure of 39,300 PSI. It peaked at 41,600 PSI. Clearly, Le Mas .45 ACP in both configurations is way-over SAMMI limits. With the exceptions of 9mm and .40 S&W ammunition, Le Mas warns prospective end users to fire it from dedicated, modern, high quality firearms with fully supported barrels. Many customers opt for after-market barrels, such as KKM Precision to safely handle these exceptional pressures. Le Mas ammunition is restricted to police and military customers primarily because of its armor-defeating capabilities. The entire handgun ammunition product line provides a scalable increase in soft tissue performance over conventional hollow point ammunition and in addition, offers dedicated, higher velocity armor piercing (AP) rounds for specific handguns and barrel manufacturers. These latter projectiles are designed to be fired from specific weapon configurations only. Accordingly, current .40 S&W ammunition is loaded to different pressures for the Glock 22 and 22 C systems. Furthermore, for mission flexibility and selectivity Le Mas has developed four different load variants for its .45 ACP CQB ammunition.
For more info: www.lemasltd.com/v1/ Editors note: Le Mas is obviously highperformance ammunition advertised as only suitable in certain firearms. Use good judgment and conduct proper research before you choose to use it in your departments firearms.
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SPOT LIGHT
Belt BucKle MRDS
Insight Tech Gear
The MRDS is a lightweight, ruggedized reex sight that mounts to many existing optics as well as MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny and Weaver-style rails utilizing widely available aftermarket mounts. The MRDS is available in a non-reective black or tan nish with either a 3.5 MOA or 7.0 MOA dot size and is easily adjustable for elevation or windage with 1 MOA positive click adjustments. The MRDS features an auto adjusting dot intensity but also offers the operator a manual dot intensity adjustment with four brightness settings. For more information visit www.InsightTechGear.com.
5.11 Tactical
Each 2.5x1.7" buckle is constructed of high quality zinc with rounded edges, has a non-reective, laser-engravable nish and incorporates an extra large support beam for durability. The Signature Belt Buckle includes imprinted 5.11 screws and is compatible with 5.11s 1.5" Casual Leather Belts and most similar-sized leather belts. They feature a Permastiff insert for stable holster wear and include a hidden handcuff key keeper. Priced from $34.99, four belt styles and three colors are available. Visit www.511tactical.com today to see more.
Gore-Tex Insulated Side Zip

Bates Footwear
Bates introduces an 8" Gore-Tex Insulated Side Zip (Style 2488) to their popular GX series product line this fall. This product is a best suited for fall and winter outdoor activities. Efcient at keeping your feet warm and comfortably dry, the new 8" Gore-Tex Insulated Side Zip Boot will be available in stores and online at www.batesfootwear.com in October 2009.
Badge
Blu-Comm
Introducing the Badge, a Bluetooth wireless speaker/microphone for 2-Way radios. It is a specially designed professional series of ruggedized speaker/microphones with volume control, a PTT (Push-To-Talk) button, and earpiece port. Required adaptors available for Motorola, Kenwood, Blackbox, Relm, Icom, Vertex radios. Available through Klein Electronics, Inc. (800) 959-2899 or visit www.HeadsetUSA.com.
PocKetJet Printer
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Offering a full line of ultra-portable and innovative mobile printers and scanners. A vehicle-mounted printing solution, the PocketJet printer is a compact thermal printer that produces full-page high-quality output. It has USB, IrDA, and optional wireless Bluetooth connectivity. The printer can be powered by either internal battery or vehicle battery power. See more at www.brothermobilesolutions.com.
Operator Grade Mechanic Shirt

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Motherlode 500
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The new Motherlode 500 is now a pound lighter than the original by making material and structural changes without compromising design, durability, and functionality. With 500 D Cordura, the pack is as strong and durable as its predecessor, but with a lighter overall weight. There is also a eece-lined goggle pocket for your NVGs. Check it out at www.camelbak.com. 56
MPH-900 LPR System

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The MPH-900 License Plate Recognition technology is a solution for mobile automatic license plate reading. The LPR System reads plates from a stationary location or at highway speeds and cross-references them against an onboard hot list. The system alarms within a second of identifying a plate on the hot list and can process hundreds of plates per minute. An image and GPS coordinates of every plate scanned are stored and can be referenced later. Log onto www.elsagna.com to learn more. WWW.AMERICANCOPMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
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Model 750 Chain LinK Handcuff
Peerless Handcuff Company
The classic design now available in a ve different color plated nishes. The color nish helps to prevent equipment loss by allowing individuals, agencies or departments to more easily identify and track property. Color can also be used to enable or reinforce a classication system such as threat level, medical condition, jurisdiction and more. They are available in blue, red, orange, yellow and pink. The durable EPP nish is resistant to chipping and scratching and rust. Check them out at www.peerless.net.
SA-4 PepperBall
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The SA-4 PepperBall system launches ImpactPlus projectiles which strike with approximately 20 foot-pounds of kinetic force and release about 3.8 grams of hot pepper. The combination of psychological shock from being laser sited and then launched upon, the painful kinetic impact, and the potent hot pepper powder combine to subdue suspects. The SA-4 launcher is compact and can be easily holstered and carried by law enforcement, corrections ofcers, or military police. Easy reload magazines are available for HOT pepper or inert training rounds. A custom Blade-Tech holster system that custom ts the SA-4 launcher is also available. Innovative PepperBall smart technology uses integrated electronics to self-check and launch hot powder frangible rocket projectiles. See more at www.pepperball.com.
PF-200 Tactical Beacon

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Invented by a police ofcer, the new PowerFlare PF-200 Tactical Beacon is an essential piece of equipment to have in a wide range of law enforcement and military scenarios. PowerFlare Tactical Beacons can be used to extend the range of night vision equipment by providing Infrared (IR) source illumination. This compact (4") device emits 360 of IR LED light (invisible to the human eye), visible for up to 10 miles away with NVGs or FLIR (on low-light camera mode). Log onto www.powerare.com to check it out.
Family Badges
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Each miniature badge is crafted with the same quality and attention to detail as full-size versions. Family Badges are available in over 30 styles in gold or nickel nish, and can be customized with lettering such as OFFICERS WIFE or CAPTAINS FATHER. Badges may be ordered alone or precisely mounted into genuine leather I.D. case, credit card wallet, or key fob. Free center seals are included with each badge, and ordering is a simple step-by-step process. Smith & Warren is now offering these unique new badges through authorized dealers nationwide. Contact your local dealer today or visit www.smithwarren.com for more information.
SRT Series
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NcStar introduces the SRT Series which is the Industrys 1st ever rubber armored, blue illuminated scope with an integrated red laser. The SRT Series is offered in a variable power 3-9x42, and a xed power 4x32 with 3 reticle options of Mil-Dot, P4 Sniper, and Rangender. This scope offers the added option to use both the laser with the illuminated reticle (5 levels of intensity) simultaneously, or the laser alone. Visit www.ncstar.com to see more. WWW.AMERICANCOPMAGAZINE.COM
Police-Specific BraKe System

Raybestos Brakes
The new Raybestos Police-Specic Brake System is the industrys rst complete brake system designed specically for law enforcement. With pursuit-proven pads, rotors and calipers, this system is intended to lower overall cost per mile while maintaining peak performance levels at extreme temperatures. These arent stock products slapped with a Police sticker. This is a brake system designed to protect the individuals that protect us every day. For more info visit www.raybestos.com. 57
REALITY CHECK II
Counsel, Wisdom, guidAnce and teaching.
Clint SMITH
13Letter
th
MARKSmANSHIp
Although marksmanship might be on the verge of becoming a lost art there are still old guys around and smart younger ones who understand that eventually marksmanship, and hits on a target, make a difference. I cant anticipate a change to my problem if I cant hit it. Putting all the bull aside about scaringem, spray-andpray, and all the other goofy pursuits like magic-voodoo-shootingtechniques, if you last long enough in a fight youll have to hit the target to stop the problem. Hopefully, before you get killed.
The
he number 13 is often considered unlucky, as in Friday the 13th, or then again, it could promote something tasty like in the extra doughnut in a bakers dozen. The 13th letter is M and I use Ms already in training in the M&M mode and have for years. Enclosed are a few rambling Ms for your consideration.
Movement: Avoid the range Macarena. If movement is required, do it. How many deer would still be alive if they didnt move on opening day?
MAXImIZE
Distance is almost always your friend and you should train for it. Train to create distance and train to take advantage of the distance you have created. The more distance created, the more time you have to make a better decision and/or apply better marksmanship.
MINImIZE
Minimizing yourself as a target on a day-to-day basis should be a constant and on-going process. Cops should wear armor, civilians should wear seat belts, and both should consider carrying a second gun. We should all train to use cover and concealment. We should also train to fight with guns other than our own. Civilians should clear their house now to learn about how to do it. Not because you want to clear the house its most often a bad idea but in case you have to. I dont want to learn about tactics, house clearing and bad corners when someone is in my house.
MANIpUlATION
Manipulation is a big deal to me. I firmly believe a lot of folks get in trouble in fights because their manipulation skills leave more than something to be desired. I consistently press, remind, push and prod students to use the safeties, but not necessarily to make the weapon mechanically safe. Major offenders, by weapon systems, are 1911s, because the shooters thumb is not correctly on top of the safety while firing. There is the potential of the shooting-hand thumb to push the safety up and on in a fight, or in a no-fire mode during live-fire exercise. AR rifle platforms are included because under duress shooters often forget to take the safety off. The scary part of all this is some knot-head thinks walking around with the safety off is tactical or that they are above the realm of using mechanical safeties because they are experts or professionals, whatever the hell that is.
AmmO MANAgEmENT
Were all going to die but it shouldnt be for lack of shooting back. Ninety-nine percent of the population should learn to load their weapon in an empty-load mode. Meaning, if the gun is empty, load it and go on. The tactical reload thing for the most part is a moot point and generally is best applied when you have someone to cover for you while you do it. Bluntly, if you need to load at all it should be after you shot the gun empty, because you should shoot until you win or until
MOvEmENT
This is a no-brainer. Movement is a target indicator for all fights, and we simply need to be aware of it. Movement draws attention and its one of a very few things actually instinctive because movement does draw the eye to potential threats. Logic dictates if you have good cover dont leave it. Drill responses like moving to or along side a partner when providing cover fire, or moving every time you are reloading are concepts to be reviewed as to their true value. Avoid range Macarena drills and responses like lower muzzle, sweep right and left with eyes, recover, holster. All of the stuff mentioned is good in a proper context but make sure the fight is over before the muzzle comes off the threat. Truly search and confirm potential threats, dont just have the head whisk back and forth like a windshield wiper. And make damn sure the fight is over before you holster your handgun. No eye sweep may be required in your bedroom hallway, but holstering may be important if you just used the gun in a public parking area.
58
Mindset: Just because youre on the ground, doesnt mean youre out of the ght.
the gun goes empty. If its empty, with all the high capacity guns everyone has today, youre going to have been in one hell of a big gunfight. If I was in that big of a fight, Id reload the thing and great ready for more because apparently you found the lotto of target-rich environments! Also training punishment, like buying beer for wannabe, drunk firearms instructors, is stupid. Heres why: why be punished for what might in reality endup being a smart move in a fight?
MINdSET
Mindset is a good M and things like the color code from the Cooper era, and personal awareness and applied personal tactics are all probably all part and parcel of the acquisition and application of a combative mindset. After doing this for a few years and the more Ive thought the process through, the less likely I am to have to use it. Mental and physical panic, like trying to do stuff like draw and shoot fast, doesnt wind up being all that productive down-range.
MAgNIfICENCE
I would advocate you train up to be and practice to shoot up to a level of magnificence. A magnificent shot is rare, but it is cool to see one. My idea of magnificence is not just hits on an X-ring. Someone who carries himself well, knows his equipment and can apply it, can shoot stuff other than their own gun, practice regularly and move through life without a chip on their shoulder are magnificent. Mostly they understand shooting doesnt always solve a problem. In fact, it almost always creates one.
MEdIOCRE
Although it could be arguable, I think mediocre skills will win most fights. I think if people train and think really hard to be competent, and even if they truly are magnificent, the potential for some thing to go wrong is in place as part of fighting. If you train to be magnificent and actually can generate mediocre skills in a fight, I think there is a strong probability youll win. Also, bluntly, if you are just armed and you actually are at best a mediocre putz dayto-day with guns, I think chances are youll default to poor, and poor will not often win a fight. Bad shots and bad tacticians are like
www.americancopmagazine.com
59
CARs & CRAsHEs

have to reverse the process to put the car back into a condition for public use and then its sold at auction. Look around next time youre traveling, most of the cabs on the road are old police vehicles. You can spot them from a mile away, but try not to think of all the nasty prisoners who once occupied those back seats. Eeew
Zoom-Zoom And More

The E7 uses a 3.0L turbo diesel engine, another departure from most police vehicles. So whats the big deal, you say? The E7s performance when compared to the gas-guzzling models from Chevy, Ford and Dodge is quite astounding. It boasts a bit more than 250 hp with 400 ft/lbs. of torque, goes from 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds, does the quarter mile in 14.5 seconds at 98 mph, has a maximum speed over 150 mph and can stop from 60-0 mph in 125 feet. And it does all this with a combined 30 mpg. The only competitor to keep reasonably close in these statistics is the Dodge Charger with a 5.7L V8 Hemi in it sucking up a whole lotta midgrade gas at only 20 mpg. Ouch. Other goodies either included or available and integrated into the E7 are emergency equipment instrumentation, touch-screen, voice activation and electromechanical interfaces (computer/CAD stuff). The rear seat is injection molded with arm cutouts and the seatbelts are integrated into the prisoner cage, front seats are contoured specifically with your duty gear in mind and ballistic protection rated to NIJ threat level IIIA is in the dash panel, cowl side, front door and prisoner partition. There are many more options and configurations to see and almost of them are simply not available from Ford, Chevy and Chrysler. They would have to be purchased separately and then fitted to your vehicle, which brings us to cost. The average police vehicle has an initial cost of around $20,000 just for the car and nothing else. Carbon Motors has not finalized a price for their car, but it seems theyre hovering somewhere around the $45,000 mark. Before you fall down and have a fit, remember the E7 will come fully equipped, ready to go to work the moment its delivered. Those other cars still have several weeks worth of retrofitting before they hit the street. Once you add in the cost of all the stuff your agency has to install, the cost of labor, the higher fuel usage and cost, and the significantly shorter life span of the average cop car, I think youll see the E7 is a seriously viable option. And the E7 comes with a variablesized cup holder for that 84-ounce Big Gulp thats a huge selling point right there. For more info: www.carbonmotors.com
60 WWW.AMERICANCOPMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
THE DAY I ALmOst

we both spun in. An eerie glow from the only window illuminated the room. There he was, in the corner, dressed all in white. White shoes, white pants, white sweater and white cap. He was holding what appeared to be a wide flat bat. Freeze! we screamed in unison and leveled a total of .76 calibers on this very clean burglar. I had expected tattoos and a Harley-Davidson T-shirt. But our criminal didnt move. He just stood there and smiled. He also looked very familiar. Not like an old friend or someone Id met before, but familiar like a famous person. Freeze! we yelled again, realizing he was doing just what we were commanding. Drop the bat, I said. Still nothing, just the friendly smile. I knew what to expect from Sarge the unexpected. Ahhhhheeee! Sarge screamed as he charged the bandit knocking him flat on the floor. Sarge slowly stood up and stared down at the captured felon, who was still smiling and holding his flat bat. It was one of those incredibly tense moments that suddenly transforms into a truly bizarre and almost comedic events. There was our burglar, six-foot, medium height, one-forth-inch thick and made of cardboard. Elton John, I said. My sergeant had just tackled a lifesized cardboard cutout of Elton John dressed in a cricket uniform and carrying a cricket bat. Probably a promo from a past album the teen-age resident had gotten from a record store.
62
I cant believe I almost shot Elton John, I said. Me neither, said Sarge as we both began to laugh. But suddenly we stopped and looked at each other. What are we gonna do? I asked. I dunno, Sarge said. I mean the whole neighborhood is outside expecting us to bring out a burglar. Sarge thought a moment, picked up Elton John and placed a set of handcuffs on the only available arm. They want a burglar, theyll get a burglar. And with that, Sarge took our captive upstairs and outside to the front yard. I followed knowing soon my brief police career would be over. Heres your burglar, maam, Sarge said, throwing the smiling Elton John on the grass. He waved at the dumb-founded crowd, got into his car and drove off. As the crowd gathered around Elton I quietly sneaked to my patrol car. I was happy our encounter turned out as it had. I looked over at the neighborhood gathered around the embarrassed cleaning lady and felt sorry for her. How could anyone be so stupid as to think the cardboard cutout was real? I then felt my pants had stuck to my leg where the Big Gulp had dried. I reached into my pocket reopening the wound on my knuckle and realized my keys were gone. They were sitting in the ignition of my locked patrol car.
Editors note: Bill Black, dear friend and long-time contributor to American COP passed on recently. His humor and experience will live on in the pages of American COP.
REALItY CHECK II
drunk drivers they often kill other people. If you carry guns step up to the plate and train-up. Your possession of a firearm does not mean you are competent, it simply means you have a gun. No offense intended.
Math
Funny thing I am not much good at math as far as the symbols and forms go, but I do think the analytical application of logic to shapes and angles, as in architecture, might be helpful in movement through structures. I like using the process of elimination and the extension of imaginary planes to solve where a potential threat could be, and then hunting for them, even if only in my minds eye.
Magic, Mickey & Minnie

Although it might be considered as negative instruction, I have seen a lot of the these three Ms over the years. In the magic mode, most folks are looking for a way to evade the hard work part of shooting and go directly to the Im magic mode. Marketing people have jobs creating sights, lasers, magic grips, magazines, ammunition, holsters and you name it to include magic cleaning stuff, so we dont have to work on any of this basics stuff. Well just show up and Itll be like magic. The same goes for shooting techniques. Ill just invent something no one in the 100+ year history of centerfire firearms and shooting ever thought of. Then, Ill name it after myself and go forth to the ignorant masses and deliver to them an epiphany. Maybe, but I doubt it. You all know the way to best achieve correct downrange projectile placement properly. No one I ever saw who was competent with a firearm got that way without hard work. But it could happen, I guess. Mickey and Minnie, with no disrespect intended, are right along side magic and vacation mentality. They represent the thought process that This is all cool shooting stuff and Im gonna buy this widget add it to the gun, and this will be what the fight is, and I got it covered. Family vacations and gunfights have something in common. They rarely come out as planned. Indeed, all plans are good ones (magnificent?) until you make contact. And by now, you either get the point, or you dont get the point and are still looking for some of that magic.
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To Grow On
M may also stand for moot, as in I guess this could all be just a moot point. Only you can decide how it applies to you, and if its moot or not.
64
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WIN THIS STUNNINg SUREfIRE TACTICAl lIgHTINg ANd EQUIpmENT pACKAgE!
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66
ed call this one stop shopping any day! All from SureFire, known for their ultimate lighting systems and tough-as-nails equipment, this comprehensive line-up pretty much rounds out any working cops kit for on-duty or off-duty use.
X400 Weapon Light

Starting off is SureFires X400 WeaponLight. The light puts out 110 lumens of blinding white light, and has an integrated red-laser below the solid-state LED module. This next generation weapon light comes from the people who literally wrote the book on modern police and military lights.
SureFire Pen II The SureFire Pen II is a precision writing instrument with an aerospace-grade aluminum body, all built tanktough in case you need to deliver a pointed message! But hey, its still a pen so it would work great in your uniform shirt pocket and still give you that secret littlesomething should you need it.
T1A Titan
But wait! Theres more! The T1A Titan is one of SureFires hottest lights. Putting out 70 Lumens of smooth, tactical-level light with only one lithium battery, light output is controlled with just a twist of the bezel. Its tiny, tough and puts out more than three times the light as a three-D cell, full-sized flashlight!
LEO Utility Knife

You may not realize it, but SureFire has put the same savvy-know how they put into their lights into a line of rock-solid working knives. The LEO Utility Knife is just that, a purpose-built folder made with the working cop in mind. The rugged titanium-frame features a drop-point steel blade you can open with one-hand. The blade has a built-in flathead screwdriver, perfect for removing license plates, and the low-profile flex-cuff cutter is sure to come in handy during your next riot.
EP3 Sonic Defenders

Since keen hearing is critical for any working cop, SureFire has included two sets of their impressive EP3 Sonic Defender Plus hearing protectors. Safe sound levels are allowed to pass harmlessly through, while potentially harmful noises above 80db are reduced via a proprietary design incorporating the patented Hocks Noise Braker filter. And, their low-profile and comfortable fit mean they can be worn under a helmet.
Photo: Joe Novelozo
TOTAl VAlUE: $1,400!

Z2 LED Combat Light
Next up, the Z2 LED Combat Light & Holster offers compact, high intensity light with a holster holding eight SureFire 123A Lithium batteries. Perfect for a duty belt, this rig assures you have plenty of light, and the batteries to back it up if you need them.
Youll have to agree, this is an unsurpassed package of best-quality gear from one of todays premier tactical equipment makers.
www.surere.com, (800) 828-8809
TO ENTER CONTEST: Use a postcard (no envelopes, please) and answer the three questions on the left and follow the sample shown on the right. Send to AMERICAN COP Dept. X6, P.O. Box 501930, San Diego, CA 92150-1930. You can also enter on our Web site www.americancopmagazine.com. Entries must be received before January 1, 2010. Limit 1 entry per household. This contest is open to individuals who are residents of the United States and its territories only. Agents and employees of Publishers Development Corporation and their families are excluded from entering. Contest void where prohibited or restricted by law. Winners must meet all local laws and regulations. Taxes and compliance with rearms regulations will be the responsibility of the winners. Winners will be notied by CERTIFIED MAIL on ofcial letterhead. No purchase necessary to enter.
COP NOV/DEC 2009:

NAMe ___________________________________ AddRess _____________ CitY, StAte, Zip____________ EMAiL AddRess _______________________ IF I win, pLeAse ship MY pRize thRough:
Sample
StoRe houRs __ AM __ pM
DeALeR ___________________________________ AddRess _____________ CitY, StAte, Zip____________ Phone ( ) ____ - ________
67
AMERICAN COP
Classified ads $2.00 per-word per insertion. ($1.50 per-word per insertion for 3 or more) including name, address and phone number (20 word minimum). Minimum charge $40.00. Bold words add $1.00 per word. Copy and rerun orders must be accompanied by PAYMENT IN ADVANCE. NO AGENCY OR CASH DISCOUNTS ON LISTING OR DISPLAY CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING. All ads must be received with advance payment BY NO LATER THAN THE 1st of each month. Ads received after closing will appear in the following issue. Please type or print clearly. PLEASE NOTE*** NO PROOFS WILL BE FURNISHED. Include name, address, post office, city, state and zip code as counted words. Abbreviations count as one word each. Mail to AMERICAN COP CLASSIFIEDS, 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, California 92128. NOTE: WE NOW HAVE DISPLAY CLASSIFIED ADS IN BOTH GUNS MAGAZINE AND AMERICAN HANDGUNNER. ASK FOR OUR NEW RATE CARD, Or call (858) 605-0235.
bELTS
THE BELTMAN makes sturdy, top quality, DUAL LAYER, Bull Hide belts for dress wear, concealed carry, or competition. Options include: Horse, Shark, Elephant, Velcro, tapering, stiffeners, etc. Handmade in three widths, and five colors from $69.95, any length! Catalogue - $3.00 (refundable) PO Box 1302, Apex, NC 27502. 919-387-1997. www.thebeltman.net.
LEATHER MISC
INDEX
Al Mar Knives ALS Technologies ASP, Inc. Benchmade Knife Company Black Hills Ammunition BLACKHAWK! Buffer Technologies Bushnell Copquest CorBon/Glaser Crimson Trace CrossBreed Holsters LLC Cylinder & Slide, Inc. D.P.M.S. DeSantis Holster Elite Operator Elite Sports Express Fail Zero Galco Gunleather
68
OF ADVERTISERS
19 10 2 13 10 63 62 6 31 11 14 52 59 60 50 50 17 59 27 GETAC Glock, Inc. Hallmark Cutlery Hornady Manufacturing Insight Tech-Gear Insight Tech-Gear Kahr Arms Kimber Knifekits.com Lawman Leather Magpul Industries Corp. Maxpedition Mec Gar USA, Inc. O.F. Mossberg & Sons Ofcerstore Original SWAT Pearce Grip ProMag Industries Revision Eyewear
The companies listed have featured advertisements in this issue. Look to them rst when you are ready to make a purchase.
12 61 68 7 23 31 54 72 15 11 33 53 64 17 8 3 27 62 9
Rick Hinderer Knives Ridge Outdoors USA, Inc. Rock River Arms Safariland Savage Arms Shooters Choice SHOT Show SIG SAUER Smith & Wesson Springeld Armory Streamlight Sturm Ruger & Co. SureFire Thunder Ranch TOPS KNIVES Tuff Products Winchester Olin Wolf and the Sheepdog XS Sights Systems
6 11 19 25 52 68 55 49 29 71 45 21 51 65 64 15 14 23 60
INSIDERRUMINATIONS Continued from page 70
Batteries Included
SqueaKy Clean
eres a very nice gun cleaning kit from M-Pro 7. Its loaded with everything you need to keep your gun inspection-ready multi-sectioned cleaning rod, a variety of bronze bristle brushes to fit anything from a .22 caliber to a 12-gauge shotgun, an assortment of patches and bronze jags, a breach brush, a silicone cloth and two-ounces each of both M-Pro 7 gun cleaner and lubricant. All these goodies come in a soft-sided, nylon zippered case. Its perfectly sized for limited locker or equipment bag space. Youll have no excuse for un-holstering a rusty gun with dust buffaloes in the barrel. www.mpro7.com
DoinG THe NUmbers

TRaffic faTaLiTiEs in 2007. wERE maLEs agEs 16-24. wERE fEmaLEs agEs 16-24.
nsight Tech-Gear has done it again theyre first to introduce the smallest (and coolest) gun light and laser for subcompacts. The X2L, shown here on a Springfield XD Subcompact in 9mm, has a visible red laser activated by a slider switch at the bottom of the unit and has a 200-meter range. The Xenon-bulb light is just over 40 lumens and is activated in either momentary or constant mode by an ambidextrous rocker switch. One 3V CR2 lithium battery will give you about 30 minutes of run-time. Best part of this laser/light is no tools are required to attach the little bugger to your gun. It secures with a spring-loaded latch bar, so it snicks on and off in no time. For around $250 your back-up gun can be just as tactical as your duty gun. www.insighttechgear.com
INSIDERRUMINATIONS
41,059 7,183
2,683
OccURRED on FRiDays,SaTURDays anD sUnDays. OccURRED bETwEEn 3:00 pm anD 9:00pm. OccURRED bETwEEn 9:00 pm anD 3:00 Am. Of DRIVER faTaLiTiEs wiTH BACs 0.08 ARE bETwEEn 9:00 pm anD 3:00 Am.
Source: Insurance Institute For Highway Safety
20,971 (52%) 12,919 (31%)
11,285 (27%) 4,492 (60%)
he T-5000 Disposable Respirator and MyClyns Personal Spray are two items I believe no officer or agency should be without in this day and age when youre more likely to be injured by unseen, sneaky microorganisms and pathogens (cooties). The respirators protect you from a boatload of fungi, bacteria and viruses all with impossible to pronounce names. Theyre ideal for any scene or situation where a big clean up is necessary think Hurricane Katrina, 9/11 or a train wreck. These arent like the paper filters you find at Home Depot and only filter things the size of golf balls. The personal spray allows you to immediately protect yourself from HIV-1, Hepatitis C and TB, to name just a few, when youve been exposed to them via blood, vomit, urine, saliva, feces or other bodily fluids. Yuck. Its safe to use all about your face, including your eyes and mouth and on open wounds. Each single-use, nonaerosol bottle contains about 60 sprays and has a two-year shelf life. At $10 and $20 respectively, both of these products are cheap insurance against potentially life-long or life-ending diseases. Think about it. www.clynsbrands.com
BREATHE DEEp
69
SUZI HUNTINGTON
INSIDER RUMINATIONS
ur forefathers and help quell crime really knew especially if they were how to speak using their rightfully eloquently owned gun to do it! if only they We should aprealized how plaud the people their beautiful words who confront and would become twisted claim victory over Amendment II in modern society. The bad guys. Shake the A well regulated debate over their meanhand and thank the Militia, being necessary ing rages on and you storeowner or clerk to the security of a free and I must continue to who nails the wouldState, the right of the navigate the minefield be robber. Yeah, what people to keep and bear of new gun laws created they did is dangerous, Arms, shall not be every year. Depending but its their right to infringed. upon whos controlling protect themselves the House and Senate, and others. They the laws ebb and flow dont have to wait in much like the ocean tide the equally dangerous on a sandy beach. Can I situation for one of us carry today, tomorrow, to show up and save next Tuesday or when Im retired? Whos on first? Why has them. Think about it, theyre taking action. Good vs. evil, this become such a confusing subject? and right and wrong must be important to them. Cops are minutes away when seconds count.
COPS AND THE 2 AMENDMENt

ND
Constitution For Beginners

Although there are a total of 27 amendments, the first ten are what were most familiar with and referred to as The Bill of Rights. These ten amendments were proposed March 4, 1789 and ratified December 15, 1791. All laws, new and old, have their roots in the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution and should not be taken lightly. The Second Amendment has been interpreted so much and by so many it makes my head spin. Each time its reinterpreted it seems to have about a dozen extra special interest groups adding their two cents-worth because one person was tragically killed by some turd who should have been exterminated years ago. Im not heartless, Im just tired of seeing the special So-and-so Act of Whenever being passed with much fanfare as a feel-good, this is gonna solve our societys problems legislation. These laws generally only add extra penalties onto the sentences of those same turds who dont respect anything or anybody already they have no effect on their mindset when deciding to victimize innocents. I think of the Second Amendment as a means for society not only being able to fend for itself, but as one more way of helping you and I on the street. Society has the right and should be expected to take care of themselves. Weve made too many people dependent on government to do everything for them. I hated all that responsibility when I was on the street and resented it when the community blamed me (the government) for their victimization. I loved it when someone would step in
70
Good For The Goose

Every citizen living in and wanting to keep their state free should be allowed to keep and bear arms, plain and simple. No elitist attitude in that statement. Remember, you and I are citizens first, cops second. There should be none of this I can carry a gun whenever I want because Im a cop, but you cant mentality. Whats good for us is good for The People too. Society is just as responsible for knowing whats right and wrong; the only difference between them and us is weve got a little more training on the subject and have chosen to be in this profession. Since moving to a much smaller community than San Diego, I put myself in the boots of the local cops here and think if I were patrolling this vast rural area, Id feel a comfort in knowing the community was well armed (and they are). My cover unit might have to respond from a neighboring county. If Mr. Smith happened to hear the commotion and showed up with his lever action .30-30 to help my sorry butt, Id be most appreciative. Its a simple idea and one I think our founding fathers meant to keep simple. Its those who dont want to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty who want to disarm society. Theyve convinced themselves theyll be taken care of by someone or something else, but I can tell you we simply cant take care of everybody and everything. I want people to be empowered to take back their lives, to stand up and be responsible for every aspect of their lives including their safety.
INSIDERRUMINATIONS
INSIDERRUMINATIONS Continued on page 69

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I ALMOST SHOT ELTON JOHN!

WIN A SUREFiRE COMBO PACK!

YOURE A TaRGEt: CaN YOUR ARMOR TaKE It?

New NIJ Standard

Dispatch Vs. Patrol ETHicaL MinEfiELDs

PROTECTING THOSE WHO PROTECT . . .

Cover Photo Joe Novelozo

RUgERs NEw SR556 DAVE DOUGLAS

Is YoUR BoDy ARmoR JUnk? JIM DONAHUE

DispaTcH Vs. PaTRoL JAMIE ZELLER

WHaTcHa Gonna Do? BILL HUBBARD

PoLicE SToRy C.W. BILL BLACK

The Day I Almost Shot Elton John

LE Mas FoLLow Up BOB PILGRIM

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58 REaLiTy CHEck II CLint Smith

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A stunning breakthrough in personal defense ammunition design.

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CUTTING THROUGH THE BULL