Police Dogs in Action is a historical documentary police video on the use of K-9 in law enforcement. This film follows a deputy and his dog from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department. Building searches, tracking and training are all shown. What’s interesting is the lead trainer is a volunteer, not a police officer.
One of the things the video emphasized was that the police dogs are meant to be gentle and are encouraged to spend time with people.
River Rock Designs announced a new distractionary device that may be a suitable alternative to a flashbang in some circumstances. The Dynamic Entry Lighted Tactical Access, or DELTA, light ball uses a “…super-bright strobe effect and steady-light illuminator [to] initially dazzle and confuse the bad guys and then lights up the target area like daylight.”
While the additional stunning/distraction from a concussive bang is absent, I could see where this might be an alternative to the traditional flash-bang in some limited circumstances. Drug labs or other locations where flammable chemicals are expected to be present would be one example.
What do you SWAT guys think? Sound off in the comments section below.
Enjoy this historical police video called “This Is Your Police Department.” Filmed in 1951, this police film follows “Joe” through a career with the Detroit Police Department. I don’t know what is better: the crossdraw uniform holster or the drunk blowing up a balloon for breath testing. Of course, rolling to a “family trouble” call in a “scout car” may be the best.
Police videos like this should be mandatory viewing for all new recruits. It would give them a sense of where the profession has been and how good we’ve got it now.
This round appears undamaged and "good to go." However...
Repeated cycling of ammunition can lead to a critical failure according to a training bulletin released by the Gwinnett County (GA) Sheriff’s Department.
According to the bulletin, a Gwinnett County police officer’s pistol failed to fire in a deadly force situation. The officer executed a “tap-rack-bang” drill to get back in the fight and successfully resolved the encounter.
The round was returned to the manufacturer for analysis. They determined the primer had been rendered useless due to the cartridge having been cycled through the gun multiple times. An interview with the officer determined he unloaded his pistol when he got home every night, meaning two rounds were repeatedly chambered as many as 100 times each prior to the incident.
If you repeatedly cycle the same ammo through your firearm, you may want to reconsider that action. The occasional unloading isn’t likely to lead to the same problem, but repeated cycling may.
Too many officers discount the dangers associated with knife attacks. When training for deadly force, many times the threat is only presented as a firearm. However, knives and other edged weapons clearly justify the use of deadly force in many situations.
I’ve recently had the pleasure of corresponding with Robert Kaiser, the CEO of the PPSS Group, a UK-based body armor company. They design and manufacture a variety of ballistic and cut-resistant products for law enforcement and dignitary protection. Kaiser talks about the need for cut-resistant clothing in a recent blog post.
I encourage everyone read his article and take a long hard look at the pictures of knife wounds he has included. If those photos don’t convince you how dangerous knives are, I suppose nothing short of being severely cut yourself will. Keep in mind that a single knife cut can render your gun hand useless, open your throat or slash an artery. How long do you think you will survive against an attacker who lands one of those?
Stay safe!
Magnum Boots USA has partnered with the Blue Crew, offering a 10% discount on all products purchased through the company’s website. We’re very excited to welcome Magnum to the growing list of supporting companies offering substantial discounts on gear and training.
To take advantage of the Magnum Boots discount, follow this link to their storefront and pick out your gear. When you checkout, enter the code found in your Blue Crew discounts page and 10% will be deducted from the total price of your purchase. It is easy and can save you quite a bit of money. This discount is only available to US residents.
The Blue Crew is the membership section of BlueSheepdog.com. Members get access to a wide range of sponsor discounts, training videos, reference materials and e-books, and our archive of podcasts and newsletters. The discounts alone can easily pay for your membership. Click here for more details on the Blue Crew.
Tactical Electronics and the National Tactical Officers Association are giving away a K9-mounted camera via a grant. The camera transmits video back to the handler, but also records the images with a mini-DVR that records to SD cards.
The camera records video and audio, plus it has a IR illuminator for low light conditions. Run time on a pair of batteries is one to two hours.
Using force when encountering the EDP, or emotionally disturbed person, is an oft-debated subject among people not wearing the badge. For most cops, the use of force is pretty clear: the subject’s actions dictate our response, and while we don’t want to harm anyone, we cannot allow someone to hurt us or others regardless of the reason.
The Americans for Effective Law Enforcement (AELE) addressed the issue in the AELE Monthly Law Journal. February’s issue addressed the use of force, while the March issue addresses restraints and what to do after resistance ceases. Take a few minutes and see if your department policies and training measure up to the court cases and suggestions presented.
A few months back, Randall reviewed the Morphix Chameleon, which is a portable kit that detects harmful chemicals in the air. Randall found that the system was easy to use and readily identified common toxic gasses.
Morphix is now offering training kits for the Chameleon. Additionally, they are offering a 15% discount to all training facilities who are using the training kits. Read the below information from Morphix for the details.
From Morphix Technologies:
Morphix Technologies®, an innovator in the science of detection devices for dangerous chemicals, has created a Training Kit for law enforcement, responder and agency training facilities and schools in response to the increasing need for chemical awareness training. With a rise in illegal drug and chemical production, toxic chemical spills due to industrial or transportation accidents and chemical suicides, more officer and responder training programs include courses that provide critical knowledge on chemical scenarios and how to respond to them.
The National Association of Field Training Officers (NAFTO) is now offering year-round training for field training officers (FTO). The three-day Basic Field Training Officer class runs $350/student and the host agency can get free slots for their personnel.
The NRA’s Life of Duty has a video about an US Air Force unit that is designed to respond to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents. These folks deal with the scariest stuff on the planet.
In September, Randall posted a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 review. Since then, he has continued to evaluate the .380 ACP pistol. Randall posted his Bodyguard 380 review update at his own site, Thin Blue Florida.
If you haven’t ever read Thin Blue Florida, I highly recommend it. Randall is an excellent writer and has a vast amount of law enforcement experience.
Thanks to the NRA’s Life of Duty for remembering the spouses of our military.
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Does the look of the person in uniform make a difference to you or the public?
Today I discuss the trend in law enforcement away from the clean cut look of Adam 12 toward beards, goatees and tatts. Should an officer be allowed to sport a full beard? How about full sleeve tattoos? Does it make a difference? Should it?
Sound off in the comments section. What do you think is a professional appearance?
Please go over to the Blue Crew membership section and support our sponsors. The Blue Crew sponsors of today’s podcast are Tuff Products and PoliceFunerals.com.
The only way to get those awesome deals is to be a Blue Crew member. Click this link to see these and all of the other incredible discounts from our sponsors.
The Changing Face of Law Enforcement - BlueSheepdog Podcast 36 [ 16:42 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
The new ASP P12 baton was recently spotted by one of the BlueSheepdog readers at a local shop in Hollywood, Florida. Here is what Matt had to say about it:
Hey Richard,
I was at my local toy store (911 Store in Hollywood, FL) and came across the new 12″ baton, took some comparison pics using a standard 21″ baton.
The baton, in my opinion is almost too small, but I can definitely see the practical applications.
The design is identical to the 16″ Agent, same knurling on the grip and pocket clip. But, it uses the standard Friction Lock like most ASP batons. I believe that’s what makes the price do drastically different too.
If you’re not able to see it in the pic, the baton is priced at $31.95, compared to the Agent’s price of $129.95.
Feel free to use the pics and any info I included on the site.
Stay Safe,
Matt
Thanks to Matt for the information and photos!
Need a bright, compact flashlight as a back-up or to carry off duty? Take a look at the Brite-Strike EPLI flashlight. The EPLI is a refined lighting tool that can easily blend in with any off-duty carry. However, Brite-Strike claims it is rugged enough for tactical operations.
EPLI stands for Executive Precision Lighting Instrument. Frankly it looks like it should be at home in the boardroom. However, don’t let it’s polished look fool you. This compact brute still throws 160 lumens and includes a strobe mode. In the constant-on, high power mode, the flashlight’s 2 AAA batteries will run the EPLI for about 1.5 hours.
MSRP is $80, but you’ll pay less than that at Amazon.
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Field training can be very rewarding, but it can also be a very trying experience. New officers sometimes come to the job lacking skills they need to be an effective police officer. Believe it or not, their iPod or iPhone might be able to help.
iTunes University is part of the Apple experience. The University offers free online classes on a very wide range of topics and at all educational levels. All you do is search iTunes for the skill you’d like to learn and download what you find. For example, if you have a recruit that is having problems with grammar, bounce over to iTunes U and grab one of the English language classes.
Please go over to the Blue Crew membership section and support our sponsors. The Blue Crew sponsors of today’s podcast are Mil-Spec Monkey and Safety Solutions Academy.
The only way to get those awesome deals is to be a Blue Crew member. Click this link to see these and all of the other incredible discounts from our sponsors.
In an era of shrinking salaries and training cutbacks, low cost and free training resources have become even more valuable than ever. With that in mind, we have secured an additional benefit for Blue Crew members: a free subscription to Police & Security News magazine.
All sworn officers who are members of our membership section can immediately sign up for a free lifetime subscription to P&SN.
As some of you know, I have been writing for Police & Security News, and got a chance to sit down with them at the 2012 SHOT Show. I hammered out a deal for our members that I believe is an awesome benefit.
Members can log in and follow the simple instructions on the discounts page to receive their subscription. Not a member? No problem. You can sign up and immediately get access to all of our special discounts and content.
The National Association of Field Training Officers (NAFTO) is taking nominations for Field Training Officer (FTO) of the Year. Interested officers should visit the NAFTO page for more information.
The deadline for nominations is April 1, 2012. The FTO of the Year will receive airfare, lodging and tuition to the 2012 NAFTO conference in Orlando, FL.
Handcuff keys and weapons can be hidden virtually anywhere. What you miss during a prisoner search can kill you.
How many police officers do we have to lose to poor prisoner searches before people start taking this seriously? All too often I read about the grieving family of a police officer who was killed by a prisoner who had a concealed weapon and/or handcuff key on their person.
Mobile, AL – February 2012
A Mobile police officer was killed after the robbery suspect he was transporting used a handcuff key to remove his restraints and produced a three-inch knife to stab the officer multiple times. The suspect then escaped with the dead officer’s firearm and shot another police officer.
The violent felon (with prior felony arrests) went through the hands of multiple police officers before being transported to the local jail by the murdered officer. How many times was the suspect searched after the initial arrest? I’m guessing none.
Why did this prisoner still have his personal property? It is frequently a good idea to remove all property from the prisoner prior to transport. This helps you in making sure that you found and removed everything. It also removes anything from the prisoner that can be used as a weapon, even if you don’t recognize it as such.
