An increasing number of people have alleged that the BLACKHAWK! SERPA holsters are inherently unsafe due to the design that places a retention release lever along the side of the holster. Since July of 2011, many people have used Tex Grebner's YouTube video as "proof" of their assertions. I believe the SERPA is a perfectly safe holster. The holster, like any tool, … [Read more...]
Magnum Intrepid HPi Review
The Magnum Intrepid HPi is a "performance-training shoe" that takes its cue from the best trail running shoes on the market. The Intrepid HPi was developed by Magnum to meet the training needs of law enforcement and military personnel. Magnum offered to send me a pair to test, and I jumped at the chance. I've had them for about four months, and I believe I have a good … [Read more...]
Saiga-12 Shotguns in Law Enforcement?
Reports have come out that the Russian-made Saiga-12 shotguns are being sold to US law enforcement agencies. For those not familiar, the Saiga-12 is a detachable-magazine-fed, semi-automatic shotgun that has a passing resemblance to the AK-47 rifle. The Saiga-12 has been popular with three-gun competition shooters and firearms enthusiasts, but I have not heard of any US law … [Read more...]
Sportsman Eyewear – Video Recording Eye Armor
While at the SHOT Show last week, I had the chance to meet the folks from Sportsman Eyewear. In addition to being really great people, they are selling a fantastic product called the Sportsman 720T. Essentially, this product is a pair of sunglasses with a built-in video recorder. … [Read more...]
Streamlight SL-20L LED Flashlights
The Streamlight SL-20 was one of two options when I was looking to buy a quality flashlight when I first entered police work some 14 years ago (the other being the MagCharger). For me, the Streamlight was a much better choice than the MagCharger, as I preferred the pre-focused beam, lighter weight and charging sleeve the SL-20 offered. However, as technology advanced, the … [Read more...]
New ASP Batons
Two new batons, the P12 and P16, will be officially introduced by Armament Systems and Procedures (ASP) at the 2012 SHOT Show. At this time, there are no details on the specifics of the two new batons. A guess, however, might suggest a 12" and 16" length for the P12 and P16 respectively. I don't think that ASP currently makes a 12" baton. That would be a very short baton, … [Read more...]
Massachusetts State Police, Vermont State Police Adopt Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson announced the Massachusetts State Police and Vermont State Police selected the S&W M&P handgun as their primary duty pistol. MSP picked the M&P45 while VSP chose the M&P40. The Massachusetts State Police ordered 2,500 M&P45 pistols. The Vermont State Police ordered 390 of the M&P40 handguns. I'm not sure what the two agencies … [Read more...]
Free Online Spanish Police Training
Want to learn enough of the Spanish language to increase your officer safety and job performance? The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is offering a free police training class on the Spanish language. The online Spanish lessons do not require registration and the classes are free. It is self-directed training, meaning you can start and stop at any time. This works well … [Read more...]
Officer Stabbed, Suspect Shot: Chase Video
In October, Lafayette, Indiana police officers engaged in a vehicle pursuit of a subject who was reported to have just committed a battery, burglary and arson. After a chase of approximately seven minutes, the subject left the roadway and got stuck, unable to flee any farther in the car. Here's what then happened in the next few seconds: https://youtu.be/dK2P5BO-uck … [Read more...]
Key Breaks
Key breaks are a momentary open mic typically caused by an officer bumping the transmit button on the radio getting into a car or reaching for gear. To the rest of the officers on the channel, it frequently sounds like just a burst of static. The vast majority of the time, key breaks are accidents. Before departments had the fancy radio systems that identified which unit … [Read more...]