Quite a few things stood out about this ballistic shield.  At NIJ Standard 0101.06 Level III, AMI states the MAS will stop (pistol and) rifle rounds to include:

• 7.62mm X 51 M80 NATO FMJ
• 5.56mm LeMas Urban Warfare
• 5.56mm M193 FMJ
• 6.8mm 110 gr OTM
• 30-06 M2 FMJ
• 7.62mm X 39 M43 Steel Core FMJ
• 12 Gauge High Velocity Slug
• (Armored Mobility notes–will not stop 5.56 M855 green tip)

The 15” X 38” Mobile Armored Shield does this at a weight of just 16 pounds!  Many shields on the market possess only Level IIIa capability at nearly double the weight.  The 18” X 38” MAS weighs 22 lbs.

AMI states that Dyneema UD-HB25, a high performance polyethylene fiber 15 times stronger than steel and by weight 40 times stronger than comparable aramid fibers, makes up the core of the MAS.  It is sheathed in a patented military ballistic grade jacket.

The MAS is designed for “tactical mobility,” and as such is narrow for maneuverability and portability.  To increase the coverage of protection, multiple Mobile Armored Shields can be overlapped together with their Lightweight Shield Connecting System.

Berritto said something like, “Watch this,” and threw a competitor’s heavy steel armor plate at a MAS.  Thunk!  It stuck to the front of the shield.  Magnetic.  Ahhhh.  You can “up armor” a police cruiser or other vehicle by affixing a MAS, or MAS’s, to the exterior.  Berritto said his shields stick like 100 mile-an-hour tape to a car.  AMI knows this because they did high speed, harsh condition driving tests to prove that they will.

In addition to the backside grab-handles, there are ballistic nylon loops with rubberized hand grips, two on each side, which make the MAS a field-expedient litter for moving wounded or serving as a backboard.  And the MAS actually floats for water rescue!

AMI products are Made in America.  A 15” X 38” Mobile Armored Shield starts at $2750, the larger 18” X 38” is $3300.  AMI also makes some very interesting lightweight Level III rifle plates.

I was impressed with the features and versatility of the Mobile Armored Shield.  We face escalating threats at work.  While many SWAT Teams have at least vest plates for rifle protection, the lion’s share of shields out there are only at Level IIIa.  I’d love to have a MAS in the trunk of my cruiser for street duty.

Randall is a twenty-four year sworn police officer in a mid-sized Florida police department.  He has been an FTO, K9 Handler, Detective, and SWAT Team Leader.  He is currently the K9 Unit Sergeant and department SWAT Coordinator.

I’ve worn them for about two weeks, and so far I am impressed.  They are very comfortable, lightweight and seem to offer a lot of support.  I’ve worn my pair for hikes, on asphalt and around town.  It is not a complete review, but so far I am really liking these boots.

I’ll have a full review on these boots in about a month.  That should give me plenty of time to really get a good feel for how they hold up to my initial impressions.  Make sure you check out Original SWAT for more information on these boots.

Terry, for those not familiar, was a Border Patrol agent who was killed with a firearm that the ATF allowed to be illegally purchased and smuggled out of the country in a criminal operation known as “Fast and Furious.”  Another US federal agent was killed in Mexico with some of the same guns the ATF conspired to smuggle, as well as hundreds (thousands?) of Mexican citizens.  The same guns are now turning up on crime scenes throughout the southwestern United States.

Leave questions in the comment section and we will answer them the best we can.  Keep in mind that your state laws and courts may deviate one way or another from the information presented here.  You have to talk to your department’s legal advisor and local prosecutors to be certain of where you stand.

The Saiga-12 has been popular with three-gun competition shooters and firearms enthusiasts, but I have not heard of any US law enforcement agencies purchasing the Saiga-12 as a issued firearm.

While the Saiga-12 offers some advantages when compared to traditional pump and semi-auto shotguns, it also presents a number of hurdles that would rule it out for most police departments.  Some of the disadvantages include:

• limited options available for securely mounting some models in a patrol car
• different manual of arms that what is taught in majority of police academies
• significantly more expensive that the classic Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 shotguns
• questions about the availability and speed of service and warranty work
• politically incorrect: not made in the US and resembles the AK-47

I’ve never felt under-gunned with a pump-action 870 and four rounds of buck with slugs in reserve.  It is hard for me to imagine a department of any significant size stepping away from the defacto-standard for a shotgun that is largely unproven.

If an agency is looking for greater firepower, and they aren’t hampered by political correctness, I would expect patrol rifles to be a better choice.

Does anyone know of any US agency that

• currently issues or maintains Saiga-12 shotguns for any purpose,
• has ordered Saiga-12 shotguns for any purpose, or
• is seriously considering the purchase of Saiga-12 shotguns for any purpose?

If so, please send me an e-mail or post the information in the comment section.  Also, if I’ve got it wrong, and the Saiga-12 is a great choice for a police shotgun, sound off below also.

Tip o the fedora to my friend Steve at The Firearm Blog for the information about the Saiga-12 and US law enforcement.

In the first instance, an officer rolled up on an unknown situation in the middle of a large intersection.  A Good Samaritan was trying to hold down an out-of-control girl who was screaming “Kill me!” over and over again at the top of her lungs.

The officer and citizen managed to keep the 90 lbs. girl on the ground.  Another officer arrived to replace the citizen.  Now with two officers trying to handcuff her, the girl began to fight and actually began pushing up off the pavement with them on her back.

The first officer unloaded a can of OC into the girl’s face.  It had no effect and she pretty much drank it like a Slurpee.  Whirling around, she kicked the female officer in the groin.  The crazed girl was finally subdued and taken for medical treatment.

At the hospital, she became lucid and told officers she had ingested three mushrooms.  She asked what had happened to her.  She did not recall the fight in the intersection.

The next night officers responded to a local McDonald’s for a man running around the parking lot shouting that people were chasing him and trying to kill him.  In his paranoid state, he did not believe the uniformed officers were really the police.

As in the last case, the fight was on when the officers tried to take him into custody for psychiatric evaluation.  Unfortunately, this guy was well over 300 lbs.  The officers used good tactics and took him to the ground immediately and decisively, preventing anyone from getting seriously injured.

At the scene, the man began to struggle on the ambulance gurney and tore out an IV in his arm, sending blood spurting.  A clip on the IV tube cut one of the officers on the wrist and that officer also went to the hospital for an exposure evaluation.  The suspect’s blood tested negative for any biohazards.

After being sedated at the ER, this man said he had smoked synthetic marijuana sold as “K2.”  Hospital records showed he had been in the ER before for erratic behavior after smoking this same substance.

Whether they are on psilocybin mushrooms, synthetic marijuana, or any hallucination-producing mood modifier, the suspects’ violent and unpredictable behavior is dangerous to police officers and deputies.

For some reason we are seeing more of the psilocybin mushrooms in my area.  We had an impaired driver in our holding cell on a DUI charge.  He suddenly lost it and began ramming his body into the reinforced glass wall.  He started screaming for us to help him, but he displayed aggressive actions toward us.  We fought him on to a stretcher and took him to the ER.  They heavily sedated him to put him out of his hallucinogenic “shroom rage.”

In the old days, we fought with bad guys on phencyclidine, called PCP or angel dust, which had powerful hallucinogenic effects.  The drug was said to give people superhuman strength and resistance to pain.

Suspects on any of these hallucinogenic drugs do have a heightened resistance to pain compliance, mainly because the drugs dull any physical sensations.  Along the same line, they seem to display uncanny strength, but they can exert maximum physical effort because they do not feel fatigue, lactic acid build-up, or pain associated with broken body parts.

The most dangerous side effect of hallucinogens is their distortion of a person’s reality.  They may be reacting to what they perceive as a life-threatening situation to them.  Because of this, normal moral inhibitions do not come into play.  They may be totally committed to murdering you to save themselves from the “monsters.”

Another deadly consideration for our routine day at the office.

Randall is a twenty-four year sworn police officer in a mid-sized Florida police department.  He has been an FTO, K9 Handler, Detective, and SWAT Team Leader.  He is currently the K9 Unit Sergeant and department SWAT Coordinator.

I stopped at the FLIR booth here at 2012 SHOT Show and checked out one of their Scout PS24 imagers. This model is an entry level device, but it has terrific tactical potential.

The PS24 has a color LCD viewfinder display that can be toggled through White Hot, Black Hot, and multiple Red/White Hot palettes. Okay, I’ll come right out and say it: I think thermal imagers are ridiculously cool. Yeah, I had a stupid grin while I pointed the thing around at passersby.

The unit makes a very effective general search tool. There is no magnification enhancement on this model, which is just right for area checking because it has a wide field of view of 24′ x 18′. FLIR touts the thermal detection range for the PS24 at 320 meters for a man-sized target of 1.8m x 0.5m.

I took a few photos through the PS24 around the show floor. The images were much clearer to the naked eye. It is interesting to note that had they been taken in pitch darkness, the imagery would be exactly the same. Wow.

Ruggedized and weather-tight, the FLIR Scout housing has a grippy exterior feel. The unit runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. FLIR Rep Marco Goes told me the battery has a 5+ hour life under continuous use on a single charge. A PS24 weighs 12 ounces. It has a USB port to connect the unit for software upgrades.

The hunting model, which is OD and black, has a small white LED utility light on the front. The law enforcement version will likely have a small red laser for aiming purposes. Goes said the L.E. unit will have an all-black housing and the Maritime version will be yellow.

The MSRP for the PS24 is $1999.00. According to Goes, this will probably be the same price for the entry level law enforcement model, which is scheduled for release in several months.

Ed. note:  The imagery provided by the FLIR unit is much sharper than what is depicted in these photos.  Due to the way the camera captures the light, a degree of “ghosting” and blurriness affected the quality of the photos.  The FLIR images are very sharp and clear.

Randall is a twenty-four year sworn police officer in Florida. He is his department’s K9 Sergeant and SWAT Team Coordinator.

Essentially, this product is a pair of sunglasses with a built-in video recorder.

The camera records at 720×480 resolution at up to 35 fps, with about four hours of video fitting onto a single 4 GB MicroSD card.  The recorder is rechargeable via USB, and will run up to five hours on one charge.  Yes, it records audio with the video.  So, it is perfect for recording field interviews and the like.

I’ll be testing these on duty and in training.  I think that they will offer an awesome “first person” view of some of the training we are working on.  As I use the glasses over the coming weeks, I’ll post video samples here on the site.

However, as technology advanced, the SL-20 didn’t seem to hold its own.  For the past five years, I don’t even carry it in the car any more.  Lighter weight, brighter flashlights, specifically the Streamlight Strion LED and the SECUTOR PEL-6, now ride full-time on my duty belt.  I’ve longed for a brighter version of the SL-20, but have been disappointed…until now.

Streamlight officially introduced the SL-20L at the 2012 SHOT Show.  The SL-20L is a new version of the classic light that utilizes the powerful C4 LED lights found in Streamlight’s other hi-power flashlights.  Here’s how it breaks down:

In high-power mode, the SL-20L offers 350 lumens and 60,000 candela peak beam intensity for a usable beam of light good to about 490 meters.  Nice.

Like the SL-20, the SL-20L uses a rechargeable battery.  In high-power mode, Streamlight states you can expect about two hours of runtime.  Lower output levels can extend run time to 50 hours.  The SL-20L uses the same charging system as the original lights, so no need to upgrade to all new chargers.  This can be a real cost savings.

The new SL-20L has an aluminum body, but can also be had with a polymer body in the SL-20LP.

I don’t have a new SL-20L yet, but I hope to get one soon and run it through its paces.  The small lights are great, but I have always liked having a longer light that I can easily tuck under my arm during a traffic stop, or to use as an improvised impact weapon.

©2011 James Russo

I have attempted to train quite a few rookies in safe traffic direction. There are many dangers in playing toreador to hundreds of two ton cars. I have a few tips.

First and foremost: Wear your reflective vest! Regardless if it is night or day. The darn thing is ANSI compliant for visibility and you are not.

Second, know clear hand signals. Hard to recreate here, but hand signals in daylight are much different than using that flashlight and cone in the darkness. Simple movements to direct the cars are best. Waving them forward, pointing toward turns, and holding out a hand or light for stop work best.

Next, you need your whistle. One long blow for stop. Two short chirps for go. This auditory addition to good hand signals is essential if you want to get their attention. And you do.

Make eye contact with drivers when possible. There is no clearer way to judge their intent than with seeing that they see you. Non-verbal cues can save your life. You can also watch the vehicle’s front tires. They are directional indicators.

Take a good position. When performing traffic control in a large intersection with turn lanes, stand in the debris field in the center of the intersection. That is where the cars don’t drive when traveling straight through or turning. Make this your happy place.

Do not stand behind your fully lit cruiser and wave a flashlight around in the dark. With a light bar, strobes, and standard illumination, your squad looks like a UFO. The drivers will not see you and your Maglite making Fourth of July sparkler motions out there.

If a driver is not following your instruction, do not aggressively walk toward them or block their path. They will undoubtedly win this game of chicken. You will just end up a two dimensional shape in the traffic crash diagram. Continue your attempts at communication from your happy place.

DO NOT TRUST THE DRIVING PUBLIC. They are unpredictable and can be easily confused by the chaos of an accident scene or emergency. This is especially true at night.

Two officers work better in a multilane intersection, if they are communicating well. One should be the primary and call the shots. This will minimize conflicting directions, which lead to paperwork.

Watch those larger vehicles. They take up more space in the roadway. I have literally had the side view mirror of a big truck brush my hair as it passed too closely. Yeow!

Traffic control is one our more dangerous daily jobs because we are so unprotected. Keep your head on a swivel, be paranoid, and use common sense. It can save your life.

Randall is a twenty-four year sworn police officer in Florida. He is his department’s K9 Sergeant and SWAT Team Coordinator.

The Americans for Effective Law Enforcement (AELE) have a great article in this month’s AELE Monthly Law Journal that attempts to answer these questions.  The article, Disturbed/Suicidal Persons — Part One, touches on when force can be used, self-defense and defense of others.  Part two will cover restraining EDPs and more.  I highly recommend clicking the link and reading the article.

Aaron was able to get a great demonstration of the RCB at the 2012 SHOT Show:

The SWATSCOPE is a hand held tactical sniper periscope that extends 22 1/2″ above the operator and provides a safe view of hostile territory with a 4X to 9X zoom lens. The aluminum body of the scope is sheathed in 4 mil removable 3M CamoClad material that is flat black. The optics consist of high quality glass prisms and lenses.

Some kind of magic goes on inside the angled tubes of this SWATSCOPE that keeps the image viewed through the eyepiece at the proper upright orientation to the user, no matter how the unit is rotated! It can even be turned 90 degrees to look around a corner and be viewed normally without adjustment. This makes for canting one’s head or trying to decipher a sideways image unnecessary.

As for other features, there is a belt or utility hook on the left side of the unit to temporarily free up the user’s hands when necessary. The SWATSCOPE can be fitted to a tripod or monopod by using the threaded mount in the handle.

The upper prism is protected by anodized aluminum guards, which are threaded for an optional anti reflection device. There is an attachment point for a flashlight or IR illuminator on the head. The basic SWATSCOPE comes equipped with an aluminum hard case and a black MOLLE compatible soft nylon carry case.

Weighing 20.6 oz, the scope is 17.62″ retracted and 28.125″ fully extended. Its field of view is 9.5 degrees at 4X and 5.0 degrees at 9X. The MSRP for the basic kit is only $349.00.

An upgraded scout sniper periscope kit has all the same features of the basic kit with the additions of desert camo 3M covering, tan soft case, a PVS-14 adapter clamp, and included anti reflection device. The upgraded kit has an MSRP of $600.00.

I tested out both the basic and upgraded units at the SHOT Show floor. It provided very stable imagery over the booth dividers. Long range viewing was very clear, as you could see through doorways between three large conference areas. I was even able to snap a few images at the eyepiece with my digital camera.

This isn’t your grade school version of the two mirrors and a milk carton periscope. The SWATSCOPE has an NSN and is used by the Military, federal agencies, and law enforcement. With its rotating image and zoom power, it is, in my opinion, a very nice covert surveillance tool.