Perhaps the most dangerous situation faced by American law enforcement officers is conducting arrests, Terry stops, and the searches or frisks associated with those actions. Boydd Products, Inc. is a company that manufactures to-scale props to assist officers during training for these encounters. Designed to match the size, shape, and feel of real weapons and other dangerous items, the Boydd’s Pat-Down Props are something that every police agency should consider for training.
According to the F.B.I.’s Top 10 Deadly Errors that law enforcement officers make when interacting with arrestees – especially dangerous and committed ones. The Boydd’s Pat-Down Props are a safe way to train officers to locate the items that can cause them serious injury or death.
Boydd’s Pat-Down Props
The Boydd Pat-Down Props come in a Single Pack that contains (16) injection-molded training props and a carry-bag. Boydd Products offers Double Packs (two Single Packs), as well as an Academy Pack containing four Single Packs, at reduced costs. Each selection comes with free shipping in the United States.
The Pat-Down Props are designed to mimic real-life weapons and officer-safety threats. Made with hard polymer, brightly colored in a bright gold color for easy identification as a training aid, the Pat-Down Props allow officers to practice their skills in searching and frisking without the dangers associated with using real weapons.
The variety of weapons included in the Boydd Packs allow officers to learn the feel of many of the most common items of contraband that are confronted on the streets. The ability to practice (and document that training) positively identifying drug paraphernalia, syringes, or common weapons, are critical skills for officer survival. This is not only true during the street encounter, but also in the Court of Law.
To succeed at charges stemming from a Terry stop (investigative detention) that results in a frisk, officers must be able to articulate a particularized belief the subject is involved in criminal activity. This justifies the stop. To make a lawful frisk (patting of the outer clothing for weapons), the officer must articulate a reasonable belief the subject is armed. Finally, after meeting the first two requirements, an officer must be able to immediately identify the contraband through an open-handed pat-down to be able to legally enter into a search of the subject.
The Boydd Pat-Down Props can present tremendous confidence in officers frisking or searching for weapons or contraband, and with proper documented training, can lend an enormous amount of validity in an officer’s testimony that they could positively identify the contraband during a frisk. This is especially important for the smaller items of contraband; such as, razor blades, syringes, and drug smoking pipes.
Boydd Pat-Down Props Features
- “Plain feel” like the real contraband without the associated hazards
- Pat-Down Props are non-functional replicas used for safe training anywhere real weapons and contraband are not permitted or safe to use
- Bright gold-colored props allow for immediate recognition of a “training aid” and assist in the visual recovery of these compact items when misplaced
- With dull edging, Pat-Down Props are safer to use and contain no metal parts
- Plastic injection molded replicas for long-lasting use
- Affordably priced below most petty cash purchase allotments
- Made in Ontario, California
- MSRP – $179.00 with free USA shipping
- MSRP – Double pack – $339.00 with free USA shipping
- MSRP – Academy pack – $645.00 with free USA shipping.
Single Pack Contents:
- (1) Compact pistol
- (1) Compact revolver
- (1) Loaded pistol magazine
- (1) Open blade pocket knife
- (1) Closed pocket knife
- (1) Brass knuckles
- (1) Civilian pepper spray can
- (1) Mini box cutter
- (1) Marijuana smoking pipe
- (1) Methamphetamine smoking pipe
- (2) Syringes
- (1) Scissors
- (1) Screwdriver
- (1) Razor
- (1) Flip cell phone (might be time to upgrade that one)
- (1) Draw string carrying bag
- (1) Strip of metallic tape to enhance metal detector training.
Current Major Users of Boydd Pat-Down Props
- FBI Academy
- DEA Academy
- US Border Patrol
- Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC)
- U.S. Probation & Parole
- Dept. of Veterans Affairs
- U.S. Marine Corps
- Dept. of the Air Force
- Dept. of the Army
- U.S. Navy
- Department of Homeland Security
- Bureau of Engraving & Printing
- Hundreds of State, County & Municipal Law Enforcement Agencies
- Prisons
- Universities & Law Enforcement Training Centers across the Country.
Final Thoughts
When I started in law enforcement nearly 19 years ago, the only training props were firearms or knives. Originally these were crudely constructed out of cast aluminum. At about that time the first polymer training aides were coming into the training arena, and in the next few years there were even options for many of the most popular handguns on the market.
However, there are many other weapons that officers routinely come into contact with and are just as dangerous as firearms or knives. In addition, the ability to identify contraband, like smoking pipes or syringes, is also very important, but was missing from the traditional training props.
The Boydd Products Pat-Down Props fill those gaps. There rounded edges, durable polymer construction, variety of props, and affordable price are something that every department or training Academy should consider. Boydd Products is providing law enforcement the opportunity at better search and frisk training. The safe manufacturing means that actors and officers can be confident that the training atmosphere will be safe.
Having seen these products I have already recommended them to our Department’s Defensive Tactics instructors who train our officers on proper searching as well.