Law Enforcement Technology

'Pro' Active Engagement

I have to admit, though, I was most impressed with the 3XMag. It gives the law enforcement officer an unprecedented advantage, especially with the optional Aimpoint Twist Mount. The Aimpoint Twist Mount is a two-piece mount that allows the 3XMag to be rotated off the gun. Half the mount stays on the magnifier, the other stays attached to the rail. When the shooter does close work, the 3XMag comes all the way off and only the sturdy pin on this mount remains.

13 Tech Terms to Know

"The cloud" is simply another word for the Internet. Cloud computing is often touted as a solution to storage problems. There is virtually no limit to the amount of data storable "in the cloud" - or rather, on servers inside huge data centers. The cloud can also host applications such as e-mail, accounting, word processing and other software. In a law enforcement context, a good example is TASER International's Evidence.com, which provides storage for TASER AXON videos.

4 More Tech Terms to Know

This technology and its use has changed in recent years, due in part to an increased use in the consumer world. One example we wrote about in a past issue of LET was the way some tech-savvy teens discovered how to cover their prank call tracks by utilizing VoIP services to make (false) emergency calls, which dispatched SWAT teams to residences chosen at random.

A Cop Killer Released

In December of 1984, a man named Michael Trott walked out of a pancake house without paying his tab. A Seattle police officer named Nicholas Davis was on his way into the restaurant to grab a cup of coffee when a busboy told him about Trott. With the busboy in tow, Officer Davis went looking for the customer. He found Trott and they fought for the officer's gun.

Houston, We Have a Connection

To meet its emergency communications requirements, Lubbock County turned to satellite technology to stay connected. Clint Thetford, Lubbock County's emergency management coordinator, took the lead in the search for a reliable emergency communications solution.

Industry News

The Harley-Davidson motorcycle has an MSRP of $21,747 and features an air-cooled, Twin Cam 96 engine with Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI), cruise control and standard 28 spoke cast wheels with independent front and rear four-piston braking system. Purchase your $25 raffl e tickets by calling 1-877-622-BIKE (2453) or 202-737-3402. Raffl e tickets can also be purchased in person at the Memorial Fund's Visitors Center & Store located at 400 7th St., NW, in Washington, D.C.

Just Say Nose: New Sensor Lets Police Breathe Easier

The array is scanned with an inexpensive electronic camera incorporated in the handheld device before and after exposure to any odor-producing substance. By subtracting the "before" image from the "after" image, the color-change pattern of the odorant is obtained in a matter of seconds.

Mapping Human Behavior

During the [Bulos Zumot] trial, defense attorney Mark Geragos argued that [Jim Cook]'s work was "hocus pocus." Geragos pointed to call detail records which, to the untrained eye, appeared to show [Jennifer Schipsi]'s phone first in the Palo Alto area and then a few minutes later communicating with towers in Hawaii. His argument: that the cell carrier must have "merged" tower data so that it could not be differentiated.

Product Showcase: Computers &Amp; Software

Leica Geosystems makes available a 7-hour "live fire" shooting reconstruction workshop titled "3D Laser Scanning of Shooting Scenes and Trajectories" taught by Mike Haag of the Albuquerque Police Department's Major Crime Scene Team. Haag has used the Leica ScanStation on dozens of cases for shooting reconstruction and he is a distinguished member of the Association of Firearms and Tool Mark Examiners.

Product Showcase: Knives and Forced Entry

Sentry Solutions' Breacher Paste is a fire-resistant solution for law enforcement and military breaching teams. With Breacher Paste, the customary "fireball" is significantly reduced when the explosive charge is detonated, thus reducing potential injuries. Breacher Paste works as an intermediate between the target and the explosive breaching charge.

Product Showcase: Mapping &Amp; Navigation

Red Hen Systems' RouteScout is a plug-in that extends the functionality of the FalconView mission planning and mapping software used by the U.S. Department of Defense and allied countries around the world - enabling new mission planning methods and techniques that exploit geotagged multimedia collected from a variety of sources. MediaGeotagger is a new standalone, companion application that allows for intuitive data collection, with an automated process for geotagging of video, photos and aud...

Products &Amp; Tech: New Gear and Gadgets

In cases of extreme weather or other disasters, the AmbuBus bus stretcher conversion kit from First Line Technology can be used to quickly convert vehicles of opportunity (like school or metro buses) into non-ambulatory transport vehicles for special needs populations. Organized into one palletized kit, an existing passenger bus can be transformed into an ambulance bus capable of carrying up to 18 stretchers plus medical staff and equipment.

Wildfires Spark Disaster Response Corps

"As originally conceived, the Disaster Corps would be a big tent under which all disaster volunteers would be typed and categorized according to capabilities and languages spoken, and put into a common system," [Karen Baker] says. As soon as she realized that existing organizations were balking, the Corps was split into two distinct entities - the California Disaster Corps and a hastily created umbrella organization called the Disaster Volunteer Network.