January 2020

Bureau of Justice Assistance’s SPI Spotlight on Effective Policing Technology Initiative

The Strategies for Policing Innovation (SPI) initiative released two Spotlight Reports titled The Role of Technology in the Strategies for Policing Innovation Program: Challenges, Solutions, and Lessons Learned. One report focuses on technology initiatives to reduce crime, such as risk terrain modeling and social network analysis, while the second focuses on hardware initiatives such as body-worn cameras and gunshot detection systems. These reports provide information on successful policing technology initiatives; the impact of technology initiatives on SPI agencies; and challenges and…


Keeping Your AR Running: Magazine Problems and Maintenance

Eugene Nielsen The magazine is a critical component in any semiautomatic or automatic firearm. A sizable percentage of weapon malfunctions can be attributed to magazine-related issues. This being the case, it is surprising how little attention is paid to this crucial component.  Cleaning and maintaining your magazines are just as important as cleaning and maintaining your rifle or selecting the right ammunition. If you get a magazine malfunction, test it again. If it creates a second malfunction, immediately take it…


Carry Enough Gun: Some Thoughts on Plainclothes and Off-Duty Carry

MIKE BOYLE When beginning a law enforcement career, one of the biggest lifestyle adjustments remains adapting to the gun.  The badge and the uniform do indeed identify you as a law enforcement officer, but the gun, and the tremendous responsibility which comes with it, is what really sets you apart. That very visible pistol in the duty holster is indeed the symbol of authority. All law enforcement officers – both uniformed patrol, as well as plainclothes investigators – carry a…


Do Cops Need a College Education?

Dr. Chuck Russo and Kevin Duffy A quality college education can offer the highest return on investment for police agencies. The late sixties was a time of great political and social unrest. Racial tensions were high, Vietnam War protests were raging, and the lack of connection between police and their communities was the topic of the day. On July 28, 1967, President Lyndon Johnson appointed the National Advisory Committee on Civil Disorders, also known as the Kerner Commission. One of the many…


The Truth About the New “Reality”: How Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) Impact Law Enforcement Training

There has been a lot of press and a lot of research done on technologies which change our perspective of the world. Virtual reality is exploding all over. From entertainment to training NFL quarterbacks, from market research to design and manufacturing, new “reality” technologies are poised to change the way we accomplish many training goals in law enforcement. Whenever and wherever these technologies are utilized, people often describe the experience by stating things such as “It felt like I was…


How to Build a Multijurisdictional Special Operations Team

Joshua Logan Many agencies have determined that building and maintaining a SWAT team is far beyond their means. However, a solution does exist. Most everyone knows that the New York Police Department (NYPD), the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and other big agencies have a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team; in fact, they have several of them and whole support groups which go along with them. What many don’t realize is that most agencies don’t come anywhere close to…


Available on Amazon Books’ Store

Newly available on Amazon Books, Harlem Raiders is a hard-hitting, crime-fighting saga about a diverse narcotics team working in Harlem’s 32nd Precinct during the notorious 1970s and   ̓80s. Based on a true story, NYPD Sergeant Peter Pranzo leads his narc team (nicknamed the “Harlem Raiders”) in one of New York City’s most notorious neighborhoods, ultimately achieving over 8000 gun and narcotics arrests during a seven year period. Working closely with a local female community leader, Pranzo and his team form…


NOCHASE Spike System

NOCHASE, LLC has released its new tool for law enforcement, The NOCHASE Spike System. It is a proactive, durable, handheld deterrent for use in routine stops and tactical ops to literally “Stop the Chase BEFORE It Starts™.” At a routine traffic stop, the officer approaches the vehicle; deploys the NOCHASE with a downward hand-thrust motion, placing it in front of the rear tire; and then continues on with the traffic stop. If the driver tries to drive away before being…


Flashbang Training Options: Getting the Most Bang for Your SWAT Training Buck

Eugene Nielsen The Noise Flash Diversionary Device (NFDD), also commonly referred to as a flash sound diversionary device, diversionary device, Distraction Device® or flashbang, has become an essential tool of the trade for tactical teams. NFDDs are designed to produce dramatic pyrotechnics which are intended to provide a brief distraction without causing permanent injury. Although often used generically, the term “Distraction Device” is a registered trademark of Safariland®/Defense Technology®. NFDDs may be divided into two categories – those that only…


The Wheels of Justice January/February 2020

Sergeant James Post WORKING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND I grew up and ultimately spent my 25 year career in the Midwest, actually about 250 miles from the geographical center of the contiguous United States. Love it or hate it, the Midwest is one of those places in our great country which experiences the full four seasons – that’s the plus. The minus is that, if you are working outside in those four seasons in the Midwest, you can expect temperatures…