Gear and career maintenance for the new year
The beginning of a new year is a great time to assess your gear and see what needs to be cleaned, replaced or updated. Do you have the same belt keepers you were issued in the academy, and now you’re an FTO?...
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Call out the location
If I'm the "business" partner (not the driver) and we are following a vehicle and decide to pull them over, I call out the street names as we pass them. If a foot or vehicle pursuit happens I can usually...
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Plan accordingly when waiting for backup
If alone or with one partner only, assess your nearest backup in terms of the time it will take for their arrival on your target. They may be physically close, but due to radio traffic, different frequencies, road...
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Improving your roadside visibility
Driver inattention is one of the leading causes of vehicular accidents in the U.S. As officers we are more at risk than most due to the "routine traffic stop." Traffic stops are one of the most basic and dangerous things...
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A $1 solution for microphone issues
I've come up with a $1.00 solution for those who have had difficulty finding the right place to secure their lapel microphone on their uniform without it falling off during a foot chase or have worried about the risk of...
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Using a digital audio recorder
I find that a digital audio recorder is a great piece of equipment to have. It can serve as a helpful investigative tool to record field interviews, dying declarations at a moment's notice, or to help take notes when a...
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Wear an ear mic
Wearing an ear mic not only ensures you get your radio traffic, it also eliminates the need to "secure your mic" while standing with a potential suspect. Criminals are just as knowledgeable -- sometimes more so -- about...
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More on safe shoulder mic usage
As a follow up to a tip submitted by Officer Israel about looking at subjects when talking on shoulder mics [Read the tip]: I have done what Officer Israel describes and I've also noticed that I tend to lift my elbow...
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Suspicious person contacts
This is probably nothing new to many of you, but I still see this mistake time and again: When preparing to make contact with a suspicious person, do not grab your mic for the first time while pulling up to him. Instead,...
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Keep your eyes forward
When talking on portable radios, many officers look away from what is taking place in front of them to look at their microphone while transmitting. No matter where your mic is placed—shoulder, right or left epaulette, or...
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Anticipate addresses when responding to domestics
We all know it's not safe to park in front of the residence at a domestic disturbance, but how often have you found yourself searching for house numbers to locate the residence? Teamwork between patrol and dispatch can...
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