On the road again

Now that November is upon us, is your department dreaming about new additions to its inventory?
If you’ve got vehicle upgrades in mind (even down the road), this month’s cover story on page 28 might offer up some food for thought. Every year our staff editor Jonathan Kozlowski makes the long pilgrimage to Michigan to capture tomorrow’s two- and four-wheeled conveyances as they prove themselves worthy at the annual Michigan State Police vehicle evaluations. This year, as in years past, he returned with literally thousands of action shots (3,579 to be exact) to sift through, some of which he managed to capture at downright treacherous angles.
Even if the old faithful Crown Vic is still going strong, it’s never too early to begin comparing price, capabilities and capacity when it comes to your team’s mobile office…just in case.
Maybe new vehicles aren’t in the cards, but instead your agency is shopping new training ideas. This month veteran contributor Rebecca Kanable takes readers behind-the-scenes of a new avatar-led crime scene training product (page 8).
The folks at the nonprofit National Forensic Science Technology Center and the University of Tennessee Law Enforcement Innovation Center recently teamed up to make virtual reality crime scene training available to state and local law enforcement professionals for the first time free of charge. The introductory training covers topics like scene security, searching for evidence, and properly packaging, documenting and photographing evidence. The new training package is geared towards entry-level officers and seasoned vets alike.
In the way of firearms training, Lindsey Bertomen reminds LE trainers that replica models can be nearly indistinguishable from the real thing—even to the most seasoned experts (page 37).
One evening while returning from a restaurant Dan Gray, a retired police sergeant and Trident Firearms Academy instructor, had an encounter with two armed men. In the heat of the moment, a little firearms recognition paid off for Gray.
No matter what your wish list or training focus going into 2013, Law Enforcement Technology will continue to present you with timely technology solutions that get your wheels turning, as well as training ideas for every niche and specialty. And if there’s a topic we haven’t covered, but you would like to see, send us a note to [email protected].
By the way, to see more footage from the 2012 Michigan State Police Vehicle Evaluations, keep an eye out for our November LET iPad app or watch for updates on Officer.com.
As always, stay safe out there.