SAN JUAN, Texas -- After months of waiting, the San Juan Police Department got a new tool to help protect officers during dangerous situations.
Thanks to a grant it received last year, the department was able to acquire a ballistic shield that will be a great asset to ensure the safety of officers and the public, police Chief Juan Gonzalez said.
Measuring 5 feet 1 inch by 6 feet 3 inches and weighing more than 750 pounds, the Patriot 3 XPS G2 Shield is a ballistic shield capable of withstanding fire from a .50-caliber weapon and shrapnel from a fragmentation grenade, Gonzalez said. The full cost of the $26,000 shield was covered by a Department of Homeland Security grant.
The shield, which runs on a set of wheels, can be easily pushed and maneuvered by one person, Gonzalez said.
"This tool can be easily deployed within 10 minutes to provide protection to our officers or the officers of any department that requests it," he said.
With three view ports, bright lights and a gun port, the shield can fold to fit through a standard size door for entry and lets an entire team of SWAT operators maneuver through hallways or other obstacles, said SWAT team leader Jose Chapa.
"The lights also allow us to operate in a room even if the suspects shut off power to the area," Chapa said.
The shield not only can be used during SWAT operations but also during hostage negotiations or standoffs, said Sgt. Rudy Luna, one of the negotiators for the department.
"With this shield we can get close to the person and talk to them without putting ourselves at risk more than we have to," Luna said. "Regularly we would have to use a throw phone to establish communication and put an officer at risk to get him close enough to deploy the phone. This gives us the opportunity to deploy the phone from cover or talk to the person.
Copyright 2012 - The Monitor, McAllen, Texas
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
