12 Really Cool New Police Products
Technology and innovation keep pushing the bar higher for law enforcement tools.
DAVID GRIFFITH
W
e see a lot of products here at POLICE. Each year we
go to a wide variety of trade shows and events where
manufacturers trot out their newest and best. Our
staff and our contributing writers also have numerous opportunities to go hands-on with this stuff.
So we tend to get pretty jaded about new stuff because often
the only new thing about new products is a slight improvement
or even adjustment. But occasionally there are some products
that make us think, “Hey, that’s cool.”
Here’s a look at some products that really impressed or intrigued the POLICE staff in the last 12 months or so. Most are
new. Some are just new to us.
Kel-Tec
Brite-Strike
Cyalume
RedXDefense
Morphix
POLO WITH A CHILLING EFFECT
L.C.O.A.
Blauer’s B.Cool Performance Polo uses an innovative fabric blend developed to
keep officers cooler on the hottest days. The shirt is constructed of lightweight, moisture-wicking polyester and mesh for quick drying and also excellent breathability. Pill
resistant, the B.Cool Performance Polo is also designed specifically for law enforcement
duty. It features a centered mic tab and a double pen pocket. Available in a wide variety
of colors and sizes, including tall sizes.
www.policemag.com/freeinfo/18315
BOOBY TRAP SIMULATOR
Shieldspike
The PIISA from Brite-Strike takes its name from the expression, “It’s a pissah,” which
is popular New England slang for something extraordinary. It was developed to warn
soldiers in the field that their perimeter has been breached by potentially hostile troops.
The trip-wired alarm system has also proven popular with civilian campers as a wild
animal deterrent. And finally law enforcement trainers are using the inexpensive and
reusable system as a booby trap simulator.
www.policemag.com/freeinfo/18316
BOMB TRAINER
Winchester
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POLICE BUYER’S GUIDE 2013
We’ve never seen anything quite like the Cyalume police explosive training simulators. These reusable tools can simulate the blast effects of a real bomb using compressed
air reservoirs for the boom and chemical powder for smoke. The non-pyrotechnic
devices are so safe that officers can even detonate a bomb vest while wearing one in
training. The only protective gear necessary is hearing protection because the crack of
these “bombs” hits about 140 decibels. It’s also recommended that the devices be used
12 Really Cool New Police Products
outside because the powder/smoke really
makes a mess. Cyalume is working on a
way to simulate the flash of a bomb in future versions.
www.policemag.com/freeinfo/18317
SHOTGUN SHOCK ABSORBER
Over the years a wide variety of manufacturers have tried to tame the recoil of
the 12-gauge police shotgun. Few have
done the job better than ITT Enidine,
which introduced the Shot Shock last year.
Endorsed by the National Tactical Officers
Association, the Shot Shock is a hydraulic
system recoil buffer integrated into a fourposition collapsible butt stock. The result
is a marked reduction in felt recoil, almost
70% according to the company’s tests.
www.policemag.com/freeinfo/18318
21ST-CENTURY SHOTGUN
If you were going to design a shotgun
for a science-fiction movie, you’d probably conceive something like the Kel-Tec
KSG. This bullpup pump shotgun has two
magazine tubes and the capacity to carry
12 rounds of hurt. Features include an adjustable stock, a Picatinny rail for mounting the latest optics, and a rubber butt pad
to minimize recoil. You can buy a cheaper
shotgun, but you won’t find a cooler one.
www.policemag.com/freeinfo/18319
X-RAY VISION
OK. The Range-R system from L-3 CyTerra won’t give you Superman’s ability to
see through almost everything, but it will
give you critical intelligence about what’s
behind a wall or a door. Bulky, heavy, unwieldy through-the-wall radar systems
have been available for more than a decade, but the Range-R is an example of
the next generation of this technology; it’s
handheld. That makes the Range-R the
smallest and lightest wall sensor available, and an extremely useful SWAT tool.
www.policemag.com/freeinfo/18320
LIGHTWEIGHT PROTECTION
The DeadStop Shields from L.C.O.A.
Composites are the lightest ballistic
shields on the market, tilting the scales at
10 pounds to 17 pounds. Using L.C.O.A.’s
Featherplate armor technology, the
DeadStop Shields are not only lightweight
but strong; they can stop a .44 Magnum
round and are rated NIJ IIIA. The shields
feature curved viewports for excellent
downrange vision, ambidextrous padded
handles, and a curved design to protect
operators from tangential attacks. The
shield can be combined with an optional
high-intensity tactical light.
www.policemag.com/freeinfo/18321
EARLY WARNING SYSTEM
The Chameleon from Morphix Technology is essentially a “canary in the coal
mine” for first responders. This easily
worn hazardous chemical detection features inexpensive cassettes that change
color when exposed to something nasty.
The cost-effective Chameleon has been
used for several years by the U.S. military
but the company only recently started
marketing it to law enforcement.
www.policemag.com/freeinfo/18598
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POLICE BUYER’S GUIDE 2013
www.policemag.com/freeinfo/18322
RECHARGEABLE POCKET LIGHT
We have long been fans of the Quiqlite.
Invented by a police officer, this inexpensive ($22 to $50), hands-free, LED light is
the answer to the officer’s need to keep
his or her hands available during a traffic
stop. The new Quiqlite X is a much-improved product with a lot of cool new features. The Quiqlite X is rechargeable via
a USB cable. Also, the new light has two
Cree LEDs that can be operated individually. Other improvements include a timer
that shuts off the light after 10 minutes to
save battery time, a 360-degree rotating
magnetic clip for numerous use options,
and an anti-glare visor. The Quiqlite X is
available in three versions: white LEDs,
red and white LEDs, blue and white LEDs.
That’s our response to the new Winchester
Segmented Slug. This 12-gauge shot shell
features a slug that’s kind of a hybrid between buckshot and a slug. Fired from
50 yards out, it performs like a slug. At 40
yards, it breaks into two pieces on impact.
And at 30 yards or less, it’s devastating,
breaking into three pieces at impact. So it’s
like getting hit with three slugs at once. If
you’re worried about liability, Winchester
has an answer for that, too. The Segmented Slug stays in one piece and flattens out
when it hits barrier material such as glass
or steel. Winchester says the Segmented
Slug eliminates the need for officers to carry both slugs and buckshot. We don’t know
about that, but we do know that this thing
is going to absolutely ruin the day of anyone it hits at 30 yards or less.
www.policemag.com/freeinfo/18326
www.policemag.com/freeinfo/18323
PALM-SIZED CHEMIST
The RedXDefense XCAT is a handheld
device that can reliably identify narcotics, explosives, and gunshot residue in
the field. Scaled down from a military
tool called the XPAK, the XCAT is easy to
use and relatively inexpensive. All the operator has to do is select the test card that
matches the suspected substance, then
sample a trace amount of the substance.
The chemistry happens in the machine,
and the operator receives a simple “yes”
or “no” via a red light/green light system.
Introductory price on the XCAT is $1,500
for the unit and 3.50 for each test card.
www.policemag.com/freeinfo/18324
WINDOW SMACKER
There are a lot of different ways for
emergency personnel to break car windows. We’ve heard of people using hammers, screwdrivers, rifle barrels, and, of
course, the small window punches on
folding knives, but we’ve never seen a
better tool for the job than the Shieldspike Hammerspike glass breaker. This
19-inch-long tool weighs 1.5 pounds, is
easily wielded in one hand, and can really
smack a window. In tactical situations, officers can hold a shield and use the Hammerspike at the same time.
www.policemag.com/freeinfo/18325
TOTAL DEVASTATION
Some weapons and some ammunition
give you the skin-crawling response of
“Jeez, I wouldn’t want to get hit with that.”
www.policemag.com/freeinfo/18518
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