ThunderStick Summit’s Q&A Session
The last weekend of September saw the fourth ThunderStick Summit out at the Staccato Vegas facility in Pahrump, NV. Thunderstick is a yearly three-day event focusing on the defensive use of shotguns. Four years ago, several instructors who teach the shotgun began a conversation about hosting an event focused on defensive and duty use of shotguns. The first Summit was held at the Dallas Pistol Club in the fall of 2022. Attendees in a [...]
Picture This Collison Scene Photography
They say a picture’s worth a thousand words, right? Well, what they don’t tell you is; it’s a quality picture that tells the story. When you roll up on a hellacious grinder and you grab the nearest beat cop and tell them, “Start snapping photos,” you expect a certain level [...]
On A Steel Horse I Ride
A quick Internet search of “motorcycle officer” revealed the first motorcycle patrol appeared in Berkeley, Calif. in 1911. Harley-Davidson credits Detroit, Mich. as being the first purchaser of a motorcycle expressly for police use. It doesn’t matter what your department uses, be it Harley, Honda, BMW, Kawasaki or even Victory. [...]
Sideshows And Street Racing
By Jason Hoschouer Deadly Games. Let’s all take a moment to express our appreciation for the incredible thespian, Vin Diesel. Not only has he brought us Hollywood gems like xXx and The Chronicles of Riddick, he also inspired countless car enthusiasts — I mean wannabes — to drop hundreds of [...]
Lighting Lottery
All lighting equipment on a car must work — properly — and this includes brake (even the supplemental in the rear window), tail, head, reverse and license plate lights. Proper function includes proper colors of lights, so no funny designer colors are allowed. If a brake or taillight shows any [...]
Distance Between Cars More Lidar Wizardry
I’ve previously lauded the beauty of lidar over radar. One way to compare the two technologies would be like comparing a light saber (lidar) to a broadsword (radar). To further cover the virtues of lidar, let’s look at a very unique and incredibly useful function offered by Laser Technology Inc. [...]
There’s Movies
And there's reality. In 1989, Hollywood released the film gem that is “Lethal Weapon 2.” The opening scene featured heroes, Riggs and Murtaugh, in a vehicle pursuit. The scene lasts less than five minutes, but gives a veritable treasure trove of huge pursuit mistakes. Busy intersections? Check. Excessive speed? Yup. [...]
Event Data Records
Automotive Lie Detectors? Remember Lost? Of course you do. J.J. Abrams was brilliant (pre-Cloverfield) in the pilot episode in which a planeload of people plummeted from the skies aboard a 747, en route from Australia to Los Angeles. In Lost, search parties scoured the oceans looking for Oceanic flight 815. [...]
Officer Discretion: To Cite Or To Warn
Remember the show Happy Days? The Fonz had quite a lasting impression on me, as a child. I grew up to eventually ride motorcycles and wear a cool leather jacket. One of the Fonz’s difficulties in life was admitting he was wrong. He always stuttered over it. He’d say something [...]
Crashes Aren’t Accidents
I had a conversation the other day with a fellow cop buddy. We were talking about our respective work-related mishaps, specifically on-duty collisions. He was quick to comment that a person “isn’t a real cop until you’ve put one squad car in the junkyard.” My buddy’s a sarcastic guy and [...]
Slide Rules & Scientific Calculations
So, you say you want to be a traffic cop? Grab your cite book, calculator and CAD program, and read on. Of course, being a traffic cop is about more than simply being a heartless wretch and writing a stack of tickets (although it’s an awesome side bonus). On the [...]