Protection Services Canada - Blogs

Damascus Darkstar MX-1000 Puncture Resistant Gloves on sale $49.99

911Gear.ca — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:42:22 GMT

Damascus Gloves MX-1000 DarkStar Gloves with Spectra Blend UltraMaxx Palms,

Black Features:
� Outer Material: Kevlar/Neoprene
� Liner Material: Unlined
� Color: Black
� Size: Extra Small
� Primary Usage: Cut Resistant
� Spectra fabric bonded to clarino synthetic leather on palms for cut resistance
� Superfabric brand material at fingertips for moderate puncture resistance
� Reinforced hand cradle at the thumb
� Back of hands feature airmesh neoprene and nylon spandex for snug
� Same as MX1000, but with Spectra UltraMAXX-2 blended knit (Instead of Kevlar) bonded to Clarino synthetic leather on palms for maximum cut resistance

Securitywork.ca is a now a Protection Services Sponsor

Admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:23:43 GMT

Securitywork.ca is job site dedicated to the Canadian security and law enforcement Industry. Site is free for both Companies and user looking for employment. Post your resume, find jobs. Employers can post jobs and search resumes under all types of Security and Law Enforcement.

911 Gear's tactical Suspenders are now in stock at www.911gear.ca

911Gear.ca — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:46:52 GMT

Our 911 Tactical Gear suspenders are unique to the Law Enforcement world. They are designed to allow the user more movement that traditional suspenders. This allows Officers more freedom of movement while wearing them.

Features:

Shoulder pads for extra comfort. All straps sewn into a reinforced area on back for a reliable suspender.

Keepers that attach to the suspender straps by a swivel allowing user more movement without the twisting associated with regular suspenders.

The keepers that attach to your belt have both snap and velcro fasteners.

Adjustable at both front and back to allow for all different shapes and sizes of Officers.

Knowing your authority: Law Part 1.

chutchinson — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 19:03:11 GMT

One thing that everyone working in our field must know is their authority. What laws do you operate under?

Law isn�t the most glamorous class to sit through. Most people aren�t really that interested. They want to learn how to throw people to the ground and put the cuffs on. Unfortunately when officers don�t know their legal authority they often get into trouble justifying their actions. This trouble can range from professional discipline to criminal convictions and even jail time. This can slightly impede your ability to work.

Most officers that receive formal legal training (a lot don�t) only receive the training at their initial point of hire. Unfortunately the law is fluid. New legislation comes out and minor changes occur.

I recommend that everyone takes some time, at least once a year, and read about some of the laws that you work under.

I recommend that everyone owns a criminal code. If not at least make sure you have one at your work site. If you get one make sure you read important bits. It can also be useful to put little flags on the most relevant sections. Make sure you at least have Sec. 494 flagged. That is the bread and butter of our job. Knowing your authority for making an arrest is vital.

Here is a little intro to law. This is copied out of a legal study guide that I created for my officers.

Each level of government is capable of creating laws.

Federal Government
Has authority from the constitution act, 1867, S.91, to pass laws of national interest.
- For example: Criminal Code
Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Youth Criminal Justice Act

Provincial Governments
Have authority from the constitution act, 1867, S.92, to pass laws of provincial interest.
- For example: Traffic safety Act
Gaming and Liquor Act
Trespass to Premises Act

Laws are passed by the Legislative Assembly (in Alberta) and are called Provincial statutes.

Municipal Government
Not mentioned in the Constitution. They receive authority from the provincial government
- For example: Parking
Noise

Laws are passed by municipal councils and are called �by-laws�

Criminal Code of Canada

- An Act of Parliament
- Describes acts or omissions which are criminal in nature
- Prescribes punishments for offences
- Prescribes procedures for appeals, trials and some rules of evidence.
- Describes some valid defenses

How to find a section of the criminal code

For offences:

- Look in the index for the name of the offence
- Look for �definition� � this section will define the offence
- Look for �punishment� � this section will set out the punishment for the offence

For procedural matters:

- Check index for key words - follow the links

Aids to interpretation of the Criminal Code

1. Section, including synopsis, cross references and annotations
2. Section at the beginning of the Part
3. definition section (S.2)
4. Index
5. Interpretation Act
6. Case law
7. Dictionary
- Legal
- Recognized

When quoting a section of any legislation always start with the section number. Any subsection numbers are in brackets. Then end with the acronym for the piece of legislation. Eg. Sec. 32(3) MHA

Description of an offence in the Criminal Code

There are three parts of each offence which mist be included for the offence to be properly outlined

Defining - �everyone who��
-�everyone commits�who��

The defining portion describes what action must take place for the offence to be committed.

Charging -��is guilty of��

The charging portion imposes liability on the person who commits the acts which define the offence.
The charging portion �creates� the offence.

Punishment -��an offence punishable��
-��an indictable offence and liable to��

The punishment portion describes the penalty which may be imposed.
Describes the risk a person faces in the committing the offence

Definition of Crime

Crimes are acts or omissions (offences) contrary to federal legislation.
For example: Criminal Code, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act

Offences contrary to provincial legislation are not crimes
For example: Mental Health Act, Trespass to Premises Act.

Elements

Every crime has a physical element, �actus reas� and a mental element �mens rea�. If either element is missing then no crime can be proven. The law does not, in most cases, punish people for having evil thoughts.

Charter of Rights

Section 52(1)
Constitution Act, 1982

The constitution act of Canada is the supreme law of Canada, and any law that is inconsistent with provisions of the Constitution is, to the extent of the inconsistency, of no force of effect.

Section 1

�The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.�

This requires that the courts balance a person�s rights with what is good for society.

Section 2
Fundamental Freedoms

�Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
(a) freedom of conscience and religion;
(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
(d) freedom of association.�

Section 7

�Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.�

Section 8

�Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure.�

The power to search is based in common law. Once a person has been arrested the person making the arrest can search the suspect, if the search is justified for the following two reasons:
- The accused has displayed violent behavior and may have weapons.
- The accused behaves in a manner that indicated they may be an escape risk

If you have the criteria to search, the search must be for weapons and/or devices/tools for escape. Not for evidence!

Section 9

�Everyone has the right not to be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned.�

Unlawful or false arrest might be deemed to be �arbitrary detention�

An arrest occurs when one takes or gets control of a person with intent to detain him. An arrest is a restriction or prohibition of one�s freedom of movement. Physically touching the arrested person is not necessary to constitute arrest. Most arrests occur when the suspect is told that he or she is under arrest.

A protection officer has no right to arrest someone unless the arrest is authorized by law.

Section 10

�Everyone has the right on arrest or detention
(a) to be informed promptly of the reason therefore
(b) to retain and instruct counsel without delay
(c) to have the validity of the detention determined by way of Habeas Corpus and to be released if the detention is not lawful.�

Habeas Corpus � Bring before the courts.

Hope this gives everyone a little basic info on law. I will write about the law in future and include much more information.

There will be no article next week as I am in Edmonton teaching several classes and I do not have access to a computer.

In the meantime stay safe,

Chris

*Note* I am not a lawyer. The information included is information that I was taught during Alberta Sol Gen approved Peace Officer Legal Studies.

Colin Powell on Leadership: Part 2

chutchinson — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 03:33:28 GMT

10. "Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it."

Too often, change is stifled by people who cling to familiar turfs and job descriptions. One reason that even large organizations wither is that managers won't challenge old, comfortable ways of doing things. But real leaders understand that, nowadays, every one of our jobs is becoming obsolete. The proper response is to obsolete our activities before someone else does. Effective leaders create a climate where people�s worth is determined by their willingness to learn new skills and grab new responsibilities, thus perpetually reinventing their jobs. The most important question in performance evaluation becomes not, "How well did you perform your job since the last time we met?" but, "How much did you change it?"

11. "Fit no stereotypes. Don't chase the latest management fads. The situation dictates which approach best accomplishes the team's mission."

Flitting from fad to fad creates team confusion, reduces the leader's credibility, and drains organizational coffers. Blindly following a particular fad generates rigidity in thought and action. Sometimes speed to market is more important than total quality. Sometimes an unapologetic directive is more appropriate than participatory discussion. Some situations require the leader to hover closely; others require long, loose leashes. Leaders honor their core values, but they are flexible in how they execute them. They understand that management techniques are not magic mantras but simply tools to be reached for at the right times.

12. "Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier�

The ripple effect of a leader's enthusiasm and optimism is awesome. So is the impact of cynicism and pessimism. Leaders who whine and blame engender those same behaviors among their colleagues. I am not talking about stoically accepting organizational stupidity and performance incompetence with a "what, me worry?" smile. I am talking about a gung-ho attitude that says "we can change things here, we can achieve awesome goals, we can be the best." Spare me the grim litany of the "realist," give me the unrealistic aspirations of the optimist any day.

13. "Powell's Rules for Picking People:� Look for intelligence and judgment, and most critically, a capacity to anticipate, to see around corners. Also look for loyalty, integrity, a high energy drive, a balanced ego, and the drive to get things done.

How often do our recruitment and hiring processes tap into these attributes? More often than not, we ignore them in favor of length of resume, degrees and prior titles. A string of job descriptions a recruit held yesterday seem to be more important than who one is today, what they can contribute tomorrow, or how well their values mesh with those of the organization. You can train a bright, willing novice in the fundamentals of your business fairly readily, but it's a lot harder to train someone to have integrity, judgment, energy, balance, and the drive to get things done. Good leaders stack the deck in their favor right in the recruitment phase.

14. "Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand."

Effective leaders understand the KISS principle, Keep It Simple, Stupid. They articulate vivid, over-arching goals and values, which they use to drive daily behaviors and choices among competing alternatives. Their visions and priorities are lean and compelling, not cluttered and buzzword-laden. Their decisions are crisp and clear, not tentative and ambiguous. They convey an unwavering firmness and consistency in their actions, aligned with the picture of the future they paint. The result: clarity of purpose, credibility of leadership, and integrity in organization.

15. Part I: "Use the formula P=40 to 70, in which P stands for the probability of success and the numbers indicate the percentage of information acquired.� Part II: "Once the information is in the 40 to 70 range, go with your gut."

Don't take action if you have only enough information to give you less than a 40 percent chance of being right, but don't wait until you have enough facts to be 100 percent sure, because by then it is almost always too late. Today, excessive delays in the name of information-gathering breeds "analysis paralysis." Procrastination in the name of reducing risk actually increases risk.

16. "The commander in the field is always right and the rear echelon is wrong, unless proved otherwise."

Too often, the reverse defines corporate culture. This is one of the main reasons why leaders like Ken Iverson of Nucor Steel, Percy Barnevik of Asea Brown Boveri, and Richard Branson of Virgin have kept their corporate staffs to a bare-bones minimum - how about fewer than 100 central corporate staffers for global $30 billion-plus ABB? Or around 25 and 3 for multi-billion Nucor and Virgin, respectively? Shift the power and the financial accountability to the folks who are bringing in the beans, not the ones who are counting or analyzing them.

17. "Have fun in your command. Don't always run at a breakneck pace. Take leave when you've earned it: Spend time with your families. Corollary: surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard and play hard."

Herb Kelleher of Southwest Air and Anita Roddick of The Body Shop would agree: seek people who have some balance in their lives, who are fun to hang out with, who like to laugh (at themselves, too) and who have some non-job priorities which they approach with the same passion that they do their work. Spare me the grim workaholic or the pompous pretentious "professional;� I'll help them find jobs with my competitor.

18. "Command is lonely."

Harry Truman was right. Whether you're a CEO or the temporary head of a project team, the buck stops here. You can encourage participative management and bottom-up employee involvement, but ultimately the essence of leadership is the willingness to make the tough, unambiguous choices that will have an impact on the fate of the organization. I've seen too many non-leaders flinch from this responsibility. Even as you create an informal, open, collaborative corporate culture, prepare to be lonely.

And remember�

�Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible.�

Stay safe,

Chris

The Streamlight Pro Pac Series lights have arived at 911gear.ca

911Gear.ca — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:37:14 GMT

The new streamlight Pro Tac series of flashlights are now available at 911gear.ca, ST88032 Pro Tac lights are designed to give users ultra-compact, light-weight tactical personal lighting tools with up to 180 lumens measured system output and 50 hours of runtime over a distance of more than 125 meters. Each of the new lights, including the PT 1L, PT 2L, PT 1AA and PT 2AA, features a strobe setting, providing first responders, occupational users and consumers alike with even greater versatility.

�These lights are the smallest and most lightweight in Streamlight�s line of handheld tactical products, yet are powered by a C4 LED to provide super brightness and long run times,� said Streamlight President Ray Sharrah. �The combination of their small size and power LED makes them among the brightest tactical personal lights for their size, useful for night-time situations, secondary lights on the beat, all-purpose lights for hunting or camping, for repairs or inspections on a shop or plant floor or for do-it-yourself applications.� Each of the models offers a high and low intensity setting as well as a strobe function for disorienting suspects or as a signaling device.

Featuring durable anodized aluminum construction, all of the lights also include a convenient push-button tactical tail switch for easy, one-handed operation of the momentary, variable intensity or strobe modes. The PT 1AA provides 50 lumens, 1,450 candela and 1 hour and 45 minutes of runtime on high, and 6 lumens, 150 candela and 22 hours of runtime on low, The PT 1AA measures 3.97 inches in length, and the PT 2AA is 5.97 inches long. The PT 1AA weighs 2.3 ounces, and The PT lights feature an internal polymer lining and shockproof switch housing, allowing for operation for under the most extreme conditions. Each light includes an impact-resistant glass lens, an anti-roll head, and comes with a removable pocket clip for attaching to a vest, belt or pocket. The PT series of lights has been tested to the ANSI/NEMA F-1 Flashlight Standard, and feature an IPX7 rated design for waterproof operation to 1 meter for 30 minutes. Available in black, Each light comes with Streamlight�s Limited Lifetime Warranty.

PT� 1L

ULTRA-COMPACT TACTICAL LIGHT

The combination of small size and C4� LED output results in one of the brightest tactical personal carry lights for its size

High, low and strobe modes
C4 LED illumination output and run times:
HIGH - 110 lumens/1.75 Hours
LOW - 12 lumens/14 Hours
STROBE - 3 Hours
Includes 1 CR123A lithium battery
Solid State power regulation provides maximum light output throughout battery life
Rubber push button tail cap switch
IPX7 rated design; waterproof to 1 meter for 30 minutes
Impact-resistant tempered glass lens
Unbreakable pocket clip
Anti-roll head
Includes nylon holster

PT� 2LULTRA-COMPACT TACTICAL LIGHT

The combination of small size and C4� LED output results in one of the brightest tactical personal carry lights for its size

High, low and strobe modes
C4 LED illumination output and run times:
HIGH - 180 lumens/2.5 Hours
LOW - 10 lumens/50 Hours
STROBE - 6 Hours
Includes 2 CR123A lithium batteries
Solid State power regulation provides maximum light output throughout battery life
Rubber push button tail cap switch
IPX7 rated design; waterproof to 1 meter for 30 minutes
Impact-resistant tempered glass lens
Unbreakable pocket clip
Anti-roll head
Includes nylon holster

PT� 1AA

ULTRA-COMPACT TACTICAL LIGHT

The combination of small size and C4� LED output results in one of the brightest tactical personal carry lights for its size

High, low and strobe modes
C4 LED illumination output and run times:
HIGH - 50 lumens/1.75 Hours
LOW - 6 lumens/22 Hours
STROBE - 4 Hours
Includes 1 AA alkaline battery
Solid State power regulation provides maximum light output throughout battery life
Rubber push button tail cap switch
IPX7 rated design; waterproof to 1 meter for 30 minutes
Impact-resistant tempered glass lens
Unbreakable pocket clip
Anti-roll head
Includes nylon holster

PT� 2AA

ULTRA-COMPACT TACTICAL LIGHT

The combination of small size and C4� LED output results in one of the brightest tactical personal carry lights for its size
High, low and strobe modes
C4 LED illumination output and run times:
HIGH - 120 lumens/1.75 Hour
LOW - 14 lumens/21 Hours
STROBE - 4 Hours
Includes 2 AA alkaline batteries
Solid State power regulation provides maximum light output throughout battery life
Rubber push button tail cap switch
IPX7 rated design; waterproof to 1 meter for 30 minutes
Impact-resistant tempered glass lens
Unbreakable pocket clip
Anti-roll head
Includes nylon holster

Colin Powell on Leadership: Part 1

chutchinson — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 03:25:19 GMT

Several years ago I found a presentation that Colin Powell gives regarding leadership. I saved the presentation to my hard drive and promptly forgot all about it. Several weeks ago I was looking through audio books to put on my MP3 player and came across an audio version of Colin Powell�s leadership secrets. The info I got from the audio book was among some of the best leadership training that I have had the privilege of receiving. Since not all leaders in our field are given leadership training I found the presentation and decided to copy it into this article. The quotes are from Powell while the comments below are from Mr. Oren Harari, a professor at the University of San Francisco.

1. "Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off."

Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group, which means that some people will get angry at your actions and decisions. It's inevitable, if you're honorable. Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity: you'll avoid the tough decisions, you'll avoid confronting the people who need to be confronted, and you'll avoid offering differential rewards based on differential performance because some people might get upset. Ironically, by procrastinating on the difficult choices, by trying not to get anyone mad, and by treating everyone equally "nicely" regardless of their contributions, you'll simply ensure that the only people you'll wind up angering are the most creative and productive people in the organization.

2. "The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership."

If this were a litmus test, the majority of CEOs would fail. One, they build so many barriers to upward communication that the very idea of someone lower in the hierarchy looking up to the leader for help is ludicrous. Two, the corporate culture they foster often defines asking for help as weakness or failure, so people cover up their gaps, and the organization suffers accordingly. Real leaders make themselves accessible and available. They show concern for the efforts and challenges faced by underlings, even as they demand high standards. Accordingly, they are more likely to create an environment where problem analysis replaces blame.

3. "Don't be buffaloed by experts and elites. Experts often possess more data than judgment. Elites can become so inbred that they produce hemophiliacs who bleed to death as soon as they are nicked by the real world."

Small companies and start-ups don't have the time for analytically detached experts. They don't have the money to subsidize lofty elites, either. The president answers the phone and drives the truck when necessary; everyone on the payroll visibly produces and contributes to bottom-line results or they're history. But as companies get bigger, they often forget who "brought them to the dance": things like all-hands involvement, egalitarianism, informality, market intimacy, daring, risk, speed, agility. Policies that emanate from ivory towers often have an adverse impact on the people out in the field who are fighting the wars or bringing in the revenues. Real leaders are vigilant, and combative, in the face of these trends.

4. "Don't be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard."

Learn from the pros, observe them, seek them out as mentors and partners. But remember that even the pros may have leveled out in terms of their learning and skills. Sometimes even the pros can become complacent and lazy. Leadership does not emerge from blind obedience to anyone. Xerox's Barry Rand was right on target when he warned his people that if you have a yes-man working for you, one of you is redundant. Good leadership encourages everyone's evolution.

5. "Never neglect details. When everyone's mind is dulled or distracted the leader must be doubly vigilant."

Strategy equals execution. All the great ideas and visions in the world are worthless if they can't be implemented rapidly and efficiently. Good leaders delegate and empower others liberally, but they pay attention to details, every day. (Think about supreme athletic coaches like Jimmy Johnson, Pat Riley and Tony La Russa). Bad ones, even those who fancy themselves as progressive "visionaries," think they're somehow "above" operational details. Paradoxically, good leaders understand something else: an obsessive routine in carrying out the details begets conformity and complacency, which in turn dulls everyone's mind. That is why even as they pay attention to details, they continually encourage people to challenge the process. They implicitly understand the sentiment of CEO leaders like Quad Graphic's Harry Quadracchi, Oticon's Lars Kolind and the late Bill McGowan of MCI, who all independently asserted that the Job of a leader is not to be the chief organizer, but the chief dis-organizer.

6. "You don't know what you can get away with until you try."

You know the expression, "it's easier to get forgiveness than permission." Well, it�s true. Good leaders don't wait for official blessing to try things out. They're prudent, not reckless. But they also realize a fact of life in most organizations: if you ask enough people for permission, you'll inevitably come up against someone who believes his job is to say "no." So the moral is, don't ask. Less effective middle managers endorsed the sentiment, "If I haven't explicitly been told 'yes,' I can't do it," whereas the good ones believed, "If I haven't explicitly been told 'no,' I can." There's a world of difference between these two points of view.

7. "Keep looking below surface appearances. Don't shrink from doing so (just) because you might not like what you find."

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is the slogan of the complacent, the arrogant or the scared. It's an excuse for inaction, a call to non-arms. It's a mind-set that assumes (or hopes) that today's realities will continue tomorrow in a tidy, linear and predictable fashion. Pure fantasy. In this sort of culture, you won't find people who pro-actively take steps to solve problems as they emerge. Here's a little tip: don't invest in these companies.

8. "Organization doesn't really accomplish anything. Plans don't accomplish anything, either. Theories of management don't much matter. Endeavors succeed or fail because of the people involved. Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds."

In a brain-based economy, your best assets are people. We've heard this expression so often that it's become trite. But how many leaders really "walk the talk" with this stuff? Too often, people are assumed to be empty chess pieces to be moved around by grand viziers, which may explain why so many top managers immerse their calendar time in deal making, restructuring and the latest management fad. How many immerse themselves in the goal of creating an environment where the best, the brightest, the most creative are attracted, retained and, most importantly, unleashed?

9. "Organization charts and fancy titles count for next to nothing."

Organization charts are frozen, anachronistic photos in a work place that ought to be as dynamic as the external environment around you. If people really followed organization charts, companies would collapse. In well-run organizations, titles are also pretty meaningless. At best, they advertise some authority, an official status conferring the ability to give orders and induce obedience. But titles mean little in terms of real power, which is the capacity to influence and inspire. Have you ever noticed that people will personally commit to certain individuals who on paper (or on the organization chart) possess little authority, but instead possess pizzazz, drive, expertise, and genuine caring for teammates and products? On the flip side, non-leaders in management may be formally anointed with all the perks and frills associated with high positions, but they have little influence on others, apart from their ability to extract minimal compliance to minimal standards.

Part 2 coming next week.

Stay safe,

Chris

Impact Resistant Body Armor by vestfriend available 911gear.ca

911Gear.ca — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 23:29:28 GMT

Entering into their 10th year of business Vestfriend Body Armor continues to provide light weight, low cost yet effective impact resistant vests. The vests are made of 100% North American product/Canadian made and are comprised of a heavy duty nylon carrier with 1/8" shatter proof polycarbonite armor plating.Ideal for protection against knives, needles and similar created weapons the vest is designed to provide protection while also being more comfortable than traditional armor offered.PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT A BULLET PROOF VEST!Vestfriend Body armor is just that.. BODY ARMOR! THESE ARE NOT LIKE T SHIRTS! All vests are custom matched to the purchaser via body measurements.

Available in internal and external models with or without side protection.

http://www.911gear.ca/images/vestfriendfrontupdate.gif

Q6-E: Quantum� - Leather Cut Resistant Gloves with Razornet MAX� liners

911Gear.ca — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 23:22:56 GMT

Available at 911gear.ca

The best of the best!
� Same features as Q6 with an extended 2� cuff
� USA Made Razornet MAX� is a Damascus� proprietary blend of yarns (including stainless steel fiber) which feature the highest performance in cut resistant duty gloves available worldwide
� The Q6 Razornet MAX� liners have been lab tested according to the CE Certification test criteria of EN388 (European Standard) and substantially exceed Level 5, their highest cut resistance level
� Smooth premium quality aniline finished cowhide with embossing
� Soft comfortable Razornet� linings also incorporate Spandex� for form-fit
� AlphaSan� antimicrobial protection in liners eliminates bacterial or fungi growth as well as odors
� Extended gathered wrist for secure fit

The All-New QUANTUM SERIES� Maximum Cut-Resistant Gloves

The NEW Quantum Series� Gloves are lined with either the new Razornet Ultra� (Designated as Q(5) or Razornet MAX� (designated as Q(6). These two liner types are at the highest levels of cut resistant performance to be found anywhere. USA Made Razornet Ultra� is a Damascus� proprietary blend of yarns which feature one of the highest performance levels in cut resistant duty gloves available. The Q5 liner type / Razornet Ultra� have been lab tested according to the CE Certification test criteria of EN388 (European Standard) and exceed Level 5, their highest cut resistance level.

USA Made Razornet MAX� is a Damascus� proprietary blend of yarns (including stainless steel fibers) which feature the highest performance in cut resistant duty gloves available worldwide. The Q6 with Razornet MAX� have been lab tested according to the CE Certification test criteria of EN388 (European Standard) and substantially exceed Level 5, their highest cut resistance level.

All of our Razornet Ultra� and Razornet MAX� cut resistant liners also feature a silver-based AlphaSan� antimicrobial treatment permanently extruded into the yarn so that it does not come out or wear off. AlphaSan� is sufficient to eliminate a minimum 99.9 percent of bacterial or fungi growth in the glove. AlphaSan� antimicrobial is FDA accepted for intimate sustained contact with the skin with no allergy issues. You also have the benefit of freshness and odor control. The AlphaSan� is increasingly popular in sportswear, from socks to t-shirts etc.

Q5-E: Quantum� - Leather Cut Resistant Gloves with Razornet Ultra� liners

911Gear.ca — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 23:18:48 GMT

Now Available at 911gear.ca

� An extended 2� cuff
� USA Made Razornet Ultra� is a Damascus� proprietary blend of yarns which feature one of the highest performance levels in cut resistant duty gloves available
� The Q5 Razornet Ultra� liners have been lab tested according to the CE Certification test criteria of EN388 (European Standard) and exceed Level 5, their highest cut resistance level
� Smooth premium quality aniline finished cowhide with embossing
� Soft comfortable Razornet� linings also incorporate Spandex� for form-fit
� AlphaSan� antimicrobial protection in liners eliminates bacterial or fungi growth as well as odors
� Extended gathered wrist for secure fit

The All-New QUANTUM SERIES� Maximum Cut-Resistant Gloves

The NEW Quantum Series� Gloves are lined with either the new Razornet Ultra� (Designated as Q(5) or Razornet MAX� (designated as Q(6). These two liner types are at the highest levels of cut resistant performance to be found anywhere. USA Made Razornet Ultra� is a Damascus� proprietary blend of yarns which feature one of the highest performance levels in cut resistant duty gloves available. The Q5 liner type / Razornet Ultra� have been lab tested according to the CE Certification test criteria of EN388 (European Standard) and exceed Level 5, their highest cut resistance level.

USA Made Razornet MAX� is a Damascus� proprietary blend of yarns (including stainless steel fibers) which feature the highest performance in cut resistant duty gloves available worldwide. The Q6 with Razornet MAX� have been lab tested according to the CE Certification test criteria of EN388 (European Standard) and substantially exceed Level 5, their highest cut resistance level.

All of our Razornet Ultra� and Razornet MAX� cut resistant liners also feature a silver-based AlphaSan� antimicrobial treatment permanently extruded into the yarn so that it does not come out or wear off. AlphaSan� is sufficient to eliminate a minimum 99.9 percent of bacterial or fungi growth in the glove. AlphaSan� antimicrobial is FDA accepted for intimate sustained contact with the skin with no allergy issues. You also have the benefit of freshness and odor control. The AlphaSan� is increasingly popular in sportswear, from socks to t-shirts etc.

Tactical Communication

chutchinson — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:26:33 GMT

One of the most important skills that officers can posses is the ability to communicate. This goes beyond language ability and moves into what to say and how. Unfortunately too often this essential skill is forgotten and left out of training programs. Additionally many officers don�t want to take the time to learn it because it�s not as �cool� as combatives programs. However, any agency that wants to see the number of complaints against officers and fights that their personnel get into decrease, they should implement a tactical communication. In reality this type of training should be required before anyone can put on our uniform. The more time that is spent on communication training, the less likelihood that officers will need to resort to force. I am not saying that combatives training should be replaced with communication training. Just that the time spent on communication training should be equal to or greater then combatives (this coming from a combatives instructor).

So why is communication so important and why do we need a special class on it? Well fights usually don�t just start out of the blue. 9 times out of 10 the officer has some sort of interaction with the subject. Some sort of communication.

There are dozens of different communications classes out there. Most have some good parts to them. My personal favourite communication class was �Arresting Communication� by Lt. Jim Glennon. Lt. Glennon teaches a lot of great stuff and manages to put a spin on it that makes you want to learn. He doesn�t just tell you what to say or not say, he tells you why and gives examples from his own career.

Some of you may be more familiar with the �Verbal Judo� class. This class is used by many security professionals, police and corrections officers. I have taken the class and I consider it to be essential training for all officers.

I am not going to write out the program and blatantly plagiarise the good work of Lt. Glennon and Dr. Thompson. I will say one thing though. From my experiences the number one reason that officers have poor communication skills is their ego. They put on their uniform and they think they are the boss of everyone. They have the mentality of �its my way or the highway�. This isn�t limited to officers either. In fact I think that it is human nature. We move into positions of power and attempt to control people. I see doctors, nurses, security guards, corporate CEO�s, lawyers, judges, supervisors and managers all doing the same thing. They move into power and immediately anyone that doesn�t agree with them is wrong and an idiot. This leads to them getting angry when you bring something else up. When we get angry we don�t think rationally. (In a future article I am going to talk about the physiological changes during stress but here is a sneak peek). Instead our heart rates increase, the rational side of our brain shuts down and the midbrain takes over. We are using emotion to fuel our thought process. We say things with the intent of angering and belittling the person we are talking with. Now this is an argument rather then a professional interaction. If this doesn�t lead to a fight it will almost certainly end up in a complaint. People complain because they don�t like the way that they were treated. The officer didn�t have time for them or he was rude. Essentially people want us to see things their way and they are upset or if we are angry we can�t. So how do we accomplish this? We need to empathise with the people we deal with. Don�t assume that we are better because we are in a uniform and they aren�t or we have a higher level or education then the other person. Instead try and see things from their side.

I have heard a lot of officers say that our jobs aren�t �customer service�. This is what I talk about when I refer to the ego thing. Our officers assume that customer service is beneath them. They were given the authority to go out and crack some skulls and you better believe that they are going to�You can bet your ass our job is customer service. A great trainer once told me that our customers are the public we serve and they deserve the very best level of service. The customer sometimes needs to have someone empathise with them. Other times the customer needs to go to go in handcuffs and take a ride to jail. Either way they deserve the best we can give them.

Moving on�I can�t do tactical communication justice. Instead I will provide you with some excellent resources.

To start with watch this amazing video. Yes it�s long, but it�s probably the best 90 minute training class you will ever take. Even better, it�s free!

Next read some of the articles that Dr. Thompson writes for correctionsone.com. Make sure you read the article �7 things never to say to anyone, and why�.

Dr. George Thompson - Verbal Judo tactics & techniques

Also a must read for all officers is Lt. Glennon�s book �Arresting Communication�

Arresting Communication,
Essential Skills for Law Enforcement

So watch that video and read some of those articles. I guarantee that you will learn something.

Stay safe,

Chris

Contact/Cover

chutchinson — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 04:27:35 GMT

I want to briefly go over the principles of contact-cover. I hope that everyone was taught this once upon a time.

While working the front line I see a lot of officers (sworn and non-sworn) interacting with subjects and suspects. Most of the time the officer is in some sort of interview stance (but not always). Sadly when more then one officer is present they stand next to each other or one walks away to call information in and/or take notes.

The way I work contact-cover is this. The first officer on scene is the contact officer. Second and any others are cover officers. If you work with a partner then you can decide upon approach who is contact and who is cover.

Contact Officer: Your job as the contact officer is to be the primary officer. You are in command and you do all the talking. Maintain a nice interview stance and a good reactionary gap. Keep your eyes on the subject and take in what they are saying.

Cover Officer: You have the most important job and possibly and easier job then the cover officer. You need to shut up and watch. Make sure you are paying full attention to what your subject is doing. Take note of what they are wearing and look for anything that seems out of the ordinary. Watch and try to pick up any pre-attack indicators that the subject is giving off. Place yourself in a position where you can react but you are not in your subject�s line of sight. If there is more then one subject then position yourself so that you can keep an eye on all of them.

An important part of the contact-cover principal is your positioning. I normally prefer to have the cover officer directly behind the subject. That way as the cover officer I can see my cover and they can see me. Also we can see what is coming up behind either of us and we are in a good position if the subject wants to fight or run. If they decide to fight then they cannot take both of us on at the same time. I see a lot of officers standing next to each other while talking to someone. This doesn�t really help much other then make you both a target.
A lot of the factors relating to positioning will depend on your environment and the situation you are dealing with. For example when I was working as a Peace Officer for a local town my partner and I stopped a car for a minor traffic offence. After approaching the vehicle my partner noticed alcohol in the vehicle and requested the occupants to step out. Once all 3 occupants were outside he had them stand in a group about 10 feet away from the car on the passenger side. He then moved to the driver�s side to begin the search.
He had positioned the passengers in a way where he could watch them through the rear passenger window while conducting a search. Had I been more experienced I would have positioned myself near the passengers. Ideally I would have been in front of our patrol car where I could see my partner, the car and the passengers. This would have allowed me to watch their body language to see if one seemed nervous about where in the car my partner was searching and it would have kept us both safer. However I was a brand spanking new rookie and so I didn�t think of that. I wanted to search the car at the same time. So I did. After my partner redirected me to the proper location I still didn�t know why I was standing no where near the suspect car. After all isn't that where the action was? It was only after the incident that my partner explained it to me.

Take a look at this video.
http://blutube.policeone.com/Media/3...oliceshooting/

The reason I show this video is this. If you carefully watch the video you will notice that as the offender is placing the rifle down on the ground he moves his right arm towards his back. If you stop the video at 00:05 you will notice a sidearm in the suspects hand. The cover officer just happens to be behind the suspect and fires the two shots. If you put it all together it goes something like this.

Contact: Put the gun down! Put it down, down!
(Suspect drops his body and moves his right leg back. He is placing the rifle down with his left hand, his right hand moves behind him and disappears from view. Unknown to the contact officer he is grabbing a sidearm that is tucked into his pants behind him.)
Cover: GUN! (Shots fired)

Now that was contact-cover at its finest (even though it was a training video)�Now I know what your all thinking. Your thinking �that�s great but we aren�t armed�
My answer: So what. It still works.
Let�s take that video and imagine this. You approach a suspicious individual that you have watched for some time via CCTV. You decide with your partner that you will split up and approach from two different directions. This was you can get the most out of your contact-cover. The contact officer approaches and stands about 6 feet away. They identify themselves and ask to see some ID. The suspect responds �sure no problem officer� and drops their right leg back before lifting a shirt slightly to reach into the rear pants pocket. Your cover officer (being very sneaky and making sure the subject does not know there is anyone behind them) see�s a weapon and yells out while diving on the would be attacker.
Sure beats having the cover officer standing beside you and you both being surprised when the seemingly compliant subject pulls a weapon or dives towards you both.

Another important thing is to work out a method of communication between contact and cover. Obviously there won�t be a lot of communication but think of ways for the contact officer to tell the cover officer that it is time for hands on without alerting the subject. One way I like to do this is by taking a phrase from verbal judo. If you as the contact officer believe that you now have no alternative other then to use physical force say �Sir/Ma�am I am begging you, is there anything I can say to change your mind.�
As soon as the cover officer hears �begging� they should already be moving to take down the subject. When done for real the contact officer should not be able to get the whole sentence out before the subject is already on the ground. If you plan on using that then make sure everyone is trained to know what to do and make sure you can articulate why you took the person down. It shouldn�t be too hard if you know the law and you are acting within your authority.

Try rehearsing some of the incidents that you most commonly deal with. If you work with other officers then spend 10 minutes going through contact-cover principles. Decide where the best places to stand would be and how you plan to communicate that it is time for physical force.

Stay Safe,

Chris

Finding new ways to train

chutchinson — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 21:39:58 GMT

In my first post I recommended finding new training and conducting some training outside of work. Now I would like to briefly talk about some different methods of training that people may not have thought of.

To start with you must realise that not everyone will share your enthusiasm for training. I found this out for myself when I noticed other officers and supervisors attending training so that they could slack off and get paid. So how do you get people interested in training?

Simple. You make it real for them. Make them understand that training is important and can go along way towards making sure they go home at the end of their shift. The problem with this is that just telling them is not likely to inspire them to learn and pay attention.

One method I found that is highly effective is to make a list of any major incidents that have occurred at your workplace and other similar locations. In my case I created and maintain a list of major events and emergencies that have occurred in hospital�s around North America. I will never find every single incident but right now the list stands at 10 pages and includes everything from serious assaults against staff to an aircraft crashing into a hospital and active shooters on campus.

Additionally I have created a list of Hospital Police Officers that have died in the line of duty in the U.S. Whenever the anniversary of the officers death comes around I will pull the info sheet out, read the blurb and then conduct training relating to how that officer died. Whenever I teach a class I will start the last day by naming off all of those officers and detailing how they died and what family they left behind.

The end result of this? During my last training class I had several experienced officer�s approach me. Some of them had been working throughout the city alone for years and admitted that they did not wear his issued ballistic vest. Most thanked my co-instructor and I before telling us that they never truly realised that people had died while doing this same job, that they planned to wear their vest every day and that they were going to make an effort to attend more training and get more involved with teaching new officers. This surprised me as one of the officers had been shot at years ago while at work. I naturally assumed he wore his vest.

By doing more then just paying lip service to the dangers of the job my co-instructor and I managed to change the mentality of several supervisor�s. I am confident that they then went back to their sites and began sharing the information they learnt with their officers.

I often hear officers from other agencies complain that they can�t train because their department has no money. Having all the money in the world for training would be amazing but I can�t imagine the chief of a department cutting a blank cheque and saying �buy whatever you need�just make sure our officers go home safely at the end of each day�

So what can we do? Well you need to get creative with training. First identify what type of training you need. Then spend some time looking at what is available.
Disaster response? CBRNe Awareness and Basic training is free online. FEMA offers the course information to ICS for free. Alberta Emergency Management offers a free online Emergency Management class (not sure about other provinces).
Officer safety/ Tactics? Policeone.com, lawofficer.com and officer.com all offer amazing articles and some video�s created by world class subject matter experts.
First aid? Well stay tuned and MedTech will help us all on that subject.

If you look around hard enough you will find some great, free (every managers favorite word) training. As I have mentioned before both Campus safety magazine and Canadian Security magazine offer free digital editions.

Another chance for training that is often overlooked is the start of your shift. At most agencies the start of shift is really the only time you can get your teammates together and not be interrupted. How about a roll call training session? Maybe everyday one of the officers has to give a 10 minute training brief on something work related. It could be about the law, policy or a new tactic. Make sure you rotate through everybody. That way you know at least 1 person learnt something in class.

One other method that I would like to investigate more for my own agency is the possibility of training with outside agencies. Can you offer some sort of training that would be useful to the police, ems, fire department, corrections, bylaw or any other agency? If you can then maybe you can make a deal and train them in exchange for some training for your own staff. I would love to partner with a local law school and teach my officers how to give more effective court room testimony. I think a partnership with a law school would be very beneficial. You could set up a mock-court and both sides could learn all sorts of useful information.

The sky is the limit when it comes to training. Try to think outside of the box and figure out what new types of training you can come up with. When you do drop me a message, I would love to hear what anyone else is trying.

Stay Safe,

Chris

Report Writing and articulating force

chutchinson — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 03:07:32 GMT

Now that we have covered some of the basics on pre-attack indicators and we have discussed attacking before you opponent gets the first strike lets talk about writing the report.

Report writing is just as important to your survival as the physical skills. If your report writing skills are non-existent then you may run into a spot of legal trouble. Officers need to be taught how to articulate their actions. Not just articulation but how to write it in a report to increase their chances of winning the case at court.

Reports need a clear beginning, middle and end. Always try to write your report in chronological order. It makes it easier for the reader to understand what is happening and when.

Ideally you want your report to sound similar to the way you talk about the incident to your co-workers. Too often I read a report like this. �SMITH was aggressive to staff. As a result I directed him to the ground. I then applied mechanical restraints and awaited the arrival of the local police service. While waiting for the police SMITH attacked me and was taken down again. In the course of the takedown SMITH broke his arm�

What does this tell me? Nothing!

So now as this officer�s supervisor, I need to sit down with them and get them tell me every little detail. How was Smith aggressive? Was he yelling and screaming? Was he hitting people? Was he getting into a fighting stance and making threats? After that was there any communication between the officer and Smith before you took him down? What takedown did the officer use? Was there a fight? Were any verbal commands given?
Obviously the number of open ended questions goes on and on. Clearly we need a lot more information in this report.
Another thing that sticks out in this is that the officer is trying to sound far too professional. �directed him to the ground� and �applied mechanical restraints� and not words we use on a day to day basis. We order people to the ground or perform takedown X. We use handcuffs not mechanical restraints.

So what are some of the things that should go into any report for an incident that involved force?

Well how about a size disparity? This can be very important during complaints of excessive force.
What about some of the environmental conditions? How dark is it? What type of ground are you on? Where was the incident? Are there any nearby weapons?
What type of pre-attack indicators did the suspect demonstrate? 1000 yard stare? Clenching hands and teeth? Scanning? Fighting stance? Did the suspect ignore your commands or questions? Did the suspect verbalise harm?
Also note any other relevant information. How many suspects? Was backup available? Was the suspect armed? Known blood borne pathogens? Were you physically exhausted from the fight?

Also make sure your report is using facts not your conclusions. John Bostain and his team at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) created this great use of force reporting guide showing the difference between facts and conclusions.

Finally don�t censor your report. Too often officers think that they can�t swear in the report because their boss might read it. If someone shouts an expletive at you then type that into the report. Put it in verbatim.

My apologies on how long it took to get this article up. I am hoping to have one up every Saturday from now on.

Stay Safe,

Chris

Pre attack indicators - Stance

chutchinson — Sun, 23 May 2010 00:04:32 GMT

Before I start this article I have a short bit of homework for you all. Read this article by Lt. Jim Glennon. http://www.policeone.com/police-prod...egraphed-cues/

Did you read it? Good. If not then go back and read it.

After you have read it, print it off and put it on a notice board at work. After that make sure you email it to everyone you work with. If you have a training department tell them that this is now a required handout for everyone that comes through their classes.

Congratulations. As a team we have now improved the safety and survival levels in our profession. We have given vital and potentially life saving training to officers that go out everyday on missions of conflict. Most officers have never been shown what to watch for and I doubt it is on the security exams or required training that several provinces are now creating.

Now for this article I am going to talk about stance and a few of the things to look for. This shouldn�t be too different from what you may have learnt during basic training.

Calm:
The subject appears calm. His body positioning is open and he appears non threatening.

Hands behind back:
Again the subject appears calm. As a responding officer I would be concerned about his hands being behind his back. I would recommend asking the subject to put his arms by his side. If the subject refuses then ask yourself why.

Interview stance:
The subject appears non threatening but ask yourself this. How often do people move into this stance when we are talking to them? It�s not a natural stance is it? His right leg is dropped back and his fists appear to be clenching. He is in a very good fighting stance and may be about to strike.

Forward stance
This stance is a good indication that someone may be about to fight. The subject is giving off lots of pre-attack indicators. He is in his fighting stance, shoulders are back, head forward. He is making direct eye contact, his nostrils are flaring and his hands are made into fists.

Fighting stance
Pretty self explanatory. This subject is about to fight. He is in a good fighting stance, knuckled up and making direct eye contact.

While you are at work be aware of these behaviours. I am sure we have all heard officers claiming that the guy attacked them �out of the blue�. More then likely the attacker was displaying some kind of pre attack indicator, just the officer did not pick up on it. Why? Maybe the officer didn�t know what to look for.

Alternatively have you ever been dealing with someone and had a gut feeling that they were about to attack�then they did! That�s your unconsciousness picking up on those behaviours and trying to warn your conscious mind.

When you are writing a report try to remember if there were any pre-attack indicators. If there are then put it in the report. Make sure you document them in your notebook.

Now let�s use the information from Lt. Glennon's article and try to put some of this into use.

Everybody watch the Centennial Bridge Shooting:

Full video of fatal bridge shooting

Remember that the officer was making the contact because he believed the offender had just committed an unprovoked assault 15 minutes earlier.

The offender is walking towards the officer on the bridge. What is the first thing the offender does even before the officer says anything. He pulls up the sleeve on his right arm. By itself is this significant? Not really. But what do you see people doing before they fight? Normally they pull up their sleeves.
The officer then gives a number of orders for the offender to �come over the rail�. What does the offender do? He carries on walking.
The officer then points the TASER at the offender and the offender finally complies. Or does he? Watch closely. He puts one leg over the rail, kinda sits down a bit, rubs his nose while looking away (as if contemplating something�maybe an attack) and slowly brings his other leg over. The officer then orders him down on his knees. The offender does not comply. At 01:08 he is looking at the officer even after several verbal commands to �turn around and go down on your knees�. He then takes several steps backwards toward the officer (closing the gap) while looking over at the officer (target glancing). He continues to close the gap and questions the officer.

At this point the officer deploys the TASER and the fight is on.

Now the reason I show this video and describe the actions is not to disrespect the officer. I have the highest respect for him, and, I think he deployed the TASER because he knew this guy was not going to co-operate. Maybe he consciously picked up on the pre-attack indicators, maybe his sub-conscious did and sent off a warning. Either way he didn�t wait to be attacked. He took the first step.

Stay Safe,

Chris