Vertx®, a subsidiary of the Fechheimer Brothers Company, was founded over a decade ago in response to a federal agency's need for low-profile, functional tactical pants. Leveraging their long history of crafting military uniforms, Vertx developed highly discreet tactical pants and later expanded to low-profile clothing, bags, and packs. Their bags and packs are complemented [...] The post Vertx All New Tactigami — Mission Configurable Organization appeared first on American Cop ..read more

It was eight or nine nights after an event I was involved in. The community activists, the media (local and national), and several politicians had gone absolutely sideways and turned into a mob. The only thing close I had seen in my career was an unintentional fatal shooting several years before. I had been doxed, [...] The post Suicide Is Not Painless, It Is Permanent appeared first on American Cop ..read more

Batteries are indispensable for our vehicles, equipment, and devices. However, with rapidly evolving technology and many different battery types on the market, it's difficult to know how to safely jump-start a battery when it fails, especially when options may be limited. Having the proper equipment and know-how makes it easier and safer, and you'll be [...] The post Emergency Jump-Start: Bringing A Dead Battery Back To Life appeared first on American Cop ..read more

Springfield Armory – the name invokes images of a few historic firearms. Two are their M1A rifles and 1911s. However, we'll be discussing the new thumb safety version of the Echelon. What the Gun Is The Echelon is a polymer-frame, striker-fired, high-capacity 9mm pistol from HS Produkt in Croatia. It is built around a serial [...] The post The Next Echelon appeared first on American Cop ..read more

Role “2: a function or part performed especially in a particular operation or process.” It's safe to say that "we" – the whole community of uniformed personnel and decent, normal humans who want to be prepared – have never been better off in terms of the availability of lights for the roles we serve. That [...] The post Candela & Lumens appeared first on American Cop ..read more

As a trainer, I work with cops from a wide variety of agencies, and it’s always interesting to me when students from diverse backgrounds make the same mistakes in training. One example that I see a lot these days is failures to use non-passive, manually operated safeties (“manual safeties,” hereafter). I frequently see cops struggle [...] The post Focusing on Manual Safeties appeared first on American Cop ..read more

Lateral Transitions - No, not Literal. Lateral - moving side to side, sideways. Why? Two-fold. 1st, BadGuys move. Few people will stand there and not move once gunshots begin to be fired. You see it with both people in public settings and with animals in the wild. Second, multiple BadGuys are pretty common. Reviewing the [...] The post Shifting From One Side To The Other appeared first on American Cop ..read more

The use of inert training weapons is paramount for ensuring safety while honing critical skills. Two prominent brands in this field are Armament Systems and Procedures (ASP)Red Guns® and Ring's Manufacturing Blueguns®. Both are meticulously crafted durably replicas of real firearms, constructed out of rugged polymer with steel reinforcement. They are designed to provide officers [...] The post The Role Of Inert Weapons In Law Enforcement Training appeared first on American Cop ..read more

There is a scene in the classic screwball comedy Airplane!, where a flight attendant attempts to calm a planeload of jittery passengers over an in-flight public address system by assuring them that everything was fine and then finishing with: "...By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?" The [...] The post Boarding Pass … For A Cop appeared first on American Cop ..read more

In Part 1, I covered the company and the design. This second part covers my experiences shooting the XR920P and seeing the Shadow System pistols in two week-long classes. The XR920P is a full-sized, duty pistol with a compensator on it. It is also cut for a common optic footprint.   Break-In When I came [...] The post Shadow System’s XR920P – Part 2 appeared first on American Cop ..read more