The Police Chief keeps you on the cutting edge of law enforcement technology with monthly product announcements. Items about new or improved products are
based on news releases supplied by manufacturers and distributors; IACP endorsement is in no way implied.

Jetpack

Avwatch is partnering with New Zealand–based Martin Aircraft Company to bring an innovative, breakthrough aerial technology to the United States. The Martin Jetpack can be flown by a pilot or via remote control for homeland security or first responder applications. It has a flight capability of over 30 minutes, speeds up to 74 km/h. and reaches altitudes above 3,000 feet. The Jetpack can be used as a first responder vehicle, as well as a heavy lift unmanned air vehicle. The two companies will develop the use of the Martin Jetpack as cutting-edge airborne technology for the United States Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, and other interested federal, state, and local agencies. The two companies will work together on improving specific capabilities targeted at assisting the first responder sector, including search and rescue, security, police, ambulance, fire, and natural disaster recovery.

For more information, visit www.avwatch.us.

Public safety crowdsourcing app

A new public safety and security mobile app called sci-Shot celebrated its official launch at the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade on December 13, 2014. The app, which serves as a convenient way for participants to anonymously report non-emergency questionable or suspicious activity, was monitored by Crime Stoppers. It is designed to improve safety and security at public events and within communities. Anyone who downloads the app is able to share pictures and video while remaining anonymous. Once the user uploads information to the sci-Shot app, the information becomes available to registered security professionals who can then communicate confidentially with the app user. The app is available through both the App Store and GooglePlay and does not require any modifications to the user’s smartphone. Because sci-Shot is committed to privacy, all user data are encrypted.

For more information, visit www.sciShot.com.

Custom firearm cases

Pelican Products cases with custom foam interiors to protect handguns, shotguns, and rifles have launched on the Remington Outdoor Company (ROC) website. The cases include Pelican Storm iM2050R Case, which features a custom foam solution for all Remington full-size and compact handguns with up to 6 magazines; Pelican Storm iM3200R Case, which protects and secures all Remington tactical and field shotguns with choke tubes and accessories; and the Pelican Storm iM3300R Case, which is designed to protect most center-fire rifles with accessories. For easy travel, the cases meet ATA 300 Cat 1 standards and feature padlock hasps to discourage tampering and theft. The iM3200R and iM3300R are both designed with polyurethane wheels with stainless steel ball bearings for multiple terrain transport.

For more information, visit www.shopremingtoncountry.com.

Open data solution

SunGard Public Sector announces a strategic engagement with Socrata. Under the terms of the agreement, SunGard Public Sector will offer Socrata’s innovative Open Data and Open Performance solutions, along with Socrata’s suite of financial transparency apps, to its customers across North America. The SunGard Public Sector/Socrata Open Data solution can help local governments and public safety agencies empower employees, so they can easily publish data and create powerful information resources for either citizens or internal decision-makers; enable citizens and employees to review, compare, visualize, and share their discoveries in real time; display a wide variety of data through visualizations, including bar, pie, and line charts, as well as maps for geocoded data.

For more information, visit www.sungardps.com/socrata.

Body armor system

Point Blank Enterprises (Point Blank) announces that the New York Police Department’s Emergency Service Unit (ESU) has awarded Point Blank a multiyear contract to outfit all ESU officers with its Alpha Elite body armor system. The NYPD ESU provides specialized support and advanced equipment to other NYPD units and also functions as a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit and NYPD hostage negotiation and rescue team. Known and regarded as the largest SWAT unit in the United States, the NYPD ESU was looking for a ballistic system that was lightweight and flexible, providing optimum coverage without sacrificing mobility and comfort. The Alpha Elite AXIIIA package was chosen based on these criteria and the company has begun shipments and measurements for the over 500 officers as part of this elite tactical unit.

For more information, visit www.pointblankenterprises.com.

New training module

ASIS International (ASIS) and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) are offering an online training module focusing on what private security professionals need to know about child victimization. The one-hour, self-paced module will discuss the nature and scope of missing and exploited children in the United States, what the private security officer needs to know in order to assist law enforcement, aspects of victim behavior, and how to access additional resources.

For more information, visit www.asisonline.org or www.missingkids.com.

Research and consulting

Northwestern University Center for Public Safety (NUCPS) is pleased to announce the re-launch of its Research and Consulting Division. Since it first opened its doors in 1936, NUCPS has provided research-based consulting to organizations in the public safety field. The re-launched Research and Consulting Division will engage NUCPS experts in consulting, implementation, and applied research projects on behalf of agencies in the United States and abroad to assist in building safer communities. Services offered by the division include employee assessment for selection and promotion, including chief of police selection; workforce planning, workforce diversity performance appraisal, coaching and mentoring, and succession planning; studies to improve operational effectiveness; strategic planning and strategy implementation; and staffing, resource allocation, and organization design. Additional services based on NUCPS expertise in traffic safety and leadership development will also be rolled out.

For more information, visit http://nucps.northwestern.edu.

Mobile solution for remote drug and alcohol testing

Corrisoft and ABK Remote Drug Testing Inc. announce their partnership in providing a mobile solution for remote testing of drug and alcohol use. State-of-the-art technology provides support services while increasing accountability for offenders re-entering society after incarceration. Corrisoft’s AIR (Alternative to Incarceration via Rehabilitation) platform combines a smartphone providing direct communication between offenders, supervising agency personnel, and Corrisoft’s re-entry specialists, with a small, secure AIR Connect bracelet that tethers the phone to the user. ABK Remote Drug Testing Inc.’s state-of-the-art drug testing application, eRam, features dedicated computer software that connects to a client’s camera in order to assess and monitor its subjects remotely through eye analysis and oral drug screen with a high degree of accuracy. Through this new partnership, eRam technology will now be available as a mobile app as part of the Corrisoft AIR platform in Indiana, providing mobile, remote drug and alcohol testing with the AIR platform’s comprehensive solution.

For more information, visit www.corrisoft.com or www.eramnow.com.

Solar panels with ballistic protection

A new solar panel system for defense forces provides ballistic protection and is lighter and more portable than systems currently available. The PowerArmor unit from IDG Europe has low-reflectance solar panels protected by an anti-ballistic surface made in an exceptionally strong unidirectional fiber-reinforced composite. The composite is based on an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber (UHMWPE) produced by DSM Dyneema. It replaces the aluminum normally used for portable solar panels, which provides no ballistic protection. The panels also weigh around 20 percent less than aluminum panels of the same thickness.

For more information, visit www.dsm.com or www.dyneema.com.

Network expansion for schools

Mutualink continues to expand its network of connected communities with a pilot program of Mutualink K12 at 20 schools in New York’s Oneida and Rockland counties. By joining the Interoperable Response and Preparedness Platform (IRAPP) network, these schools now have a direct link to police and other entities on the network as and when needed. In real-world simulations, the system has been shown to cut emergency response time by as much as 50 percent. It is an IP-based secure multimedia communications platform that bridges radio, video, telephone, and public address and intercom systems, giving first responders increased situational awareness and improving response time. Mutualink K12 is designed and licensed exclusively for K–12 schools, addressing the specific needs and limited budgets of school systems. ♦

For more information, visit www.mutualink.net.