Heuresis’ HBI-120 is a rugged, ergonomic, handheld backscatter X-ray instrument that enables users to find concealed explosives, narcotics and other contraband, even through 12-gauge (over 2 mm thick) steel — more than twice the thickness of typical motor-vehicle body panels, according to the company.

First Line Technology says it received new lab results confirming that Dahlgren Decon neutralizes 100 per cent of carfentanil in under five minutes. The data shows Dahlgren Decon yields a greater than 99.9 per cent neutralization of carfentanil in under two minutes and 100 per cent neutralization of carfentanil in under five minutes.

Axon Citizen is new a public safety portal that allows community members to submit evidence directly to law enforcement agencies for open crime cases. Axon says Citizen accelerates the review of video evidence so officers can spend “more time solving the crime and less time processing mass amounts of data.”

Roshel Defence Solutions has introduced its new Observation and Video Surveillance Armoured Vehicle, based on the Toyota Land Cruiser V8 (J200) and specifically designed to provide border patrol and law enforcement agencies with “observation, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to facilitate their missions in various terrains.”  

Guardian Angel says its latest wearable LEDs keep officers and first responders safer on duty. The ‘Elite Series’ of personal safety lights feature a polycarbonate exterior, waterproof casing (rubber gaskets line the interior) and a 360-degree light aspect ratio, which Guardian Angel says provides over 3 km of visibility.

Panasonic has launched the 2018 version of its 2-in-1 detachable laptop, the Toughbook 20. At 3.9 pounds, this fully rugged laptop is suited for today’s workers on-the-go, the company says.

Xplore’s ruggedized, mobile law enforcement tablet PCs move easily from the patrol car to any situation where the police can safely record information and access secure CJIS information. With in-vehicle and mobile wireless connectivity, Xplore’s vibration-resistant and extreme temperature-resistant tablets survive the patrol environment, according to the company, and feature ID barcode scanners as well as E-citation abilities.

Ganz Security’s LightGuard flashlight camera/recorder is an IP66-rated, 1080p portable camera and flashlight that incorporates switchable far/near LED light, IR lighting, an onboard screen for local playback and an SD card for recording. It also has an emergency notification alarm for additional safety and an RFID reader capability for route patrol recording.

Information Builders has launched its Accelerators, a set of pre-configured analytical capabilities. These vertical-specific accelerators — including one for law enforcement — provide data management, integration and analytics necessary to explore data and answer common industry questions. The Accelerator helps agencies “identify key trends and various risk factors through a variety of predefined content that allows officials to understand the dynamics and relationships between diverse data points.”

LensPen says its molecular carbon cleaning technology is now available in a new line specially designed for law enforcement. LensPen is used to clean scopes and night vision goggles of tactical units, lenses on forensic photographers’ cameras, even the lenses on dashboard and body cameras. The technology consists of a retractable natural brush at one end and a cleaning tip at the other. Every time you twist the cap back on, the carbon in the cleaning tip is recharged and each product will provide more than 500 cleanings, according to the company.

DT Research’s vehicle mount tablet solution includes a 12.5-inch, full HD display tablet with a slim folding keyboard cradle. The IP65 military standard DT325T tablet can be used in and out of vehicles or wall mounted. It was designed with support for Windows Hello face authentication and optional 4K Ultra HD displays. The tablet includes DT Research’s hot-swappable battery pack to avoid downtime in time-critical situations as well as an optional camera, RFID reader, GNSS, 2D barcode scanner and optional mobile broadband connection.

When people mentioned “meditation” to me in the past, I thought of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love book and the far-away ashram she attended where schedules were strict, the silences long and the mental work intense.

Mental Health Awareness: Practical Skills for First RespondersBy Stephanie Miloknay and Marc Laferriere; 2017, 302 pagesISBN: 978-1-77255-255-3

Leaving the scene of an accident to avoid criminal liability for possessing a stolen vehicle still fits the main component for a Criminal Code hit and run charge, as we see in R. v. Seipp, 2018 SCC 01.

Over the last year, we have seen innovations in the surveillance space create more accurate analytics, higher resolution cameras, and better video compression.

In my last column I explored the importance of adopting the right attitude towards work through the topic of epigenetics. The truth is that a great deal of our time is spent at work and that has repercussions on our health.

The word resilience has been a buzzword in the world of policing for several years now and its essential role in our successful mental health and wellbeing also makes it known as a top-notch performer. Resilience is infused in our training programs, such as Road 2 Mental Readiness, and is heavily promoted as our recruits begin their journey as first responders.

I am in the midst of another round of assessments for police wannabes. As usual, almost all the candidates are lovely young people, with much cleaner personal histories than mine, who appear virtuous (to the point of being nauseating), and who generally want to save the world.

In my previous life, I was directly involved with Ontario corrections, first as an officer and then as a frontline operational manager. I left the field to further my education and I have just recently completed my master’s degree. My master’s research honed in on administrative and investigative processes in corrections in Canada as well as across the world.

As I sit down to write this (late February), a flood warning for my hometown (St. Marys, Ont.) has just been lifted and the residents of Brantford, Ont., who were evacuated due to the mid-February inundation, have been allowed to return home. My personal social media feeds have been teeming with videos and photos showing the dangerously high Thames River.

Hindsight is not the measuring stick by which courts should judge police decisions in how warrants are executed, so says Ontario’s top court.

What if your officers could use one single computing device to access all their law enforcement applications and data? It’s a vision shared by many CIOs (chief information officers) and IT directors in the policing world.