Jogging gear can look like explosive vest Is that a suicide bomber...or just a jogger? Police in California report a piece of sports training equipment that could cause an officer to mistake an innocent jogger for a would-be suicide bomber. The item is a "weighted running vest," which affixes to the torso and back with shoulder straps and a wide, Velcro waistband. Large pockets front and rear can be filled with small-diameter, solid metal cylinders about the length of a shotgun shell to add extra poundage and thereby intensify a jogger's workout. "These vests are becoming popular among joggers, and it's likely we will see an increase of individuals utilizing them," cautions a photo bulletin circulated to law enforcement. "All personnel should use extreme caution when confronting any individual wearing a vest of this nature, as it's difficult to differentiate between a running vest and a suicide bomber's vest." Notes Cpl. John Chapman of the Presidio of Monterey (CA) P.D.: "This thing looks almost exactly like a homicide bomber vest. Our concerns include the obvious: implementing suicide-bomber response against someone training for a run, or the opposite, a real homicide bomber using this item to [disguise carrying] his device." Our thanks to Cpl. Chapman and George "Butch" Rogers, an instructor with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) and a member of the Force Science Research Center's Technical Advisory Board, for bringing the ambiguous vest to the attention of the Force Science News membership. |
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The FSRC was launched in 2004 by Executive Director Bill Lewinski, PhD. - a specialist in police psychology -- to conduct unique lethal-force experiments. The non-profit FSRC, based at Minnesota State University-Mankato, uses sophisticated time-and-motion measurements to document-for the first time-critical hidden truths about the physical and mental dynamics of life-threatening events, particularly officer-involved shootings. Its startling findings profoundly impact on officer training and safety and on the public's naive perceptions. For more information, visit www.forcescience.org or e-mail info@forcescience.org. If you would benefit from receiving updates on the FSRC's findings as well as a variety of other use-of-force related articles, please visit www.forcesciencenews.com and click on the "Please sign up for our newsletter" link at the front of the site. Subscriptions are free. | ||
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