Police Equipment

Closed-circuit cameras, electronic highway sensors, and real-time computers normally used for traffic control will be Big Brother-like observers as events unfold during the Democratic National Convention.

When local protests broke out this month over the Israeli invasion of Gaza, Los Angeles Police Department officials decided that officers at the scene should not immediately wear their riot helmets out of concerns the gear might escalate passions among the demonstrators. But the decision has now generated controversy after a protester hit an officer with the wood post of a protest sign during a march in Westwood.

The City Council this week voted unanimously to spend $84,000 in state funds provided for new police equipment. Paul Ratchford, Dana Point's chief of police services, said the money will be used to buy three laser radar guns, two patrol cars and mobile data terminals for the police cars. Some $10,000 of the state aid will be used to renovate and consolidate the police services offices so that all personnel and functions are at one location in the City Hall complex, Ratchford said.

Authorities are weighing charges against four people after a drug raid uncovered a large cache of weapons, police equipment and literature about bomb-making, Torrance police said. Officers found small amounts of methamphetamine and narcotics paraphernalia when searching a home in the 19700 block of Tomlee Avenue last Thursday, according to Torrance Police Officer David Crespin. They also found 30 to 35 handguns and rifles, along with ammunition, strewed throughout the house.

The City Council has approved spending $10,887 for police equipment such as portable radios, cellular telephones, binoculars and cameras. The money is from asset forfeiture funds the city received by participating in the Regional Narcotics Suppression Program. The council voted 3 to 2 Tuesday to approve the expenditure. Council members Toni Gallagher and Harold R.

Irvine police say that once in a while, every child needs something to cuddle. So starting Tuesday, Irvine squad cars each will carry a duffel bag filled with stuffed animals that officers can hand to young victims of crime or children taken into protective custody. "I think little things like that will help," Police Lt. Mike White said of easing the trauma faced by children.

The tally for an Explorer burglary ring has risen to as high as $30,000 in stolen goods and could go higher, according to Orange County Sheriff's Department officials who supervise the Explorer program. "These are supposed to be good kids," said Assistant Sheriff Dennis LaDucer. "I've been here 25 years and this is the first time we've ever had anything as serious as this," LaDucer said, referring to the weekend investigation that led to the arrests of five juveniles and an adult.

His officers have enough firepower for now, Huntington Beach Police Chief Ronald E. Lowenberg told the city's chapter of the National Rifle Assn., and they wouldn't need to upgrade to handle a situation like the North Hollywood bank robbery and shootout. But, Lowenberg told the group this week, the department is constantly reviewing how other agencies handle crises, and evaluating new equipment and tactics that might help officers.

Touting an array of new equipment--from a high-tech hazardous materials analysis kit to a $500,000 mobile command post--acting LAPD Chief Martin Pomeroy said Thursday that the department is "better off than it was a year ago." "I believe we're prepared for whatever may come our way," he said. On the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Los Angeles Police Department will have 2,300 officers on patrol, about one-third more than before, the chief said.

Five youths who are current or former Explorer Scouts are under investigation for allegedly stealing more than $20,000 worth of police equipment, officials said Monday. Lt. Richard J. Olson, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department, said that Paul B.

Los Angeles police Capt. Dennis Kato stands in a rooftop parking lot, a device in hand resembling a clunky 1980s-era cellphone. He selects Korean from the device's menu, then speaks into the microphone: "Medical assistance." A speaker on his vehicle booms in Korean: "If you require medical assistance, please approach the nearest officer." Switching to Spanish, Kato says: "Welcome." The screen lights up: "Welcome to this event. We are here to facilitate your 1st Amendment rights."

The Iraqi government has ordered all policewomen to hand in their guns for redistribution to men or face having their pay withheld, thwarting a U.S. initiative to bring women into the nation's police force. The Interior Ministry, which oversees the police, issued the order late last month, according to ministry documents, U.S. officials and several of the women. It affects all officers who have earned the title "policewoman" by graduating from the police academy.

Charles "Sid" Heal stands excitedly in the parking lot of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's station in San Dimas, tinkering with a prototype for the ominously named "Active Denial System." With one zap from what looks like a satellite dish on a tripod, those within target range feel a burning sensation on their skin. Heal, a Sheriff's Department commander, tested the device on himself. "It is like stepping into a scalding shower. You are going to step back quickly," Heal said.

As part of an anti-terrorism effort, the Los Angeles Police Department is now equipping a helicopter and officers on the ground with devices capable of detecting potential radiological weapons or materials used in so-called dirty bombs. Police Chief William J. Bratton said a new suitcase-size device for one of the LAPD's helicopters can detect "radiation signatures" from up to 800 feet above ground. In addition, the LAPD bought six hand-held units that officers on the ground can use.

Calling it a life-and-death issue, the Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday ordered a more detailed probe into problems with the department's hand-held radios and for development of a replacement plan. Newly elected board President Anthony Pacheco said a report from Chief William J. Bratton did not go far enough in addressing breakdowns and plans to swap out the 10,500 ASTRO hand-held radios.

Britain is attaching cameras to the caps and helmets of police officers, tightening a web of video surveillance that is the most extensive in the world. The country has a network of about 4 million closed-circuit cameras, and privacy advocates complain that the average Briton is recorded as many as 300 times a day. The Home Office said it was allocating $6 million for the plan, enough to buy more than 2,000 cameras for the country's 42 police departments.

The next time a police officer shines a flashlight in your face and starts asking questions, your answers may be more revealing than you think. Some officers are now armed with law enforcement's hottest new weapon against drunk driving--the PAS III Sniffer, a hand-held alcohol-detection device concealed in a flashlight. Able to estimate blood-alcohol content based on just four seconds of conversation, the technology takes the standard police sniff test to a more objective--and exact--level.

Authorities are weighing charges against four people after a drug raid uncovered a large cache of weapons, police equipment and literature about bomb-making, Torrance police said. Officers found small amounts of methamphetamine and narcotics paraphernalia when searching a home in the 19700 block of Tomlee Avenue last Thursday, according to Torrance Police Officer David Crespin. They also found 30 to 35 handguns and rifles, along with ammunition, strewed throughout the house.

The Police Commission agreed this week to issue Tasers equipped with small cameras to 55 officers for a test program after supervisors concluded that the recorded scene may be helpful in case of litigation. A report by the Firearms and Tactics Section also identified training concerns. Among those were the need for officers to learn not to cover the camera when holding the Taser with two hands, and the loss of picture when officers lower the Taser after use.

Scotland Yard has called the fashion police. The bobby's uniform of the British police force may be iconic, but many officers are tired of their foot-high helmets toppling off when they chase suspects. The force has recruited students from the London College of Fashion, whose alumni includes shoemaker-for-the-stars Jimmy Choo, to help redesign the uniform for the 21st century, Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Steve Roberts said.