NCJ Number
141468
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 60 Issue: 2 Dated: (February 1993) Pages: 33-34,37-44
Date Published
1993
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article profiles various types of police-vehicle equipment produced by specified manufacturers, which takes into account the limited space available for police equipment in the 1994 line of cars due to passenger-side air bags.
Abstract
Overall, police agencies should follow several guidelines when purchasing vehicles and installing equipment. They should consider purchasing vehicles with bucket seats, so as to maximize the space between the seats for equipment. They should purchase compact equipment or combine features of various pieces of equipment into one unit. Police agencies should also look at new designs in mounting hardware to assist in relocating equipment within the vehicle and mount equipment low and close to the floor to be well out of the way of a deploying air bag. In explaining the technical aspects of air bag deployment, this article notes that only the floor and the space between the front seats remain as possible equipment placement areas. Types of mounting hardware that take into account this limited space are described, and their manufacturers are identified. Other equipment items for which specifications and manufacturers are presented are shields; seats; video equipment; and other items such as a device to reduce fuel and maintenance costs, equipment for a K-9 unit, and a tachograph (combination clock, speedometer, odometer, tachometer, and recorder of vehicle operating information). A source listing for the equipping of the patrol vehicle presents the names, addresses, and phone numbers for manufacturers of various types of equipment.