One in the Chamber

Patrol ready: your gear AND your mind.

With thousands of Vehicle Codes, Health and Safety Codes and Penal Codes, patrol officers must be able to access an enormous amount of information at a moment’s notice. I worked in a very busy city. I was continuously measuring the priority of handling calls for service, submitting reports, conducting follow-up investigations and proactively initiating contacts. Of these, my favorite functions was making contacts such as traffic stops and pedestrian stops. The best tool I had in my gear bag for this is the TacBook, because a quick glance refreshed me on particular laws to initiate a stop within seconds. I had step-by-step DUI procedures at the ready, for example. It is color-coded and numerically organized so when I saw a good stop, I could evaluate the law’s elements and make the stop with no time wasted. The TacBook helped me to further enjoy the best parts of police work and still get my reports in on time. Like keeping one in the chamber, keep this in your back pocket; its all part of being Patrol Ready.