The Precision Intervention Technique, or PIT maneuver, is a driving technique designed to stop a fleeing motorist safely and quickly by hitting the fleeing car at a specific point on the vehicle, which throws the car into a spin and brings it to a stop. When executed by a trained officer at slow speeds on [...]
Representative Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced a bill this week to move the US Coast Guard from the Department of Homeland Security to the Department of Defense. The bill won’t pass, and may never make it to the floor, but the idea of moving under the DOD has some worried how the Posse Comitatus Act might [...]
One of the better publications by any USCG public affairs office is now in its second issue. The Winter 2010 Deployable Operations Group Sentinel covers a lot of ground, and includes articles on the death and memorial service of PO3 Lin and some very good shots of a ferry takedown exercise in NYC. Required reading.
San Diego’s Examiner is reporting the city of San Fernando has been forced to settle with a USCG Reserve Boarding Officer after he filed a civil lawsuit for battery, false arrest, and civil rights violations. The suit was brought after San Fernando Police Officer Marshall Mack stopped Diaz in his vehicle to determine the status [...]
Armed on the water for nearly a decade, I know an unstable and constantly moving boat is tough to shoot from with any accuracy, even at close distances. I’m also aware of men out there who make it look almost too easy, firing rounds with precision into small moving targets hundreds of yards away. Fredrik [...]
Every MLEO considering self defense at one time asks if a boat moving to ram their own can legally be considered a deadly weapon. Here’s your answer from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. In 1985 Luis Gustavo Gualdado, Domingo Fernandez, and Francisco Morales, were attempting to smuggle a large quantity if cocaine into Miami, [...]
Sections from William & Mary Law Review, Vol 34, Issue 3, Shelton At first glance, the full extent of the Coast Guard’s authority to stop and board vessels on any federal waterway at any time for any reason is surprising. This surprise is heightened by the realization that this authority is unique to the Coast [...]
Sections from William & Mary Law Review, Vol 34, Issue 3, Shelton The development of the U.S. Coast Guard’s law enforcement power and the focus of that power have evolved, like the development of many government agencies, in response to perceived or actual crises. From the founding of the Coast Guard as a tool to [...]
An intense discussion is ongoing at The Hull Truth message boards, sparked by a boater angry over a U.S. Coast Guard boarding of his vessel. The initial poster claims his vessel was stopped four times in six weeks by USCG units near Fort Lauderdale, FL and that officers were increasingly rude and harassing with each [...]
Thanks to the Hickory crew for supporting a great cause. Their concept for a zombie infested ship brings to mind Cold Fear, a video game where a USCG member picks up the Navy’s slack after a SEAL team is slaughtered on a vessel suffering a similar outbreak. The gameplay was bogus, but offered some important [...]
A great exercise that should be repeated in more jurisdictions if its not already being done. The fact specialized units, like marine patrol and dive, were included only makes it better. This year has already seen at least one domestic case of a child being taken on board a vessel. The more this type of [...]
Recently my wife and I decided that given the state of this world and the fact we live in the Hampton Roads area, that we needed a Bug-Out Kit. Practical? Hell yes! I started thinking about the kit after I saw the flooding in Nashville. It was a storm that literally just surged without warning….unlike [...]
This article is more a sales pitch for the National Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (NMLEA) than anything else. It does however raise important issues in the training received and operations conducted by local, state, and private agencies responsible for maritime security duties and the steps being taken by the federal government to remedy shortfalls. Web [...]
When the real thing happened in Mumbai, depending on the news source, the local fishermen either immediately reported the suspects, or backed off when one responded, “Don’t hassle me. I’m in a terrible mood.” Either way, the terrorists made it into taxis and started a wave of death and destruction spanning three days that left [...]
Very cool opportunity for the USCG… what do you call them now… Precision Marksman? Sniper? Sharpshooter? Regardless the terminology, this reads like PO2 Harris’ sniper team competed and, even though they missed the win, learned something from the experience. Great job guys. Remember to pass that knowledge along to your peers as the program continues [...]
In my job, one of the most common topics that comes up usually starts with “what if”. We all know the what if. What if I am attacked by a ninja with throwing stars, what if he has a bat and is getting ready to throw it at me, what if there is a pack [...]
Recently USCGC Escanaba was featured in a write up that involved their efforts conducting joint training with Colombia and Honduras. Well, it seems that will no longer be the key event in their trip down south. Be sure that your people know about this event. Be sure that you discuss this with them and what [...]
For more than 20 years now, a concept called the 21-Foot Rule has been a core component in training officers to defend themselves against edged weapons. Originating from research by Salt Lake City trainer Dennis Tueller and popularized by the Street Survival Seminar and the seminal instructional video “Surviving Edged Weapons,” the “rule” states that [...]
