There is no obligation, but it would be great if you could declare your interest. I am certainly curious. It may help people's answers too.
As a civvy I canot really add any comments from practical experience - It would just be my opinion on what would suit. So I will stay out of the debate.
And good comments have already been made about how it depends on usage/cop role, at the very least, eg car vs on foot vs bike etc. And maybe personal preference, if not standard issue.
You would also think that cop cars and bikes already have tool kits on board of some sort. So are you referring mainly to foot officers?
My observations are that foot police officers have an awful lot of gear on them already in the dozens of pouches on their belts and webbing!! So light and compact is probably important.
Around Sydney and elsewhere I have heard that an MT is not standard issue, so carrying one is a personal option. I know some cops would never be without one, others do not bother. You certainly see this around - Some have the additional MT on their, belt others do not. For me as an MT 'believer' - I would think every cop should have some sort of MT. I would imagine they'd be used every day.
I doubt that you are going to find anyone or anywhere in the world that has more information on multitools than this site here. and, we have a number of members in law enforcement around the world, and they can offer a variety of opinions on what works best for them.
Like most people, cops tend to be people, and have different likes, dislikes, wants and needs in a tool, and frankly, most of the current "cop oriented" tools are utter garbage- 888 knives for example.
If you are a buyer looking for info on what tools to purchase for your department, then I would suggest that you look at some of the OHO offerings from Leatherman, such as the Wave. It's not the best tool out there (arguably), but it is very reliable, and the OHO blades could help an officer in a number of situations.
If I recall correctly, Calibre Press has done a number of articles in the past about multitools, as has Blue Line magazine. I don't have copies from either to share, but I'm certain if you were to try contacting them they may be able to help.
Interesting topics. My advise is be mindful of forum rules.
It's OK to ask questions and throw around ideas, however if you are doing research for business purposes then contact a mod for the right privileges to do business here.
One thread for an idea is normal. When you start five then it gets suspicious. Glad to have you here and it is an interesting idea. But please respect the forum and the work these guys and gals do here.
I think Demel is just mentioning if your research is for business purposes or to make anyone money then you will need to speak with Grant, Admin, or a Mod. If you are purely just interested in this information and there is no profit being made from your findings then enjoy yourself and ask as many questions as you like. You have been very respectful and we are glad to have you with us on the forum.
I am not planning to design or manufacture a multitool. But I try to make these police topics a place on the web, where police agencies world-wide can find focused guidance for their multitool policy. And manufacturers may profit from the ideas that are expressed in the police topics on this forum.
Quote from: Huntsman on May 07, 2016, 03:25:04 PMAs a civvy I canot really add any comments from practical experience - It would just be my opinion on what would suit. So I will stay out of the debate.Please join the police discussions. I value your intelligent comments highly, like the opinions of many other forum members here. ......
Most first responders etc seem to carry what they are issued or just some low end, cheap tool (if they need to pay for it)
Quote from: Rico-2 on May 07, 2016, 04:22:46 PMQuote from: Huntsman on May 07, 2016, 03:25:04 PMAs a civvy I canot really add any comments from practical experience - It would just be my opinion on what would suit. So I will stay out of the debate.Please join the police discussions. I value your intelligent comments highly, like the opinions of many other forum members here. ......OK I will I think the Skeletool would be great for police.Smallish, lightweight, good (but not extensive) collection of functions, convenient and easy to use, and of course the new one has the glass breaker, and the serrated blade woud be good for clothing, rope etc.Although I guess they would have it in a pouch rather than using the clip. Or maybe the Rebar??And I did not think of this - Either from the individual purchase, or municipal police buying department perspective Let's face it LM's are expensive!
Ok I think we can move on and just all be happy that the rescue tool subforum has some life in it.Although personally I think mall security guards can get by with more weight.
Quote from: yud on May 07, 2016, 08:54:46 PMOk I think we can move on and just all be happy that the rescue tool subforum has some life in it.Although personally I think mall security guards can get by with more weight.From the ones I see over here, they could LOSE some weight...
Quote from: pfrsantos on May 12, 2016, 11:42:12 AMQuote from: yud on May 07, 2016, 08:54:46 PMOk I think we can move on and just all be happy that the rescue tool subforum has some life in it.Although personally I think mall security guards can get by with more weight.From the ones I see over here, they could LOSE some weight... True, my point is that they need not abide by the strict 5oz weight limit on MTs, that is so important to the small Asian female officer who are clearly are taking over the police departments of the world.
Hey RicoOn this site, as you well know - We will talk about multitools, their various uses, and users, until the cows come home However I can't help but feel you are in the wrong place for some of these discussions.As ultimately we (this forum) cannot influence things. We are just multitool fanatical lay people, although we do have a few LEOs as members, and some of us have LEO friends.In your various threads we are straying from the multitool itself, into the situations in which they are used, and how emergency service people should be equipped/trained.Is there a police officers/first responders community, or blog site, or discussion, or training forum?Or possibly a crisis management community - Maybe one of the global NGOs such as the Red Cross, who deal with these matters.These would be a great place to discuss your ideas. And/or maybe you should be standing as a local coucillor, or member of parliament, with the ultimate goal of being the minister responsible for public services and disaster management. Or even target becoming a chief constable, or police training or equipment manager/director.In that way your great ideas can be implemented - at least in your country, or area of responsibility.You have some very definitive views on these topics - So I think the time is right to stop the discourse, and start taking action.What do you think?
From what I can tell locally, most are Leathermans. If not a Leatherman, it will be a Gerber. I know there are several full sized Super Tools and Cores in use on the local SWAT team. Yep, I do get funny looks whenever I inquire what multi-tool they use. I have also noted a few old Leatherman PST, a few waves. Oddly no Charges. If a Gerber, mostly MP600s. Surprisingly enough, the local constabulary do not go for black oxide finishes. Just an observation. Likewise, many do not appear to have a multi-tool on their duty belt.
Have you tried contacting this man? He is known to some simply as "Master", I'm assuming that may even surpass "expert". (Image removed from quote.)His govermont name is Steven.