Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
Albert Schweitzer

Police in your country

Recommended Posts

Israel Police Force (in English).

I voted that they're often aggressive for no reason - but not for the reasons many people here assume. The everyday cop on the beat is too often a coarse, unsympathetic boor.

On the other hand, I don't envy them in any of their roles, whether in the traffic or anti-terror division or those plain ol' flatfoots.

edit: heres a link of some videos recordings from the dashboard camras if anybodies interestedhttp://www.statepatrol.ohio.gov/newsroom/video.htm

What's the name of that American TV show, where they show nothing but police chase videos?

I think I'll buy the boxed set for my boys. biggrin_o.gif

Where's Ralph Wiggum? He can tell us all about his dad.

wiggum.gif

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Most countries use smaller cars for their police force. Perhaps because they don't gert in many high speed chases? In California the Highway patrol tried using little Ford Mustangs...

chp109e.jpg

...for their cars for a year or two, but think they stopped after a few officers died in high speed crashes.

In almost all American police departments today, they use the trusty old Ford Crown Victoria.

pd1.jpg

http://www.modernracer.com/features/fordcrownvictoriacop.html

The Crown Victoria is a blast to drive - They weight upwards of 4000 pounds wow_o.gif yet they can really move for the tanks they are. Stock crown victoria's come with 4.9L 235HP V8 engines - not overly powerfull, but plenty of power to catch the bad dudes, and their weight makes it easy to perform a 'California Stop'. blues.gif

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The show is COPS, best TV after The Simpsons and A-Team reruns.

Yeah that's the *stock* engine in the Vic's, but that's not the way they hit the streets. They get a big boost, and they can really muscle anything short of a semi around.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

In most parts of Canada you will find 3 different levels of Police:

Regional/Local

Firstly, there are the Regional or City police departments. Cities and municpalities that have a large enough population will have thier own police services. These police will usually handle most of the crimes that are commited within city or municipal borders and the investigations that come with them.

The local police where I live now is the City of North Bay Police Department. When I'm not in North Bay, I live in St. Catharines, Ontario, which falls under the protection of the Niagara Regional Police.

Provincial,

Secondly, there are Provincial Police. These only exist in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec because they are the only two provinces with a population and territory large enough to justify a provincial police force. In Quebec they are known as the Sűreté du Québec (QPP) (en Francais). In Ontario they are known as the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

In cities or municipalities that have their own police forces, the OPP or QPP act as the highway patrol. In areas where there are no local cops, the OPP or QPP will fill out the roles of both a local police and a highway patrol.

(The OPP are the guys who busted me for doing 157k/ph in a posted 80 k/ph zone.  wink_o.gif  )

At the provincial level, there are also Conservation Officers. These police have the responsibility to catch poachers and people who break hunting and fishing regulations. They are usually armed with side arms, depending on the province but I'm pretty sure all of them have rifles and shotguns with them.

Federal

Thirdly, there is the federal police, known as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), more commonly called "Mounties" in Canada.

The RCMP has a huge number of roles within Canada. Outside of Ontario and Quebec, the RCMP will perform the roles of what the provincial and municipal police would perform in other areas of Canada that have them. So they do everything from handing out traffic tickets to investigating murders in small towns across Canada that have no local or provincial police. This is known as "contract policing".

Across Canada the RCMP does anything that would concern the federal government. This means anything from counter-terrorism initiatives to drug smuggling and corporate crime. They also perform protective duties for Federal Government ministers and foreign dignitaries. They even go over-seas on peacekeeping missions. I know RCMP officers were sent to the former Yugoslavia and Kosovo to investigate the mass graves.

That's it for now, I'll edit this to add more in a sec.

OK:

RCMP 1998 Crown Victoria:

GRCON190_GerardDonnelly.jpg

RCMP 2001 Ford Police Interceptor

GRCPE216_PierreBrabant.jpg

RCMP 2000 Chevrolet Impala

GRCON282_GerardDonnelly.jpg

These are the three models of police cruisers that you will encounter 95% of the time in Canada. Regional, Provincial, and Federal cops all use them.

When people from other countries think of the RCMP, they usually think of a "Mountie" wearing a scarlet tunic, riding boots, and a brown stetson. This uniform if for dress purposes only. When on duty, they wear normal police uniforms.

This was the best pic I could find that shows all of them:

present.jpg

As for weapons, it depends on which department you're talking about. Most local cops I encounter carry a Glock 22 in .40 S&W as their standard carry piece. I've also seen OPP and RCMP officers with Smith & Wesson 9mm pistols (DAO). Most, if not all police in Canada are also trained on shot guns and semi-auto carbines. The models of shot guns and rifles vary from department to department but I've seen everything from AR-15's to Mini-14's and Remington 870's.

ERT teams (local/provincial) have your usual assortment of MP 5's, M4 carbines, 12 guage shotguns, Glock pistols, etc.

As for the "friendly-ness" of Canadian police:

It all depends on which officer you encounter and what kind of a mood they are in. Accusations of police abuse aren't that common in Canada, so they aren't violent, but they can be dicks. I've found most officers to be friendly and calm, so long as you're not the one they're arresting.  wink_o.gif

Tyler

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Albert left out the middle stance between regular police and military personel.

The GSG 9 unit is a unit under state command and is no police unit. It´s a papramilitary unit to fight terrorist threats and reacts to threats on german citizens anywhere abroad.

The SEK (Sondereinsatzkommando) is the regular police unit to deal with hostage situations and organized crime. They have the full weapon loadout from sniper weapons to shotguns and submachineguns.

polizei_hubschrauber_sek_2.jpg

To assist the SEK´s with mobile forces there are several MEK´s (Mobile Einsatzkommandos) who assist the SEK´s with mobile forces.

There are other special units in germany but they are no strict police units. Those are the KSK (Kommando Spezialkräfte) the military special unit of the BW and the ZUZ (Zentrale Unterstützungseinheit Zoll) wich is used for special border operations.

At last we have the Kampfschwimmer (Verwendungsgruppe 3402) who are used for international operations.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote[/b] ]Einsatzkommandos

Eh?

I don't speak German, can you tell me what 'Einsatz' means in English?

Whenever I hear of it, I think of the 'Einsatzgrouppen' (sp?) that went around German captured territory in WW2 killing off the 'untermenschen'.  wink_o.gif

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
If I am correct the weapon used by our police is the Beretta Parabellum 92F 9mm. Shotguns are not in use. Instead short automatic rifles such as HKs are used.

I don't think German police is using Berettas. They use the HK P7 and some USP variants. wink_o.gif

P7(PSP)

P8

P10

P2000

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote[/b] ]They got pretty angry at me once (I was still a teeny) when the police in Michigan stopped our car and I got out right away. They dont like that in the US, do they? In germany it is kind of polite if you open the door to and get out instead of pulling the windows down!

In the U.S. and Canada, when you are pulled over by a cop you usually stay in your car unless ordered to get out by the officer.

When you got out of your car, the police assumed that you were either going to be confrontational with them or try to run away from them. That's why the officers got angry at you.

If the officer asks you to "step out of your vehicle" it's usually a bad thing.  wink_o.gif

Tyler

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote[/b] ]Einsatzkommandos

Eh?

I don't speak German, can you tell me what 'Einsatz' means in English?

Sort of police special forces.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

UK Police...

Shiny new G-36s

action10londong36clg.jpg

Bobbies.

273822.jpg

Mitsubishi Evo 6 copcar

uk_lancerevo62.jpg

charlie-police.jpg

Hmm...for counterterrorism is most probably the SAS.

sasassault10.jpg

The cops around here are pretty much better than they were a few years ago, but they tend not to pay attention to smaller incidents such as vandalism, harrassment, ect. which annoys me very much.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well the Victorian Police are fairly nice. I remenber well them coming to Primary school and spening a period teaching us about Police school and just last week I was singing "Your going home in the back of a Divvy Vab" a some smith stole something. My uncles a Police Officer.

The Victorian SWAT team alike is the Speacial Operations. (I thinks thats the name rock.gif ) I only saw them once in real life. In the back of a 5t truck arresting someone. Was some high profile murderour.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

<span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'>:: Sweden</span>

Each officer always carries a 9 mm pistol, a Sig Sauer 225 I believe.

gbg012.jpgV70XC_vinter.jpg

polis_stopp.jpghakan01.jpg

Piketstyrkan

One part of the police force is "piketstyrkan" (= the van force). They are more trained for special situations, and they are often used for arresting more dangerous suspects, breaking into appartments using flash bangs, heavier weapons and gear. They ride in vans. There are at least 3 separate van forces, one each for the three largest cities in Sweden.

piket4.jpgpik9070.jpg

Göteborg's piket force:

1: A culprit armed with an HK G3 attack the police

2: The piket force shoots him in the leg

3: ...and apprehends him

Nationella Insatsstyrkan

The elite national special police force, a SWAT equivilant. They are based in Stockholm but can be called out to anywhere in the country. They are used for the most dangerous situations, trained for/against hostage rescue, terrorism, kidnapping, etc. For example, they arrested Anna Lindh's murderer and were at the hostage situation at Stockholm Central last winter. The recruits are very, very carefully chosen. As a member of the special police force, you train with your group for two weeks, then you have regular police duty for two weeks, training two weeks, and so on. They often train together with specially trained military units and are mostly using MP5 and the L96A1 AW sniper rifle. Most of the members are ex elite soldiers. And the special forces are more of a military unit inside the police force.

ni3.jpgni.jpg

ni2.jpg

Photo 1: Member of the spec police force, two suspects on the ground

Photo 2: Two members of the spec police force, posing

Photo 3: Spec police force arresting mafia

Photo 4: One member of the group of spec police force (or possibly military, but probably not) in search of police killers (Malexander-morden)

In the 1973, there was a hostage situation in a bank in Stockholm, that lasted for 5 days. After a while the hostages felt that the police was the main threat, and they (the hostages) had a connection with the bank robber. This gave name to the Stockholm Syndrome.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You want stories? I got stories....

Breaking The Law

Its a dark fall night, a slight drizzle falling from the sky. I am driving my Volvo 240 (no laughing!!) on my way home from a hamburger run, stereo blasting away. Speeding down the main road through the city, sliiiightly above the speed limit, I suddenly see a "bobbing" red light in the middle of the road. Going up, down, up, down. I ponder as to what this might be, as I see no other lights, no vehicles, no people. As I draw closer, the light starts to bob faster. Closer still, I can see two thin, white stripes next to the light. White stripes? "Shit! A cop!". I realise this not very far from the officer in question, now frantically waving his torch and gesturing me to pull over. I hit the breaks and throw the car to the side of the road, into the bus-spot indicated by the officer. Hidden in the shadows is his cruiser and his partner, both approaching the car. A gentle tap on my window, and I begin to lower it, the music blasting out into the night sky. The fairly young police officer looks in and grins. Suddenly, the lyrics strike me...

"Feel as though nobody cares

If I live or die

So I might as well begin

To put some action in my life

Breaking the law, breaking the law!!"

Hmmm, I always knew metal was bad for you. The police officer shakes his head and tells me "You are lucky, I think, that this is just a sobriety test and not a speed test. As I can see you are clearly in a hurry, and I can hear you got your mind on other things, we will try to get this over with as soon as possible...."

Over all, a pretty nice guy. Considering I almost ran him down, while listening to Judas Priest and eating french fries (thats freedom fries to you guys over seas).

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

"Eh?

I don't speak German, can you tell me what 'Einsatz' means in English?"

Einsatz roughly means "insertion" or "deployment".

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Albert left out the middle stance between regular police and military personel.

The GSG 9 unit is a unit under state command and is no police unit. It´s a papramilitary unit to fight terrorist threats and reacts to threats on german citizens anywhere abroad.

The function of the GSG9 as a CT unit abroad has been largely (if not completely ) taken over by the KSK. The GSG9 had some bad publicity after a few terrorist shootouts in which they more or less executed them (not that I think there's anything wrong about that, though!).

The KSK is still relatively small, but will eventually become the main german CT force and protection/extraction force for germans abroad. The KSK first known CT deployment was the war in afghanistan in which they operated togehter with the US Navy SEALS

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

"Einsatz" has many meanings in the German language, but in rough terms it means something like "employment". As far as "Sondereinsatzkommando (SEK)" goes, it means something like "special purpose unit".

Just like Spetsnaz means "for special purpose". wink_o.gif

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
...

They got pretty angry at me once (I was still a teeny) when the police in Michigan stopped our car and I got out right away. They dont like that in the US, do they? In germany it is kind of polite if you open the door to and get out instead of pulling the windows down!

There are a couple of reasons they want you to stay in the car.  The first is their safety and to be able to control you.  The second is that if you are in the car, then they have to approach the car and look inside.  IF they observe something suspicious then they can legally search the car wothout your consent.  On the other hand if you exit the vehicle, then they have no reason or opporunity to look inside the car, making it more difficult for them to legally search it without your permission.

On Topic: In Kentucky the State Police drive these:

ksp106.jpg

ksp112.jpg

ksp117.jpg

I believe that the KSP use either 10mm or .45 auto semi-auto pistols of various manufacture. Couldn't find any decent pics of their uniforms.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×