Good Luck

Good luck on your new 2009 Chevrolet Impalas! Hope the supervisor over fleet understands he just placed the battery of a vehicle over the life of a Deputy.

What are you talking about ?? you have to give more details than that .

I think what they are refering to is on the new 09 cars certain members of fleet decided it would be a great idea to place a 45 minute timer that will kill everything extra in your vehicle. This means your WT battery, Flashlight, computer etc.. So after you finish your lunch break or have been in the office, bookin finishing paper work and have a member on your shift screaming foot pursuit. You get there to assist and WOW you have no flashlight cause its dead. Great thinking fleet. Instead of punishing the people that dont know how to unplug there crap, they punish all.

Ah. another example of the genius thinkers we have at the top.

Oh yeah, hmmmmmm ........ now I get it. You drive it to and from work, to your home, you pay for no gas or oil, the department repairs it and insures it, and you want to complain. Because you won't keep your flashlight charged. As if we don't know they don't die after the shut-down mentioned. Now I get it! It isn't the job you do that is important, it is the window dressing! WT's don't go dead during a lunch break either. Maybe I am missing something? The testing they are doing on the equipment will let them know what repairs/changes are needed.
The KEY is for YOU to send your suggestions based on first-hand knowledge and experience, to the right people documented by the copy of the memo form you submit. Try thinking about it from the top rather than from the bottom. Dry the eyes and drive safe ... and buckle up too.

To the original guest who posted the message, this is a petty complaint and you need to grow up, however, to "Just Tom" I believe part of the blame lies at the top and Ill explain. The original guest is probably a newer deputy and I can only assume Tom that you have probably been with the Sheriff's Office for many years so having said all this, look at my opinion in this response, and your expierence, from this point of view. The majority of deputies being hired these days are not like the deputies of years past. Todays deputy is right out of college, or mommy's home with absolutely NO life expeirence ( excuse me, they consider college life to be "life expierence") and most, not all, are immature and have watched COPS on tv and think that all police work is running 10-18 and vehicle pursuits but they have a degree so the agency thinks they are ready to handle this job, NOT SO MUCH. I hear complaints from new hires because the TAKE HOME CAR they were issued when they were hired has 30,000 + - miles on it ( mine had 98,000+ and smelled like an ash tray & foot locker) but I was proud to have it and to this day ( 11yrs and going ) I still wash/wax my patrol car MYSELF. I hear new deputies whinning because they didnt get a new computer right out of the box ( try hand writting that 10, 20, sometimes 70+ page report ). I actually heard a new hire complaining because this IDIOT thought he was being issued a used Glock when he was going through s.t.e.p because the gun was dirty( what the moron didnt realize, because he's too young and immature to know ,was the company tests fires every gun before its shipped so there is gonna be a little grime on it) nevermind the fact that you were being issued a brand new gun, with night sights, kick-ass led light, and other bells & whistles, but it had some powder on it so you whine. Oh and by the way, aside from the high speed led light and 3-point sling the Sheriff put on EVERY shoutgun,the approx: $400,000.00 the Sheriff just spent to buy you the BRAND NEW AR-15 you will soon be issued with all the expensive upgrades, might have a little grime on it from being test fired, so prepare yourself. Ive got some tissue if you need it. Ill be the first to admit that I sometimes go on complaint spree's but its to co-workers when are having a vent session among ourselves, not on here, so quit you boo hoo'n about a kill switch that doesnt make you job any more dangerous. But if you still cant come to terms with it, I havent heard of any other agency putting these horrible kill switches in thier cars so feel free to go apply there. Yeah I didnt think so.

After reading this and listening to others, I have to ask this question:

if the car shuts down after a certain length of time (50+ minutes or so) and stops charging items in my car, such as a flashlight, and I work night shift. What about Monday evening? Are these batteries going to hold a decent to strong charge over the weekend so I can use it first thing Monday evening and use it for any length of time? Or should it be a wiser investment in buying my own flashlight and not dealing with it.

"Or should it be a wiser investment in buying my own flashlight and not dealing with it."

You should absolutely have a backup flashlight, preferably one on your gunbelt. Have you ever gone into a building on a bright sunny day, only to realize it's very dark inside and you didn't bring your issued flashlight with you? Have you ever had batteries on a flashlight die during a search or track? What about breaking the bulb? Reason enough to buy your own flashlight and not just because some sort of governor might be placed on your car.

i doubt the kill switch will get anyone killed for lack of flashlight or radio. if you're in a life threatening situation and you're mag light dies,you'll probably have your gun light on anyway. a little planning goes a long way on this one. swap radio batteries when you get in for work. make sure your light is charging as you head to work\briefing. at a minimum you'll get a solid thirty minutes of charge and won't get caught without a mag light.

that being said,flashlight user makes an excellent point; by a backup flashlight. the mag lights are solid and reliable but by no means indestructable. its never a good time to have your light die. have a backup for those times when the gun light isn't the right option.

having wasted money before let me suggest the following to new people.

-buy rechargeable(the cost of lithium batteries adds up fast)
-buy led. they last longer,are generally brighter and give a nice solid light till they die
-brighter is better
-buy one with a strobe function. its great for flagging cars and dogs just hate it
-get a car charger for those times you forget to charge it
-ask a friend before you buy. streamlight and surefire make great lights,innova lights have switching problems
-buy a holster for the light with a snapping or velcro cover. if you run with k9,search tight spaces,or get rained on regularly you'll appreciate a nice safe place to put your investment.

Somebody hand me the Kleenex.

What would these children do if they drove a car with 130,000 miles, used a Kel Light (D cell, no rechargeables), never heard the word Taser, no laptop (hell, no computer, no internet), no WT.

Imagine that, girls. Imagine 4am, no portable communications and 25 miles from the nearest Deputy. Imagine hand writing reports (on EVERY call..no 10-98 Papa), using WHite Out instead of the backspace key.

Law enforcement like it once was would kill you. I know it's not yesteryear, but somehow those who preceded you made it OK without all the bells and whistles you enjoy.

So, ride around in your late model car, turn up the AC and enjoy.

Yeah, but... Back then the Bad guys didn't have these toys either.. No offense, I see what your saying. However, Now a days the bad guys have flashlights and guns and internet access on their phones, they also have Push to Talk Wt's on their phones. Which means their "boys" (back-up) right around the block. Just something to think about... not arguing. Be Safe guys. :devil:

Somebody hand me the Kleenex.

What would these children do if they drove a car with 130,000 miles, used a Kel Light (D cell, no rechargeables), never heard the word Taser, no laptop (hell, no computer, no internet), no WT.

Imagine that, girls. Imagine 4am, no portable communications and 25 miles from the nearest Deputy. Imagine hand writing reports (on EVERY call..no 10-98 Papa), using WHite Out instead of the backspace key.

Law enforcement like it once was would kill you. I know it's not yesteryear, but somehow those who preceded you made it OK without all the bells and whistles you enjoy.

So, ride around in your late model car, turn up the AC and enjoy.


Good thing technology got better so you can complain it. You sound like my father who had to walk 5 miles to get to school while I rode a bus. I dont care about the flashlight issue, thats fine, there's ways around that.

My only concern and hopefully someone can explain or say for a fact, but what about our radio batteries. If our chargers are in our cars and we do our normal routine, wont these batteries start to have a memory and shorten the life span? My batteries at the moment I can change at the beginning of shift and it's good the entire shift. If I get into my car on a monday, being off since Thursday, would I not have a charged battery, therefore making it unsafe until I get a battery that is? If someone truly knows this answer please say so.

We have timers, but ours are set for 2 hours. Arriving with a dead flashlight is better than not arriving at all b/c my car won't crank. BTW, I always carry a backup flashlight on my duty belt.

Are you serious? If you are in Patrol aren't you supposed to be doing "patrols". If you are then you should be driving looking for crimes and trying to prevent crime from happening, not sitting at the substation or parked at a business blacked out. If you patrol then your car wont shut off. Also they will give you a cable at supply to take inside the house and plug in your charger so you can charge your flashlight. Also you are given a cable from IT for your computer to take it inside buildings, i.e. your home, and use it. It should not be left inside your vehicle when you are off work, so take it inside your home and charge it. then when you go to work and plug it into the hard wire cable in the car it will run off the car and still have a full battery. wow...

PRIOR PLANNING PREVENTS PISS POOR PERFORANCE.

I just have to sound off again. To bestguest, look at the date of the original posting of this topic. Yeah thats right 06-29-09, and here you are making a comment, basically repeating what everybody else has said, on 08-04-09. Lets try a new topic. I know, lets try something positive FOR A CHANGE like the 30+ new SSO's were getting that will greatly reduce the amount of barking chicken calls deputies have to respond to and will give them a chance to do something other than 10-65. Better yet, wait about a month to respond bestguest.