24July05

From a friend in Europe:

"Knives (at least two, one of them a fixed blade). Laws here don't favor this, but, like you, I'm past caring. Expandable baton shares a front pock et with one of the blades. Fox OC goes in the left, outer pocket of my concealment garment. SureFire goes into a right-side vest pocket. I've ye t to find a good place for my cell phone. In Europe, you better be prepared to take care of yourself!

Some French cops on 'foot patrol' are now on roller blades! I didn't believe it myself until I saw it. Fast, but makes for poor footing during an arrest. French National Police (the Gendarmerie) carry new SIG Pro pistols (9mm) in Safariland SLS holsters. Apparently, no European manufacturer makes a holster that compares. European street cops are under-equipped (no Tasers, no OC), poorly trained (particularly with firearms), and generally held in low

esteem by citizens. Politicians regard them as highly-expendable, easily-replaceable cannon fodder, just as they have since the days of kings and czars. The only well-armed, well-trained police you'll ever find here are assigned to politicians' body-guard staffs!

While in Paris, I watched the politician in charge of local police (a =98 sub-minister;' In France, one can get elected to public office, and , at the same time, have a government job. Explains a lot about the sorry state France i s in) announce that they would stage a 'raid' in Paris' low-re nt district, ostensibly looking for 'contraband.' The next day, the raid went on as foretold: armed police in black balaclavas being enthusiastically greeted by an army of news cameras and commentators on curb. You can guess what they found: nothing! Policing by media. It's a brave, new world, or am I waxing cynica l?

I left for the USA a few days after the London bombings. There were few changes in airport security. Air Force troopers patrolled in three-man, in stead of two-man, teams. Each had a single, rifle magazine on his belt. None actually in the rifles. No sidearms."

Comment: Euro-weenies still regard terrorism as a British/American problem. I'm sure some day in the not-to-distant future, we'll have to rescu e them- again!

/John