HPD K-9 "Alpos" wanted me to post his favorite commercial from yesterday's Super Bowl.

Click Play Above

Which was your favorite?

Who is going to win the disturbance in Florida?

Design by Officer Quoc-Tuan Nguyen

Good morning HPD Bloggers, be the first blog fan to give me your prediction on the final score of Super Bowl XLIV by noon on Sunday. The first one that posts the closest to the actual score will win an HPD goodie bag that includes a T-Shirt and an HPD lapel pin. Good Luck!

MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR COMMENT SO THAT I MAY CONTACT YOU FOR YOUR MAILING ADDRESS.

"You looking at me?"

Most K-9 teams are assigned to patrol, while others are assigned to explosive and narcotics detection. Many of the dogs have a dual purpose and are as such trained. When not working, the dogs live with their handlers and their families.

Are you among us?

Design by Officer Quoc-Tuan Nguyen

Ordinary people doing the extraordinary to protect others. You are out there and you are interested or you would not be reading this blog. It takes a certain type of person to do this job. Not everyone is cut out for it and that is perfectly alright. My dad worked in the oil business and my mom worked in marketing. They are my heroes. You see heroes come in all sorts of packages. The literal meaning of the word is "protector" or "defender" and etymologically it is thought to be cognate with the name of the goddess Hera. It is also thought to be a cognate of the Latin verb servo (original meaning: to preserve whole) and of the Avestan verb haurvaiti (to keep vigil over). If you feel this is the right avenue for you to make a difference I invite you to do so by applying today.

No matter what you decide to do, it's up to you to decide how much of a difference you are willing to make.

White hat? Black hat? You decide.

Search, then Search again!

Click Play Above

A reader sent this video clip to me to show just how easy it is to hide a weapon on your body. Pretty amazing to watch.

Disappointed

"You give me a "donut" and it turns out to be only a toy!"

I know many readers of this blog are disappointed about the lack of academy classes scheduled for this year. Many of you have written emails wanting to know how come you have not been called in for an interview yet. If you have not read this post, please click here: http://www.hpdblog.com/2009/12/recruiting-unit-and-academy-class.html

The good news is that we are still accepting applications and still want you to apply. Apply online at www.hpdcareer.com and get into the system. Time really does go by very quickly. Before you know it, you will be getting the call to come in for an interview. As the economy improves employment numbers will go up. Funding for future classes could come about at anytime and it will be to your best interest to already have an application on file. Hang in there, I promise you that being a police officer for the City of Houston is well worth the wait!

HPD Lamb

The Italian automaker handed Antonio Manganelli, head of the Italian State Police, the keys to a Gallardo LP560 "Polizia" model that makes the Dodge Charger and Carbon E7 police cars look like a Crown Vic on its last legs.

The Gallardo Polizia is chock-full of high-tech equipment, not the least of which is that sweet 5.2-liter V10. It will propel the Gallardo Polizia to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, making it just the thing for chasing down criminals or making a run for espresso (or hot donuts).

The latest Polizia model is chock-full of high-tech gear, including a video camera and a GPS unit that will determine exactly how fast you were going when the “Italian Law” finally stops you. It even has a refrigerated cooler for transporting donor organs and a heart defibrillator behind the passenger seat. I wonder if it has cup holders.

I thought it would be fun to “Photoshop” the “real McCoy” above, and see what the Gallardo Polizia model would look like as an HPD patrol car.

Not bad…

“In dreams I think of you.”

Rain or Shine

Do you have what it takes?

A U.S. Department of Justice-funded research project focusing on the "Hiring In The Spirit of Service" initiative identified the following as core competencies for law enforcement officers:

•Ability to use good judgment and to problem solve
•Capacity for empathy and compassion
•Capacity for multi-tasking
•Ability to demonstrate courage and to take responsibility
•Ability to be resourceful and show initiative
•Demonstrating assertiveness
•Possess and demonstrate integrity
•Capacity for engaging in teamwork and ability to collaborate

Future of Policing?

A company called Carbon Motors www.carbonmotors.com has designed the E7—the world’s first purpose-built law enforcement patrol vehicle, designed by law enforcement, for law enforcement. Could this be the future of law enforcement? How cool would that be?

Maybe this K-9 would rather be at a baseball game...

Click Play Above