An important weapon in the war on crime
With
our nation at it’s current state of high alert, each tool in
the law man’s arsenal for fighting crime has become more
critical than ever. For the police diver, one of his most
effective weapons, is the underwater metal detector. These
detectors are routinely used for evidence and weapons recovery
operations, and have been directly responsible for putting many
a criminals behind bars. Recently, divers from Mahoning County
Sheriffs Dept. in Ohio were searching for a weapon in a nearby
lake. "We were in an area that was thought to be clean of
any weapons. Everyone, myself included, was surprised when I
surfaced with not one, but three weapons", reported team
member Ben Kailer. "My most important recovery with the 8X
was made last fall. Three men brutally slashed and stabbed a
young girl to death. Police from two states were involved in the
case. The prosecutors were very anxious to locate the murder
weapon which had been thrown in a small lake with a soft mud
bottom and zero visibility. We searched for two days
without any luck. On the third day we moved our search 30 feet
beyond where we were told, and I found the knife with the 8X.
The three men are now awaiting trial."
For years law enforcement divers worldwide have counted on JW Fishers metal detectors. These detectors are in use by military units for mine detection, by customs service in their search for weapons and drugs, and even by the secret service and FBI. A recent report from the program coordinator of the FBI dive team that has several Fisher Pulse 8X detectors stated, " We rely greatly on our detectors and they perform tremendously for us. They remain our bread and butter for underwater search and recovery operations. We used them on a job in April and located a gun in about 10 inches of mud." The weapon FBI divers found was used in a multiple homicide case in Louisiana. The recovery of this evidence helped insure conviction of the perpetrators. Sometimes the detectors are used for pre-emptive operations. Japan’s National Police Office, purchaser of a large quantity of 8X units, searched land, beach, and underwater sites before representatives from 8 nations convened for a summit meeting in Okinawa.
The variety of tasks these detectors can accomplish are numerous. In addition to weapons recovery, the Pulse 8X with it’s interchangeable boat-deployed coils is routinely used to search for sunk vehicles and lost vessels. For more information on underwater metal detectors or a color brochure on all of Fishers quality underwater search products, contact Christopher Combs at JW Fishers Mfg. Inc., 1953 County St., East Taunton, MA 02718, USA. Phone: (800) 822-4744 or (508) 822-7330. Fax: (508) 880-8949. E-mail to jwfishers@aol.com or check out the web site at www.jwfishers.com
