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As the supply of traditional surplus to army/navy stores has declined, the law enforcement and security market has increased.
While the need to fill a merchandise gap is important, other elements contribute to the growth of this market, particularly the heightened concern for safety following 9/11. Americans have become more security conscious, and a well-stocked army/navy store can become a full supplier to both the citizen and the law enforcement professional.
But fiscal restraints and government budget cuts have begun to undercut this market, said John Raine, president of Raine, Inc., one of the nation's largest suppliers of nylon duty gear.
The law enforcement side of his business has slowed, while the military side, because of deployment of troops, is booming.
The slowdown is largely the result of budget crunches
"Municipalities are cutting back on their spending," said Raine, noting that his retail customers, which include army/ navy stores, police suppliers and uniforms stores report tougher times.
However, the growth of the U.S. corrections industry has partially offset the decline. Raine has carved out a niche supplying corrections officers and sells directly to the Indiana prison system
While most police departments favor leather for police duty gear, nylon is preferred for tactical operations and for the military.
"The advantages of nylon over leather are that it is lighter, easier to clean, waterproof and weather proof," said Raine.
Nylon also is a more flexible and is a better material for the attachments that are used with tactical body armor.
"The military and tactical go together," said Raine.
BlackHawk Products Group of Norfolk, Virginia originated in 1991 as a supplier of military tactical gear and has grown to feature more than 3000 different products in its catalog, said spokesperson Laura Burgess. In 2003 BlackHawk added law enforcement products and has continued to expand that category.
The aim of CEO and founder Mike Noell, "is to outfit the soldier and the tactical police officer from head to toe," Burgess explained. .
Law enforcement products include body armor, duty gear, breaching tools, holsters, flashlights, ballistic helmets and tactical footwear.
BlackHawk's SERPA holster is designed with a unique retention system, said Burgess.
"The user can put his index finger on the retention button and withdraw the gun in a safe position."
Tamiami International Equipment in Miami Florida has supplied self-defense products to the military and law enforcement since 1959.
Originating as a gun shop, Tamiami no longer sells firearms and no longer has a retail operation.
"We wholesale to army and navy stores, police departments and the military and we also export," says president John Katon.
Tamiami's product line includes body armor, ballistic helmets, metal detectors, gas masks, pepper spray and stun guns and both hand held and walk through metal detectors.
"Business is excellent," Katon said. "After 9/11 our industry boomed. The government always needs to replace equipment and is constantly upgrading and constantly sending more and more people overseas, so it there is an ongoing need for supplies. Tamiami is, if not the largest, one of the largest suppliers of this self defense and security of equipment in the world."
Street safety
Valor of Miami, Florida wholesales a wide range of law enforcement and security equipment, including batons, handcuffs, duty gear, martial arts tools, stun guns and OC spray. Stun guns by Street Wise are among Valor's most popular. Some models are as compact as a cell phone and deliver a charge of up to one million volts.
"They are based on the concept that the more powerful, the more effective," said spokesman Clyde Bower.
"Whether one million or 10,000 volts, they do the same thing--they disturb the nervous system and make your muscles contract. The effect is like getting hit on your funny bone with a sledge hammer," said Bower, a former police officer and certified concealed weapons instructor.
Whatever weapon one carries, it is essential to know how to use it properly, and the best way to learn is to find a certified instructor or a police officer experienced in its use, said Bower.
He recalls teaching a course in concealed weapons and filling inert canisters with nothing but water.
"When the student sprayed, they found that some of the water got on them. They learned that they have to be downwind so it doesn't get in your face. If it were pepper spray, they would be in the same shape as the bad guy."
"Anyone who buys something for personal defense and doesn't learn how to use it is just buying a false sense of security," he added.
But knowing how to use a weapon is only part of the preparation. The other part is having it ready to use.
"OC spray or a stun gun is only effective if it is in your hand. Bad guys don't want to attack people who are aware of them," Bower said.
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He advises a woman leaving her workplace alone at night to carry her car keys in one hand and the weapon in the other.
"It needs to be in your hand and ready to use. If I were going into an all night grocery store, the stun gun would be in my pocket, but my hand would be on it," he said.
Police follow a protocol that is also useful for civilians, Bower noted.
"If someone is approaching you when you should not be approached, scream at the guy not to come near you," he said. "If a verbal command is ineffective, the next step is OC spray or a stun gun. Then an impact weapon, like a baton. Then a firearm. It is a series of steps of escalation of force before resorting to something that can cause permanent injury or death. Used improperly, a baton can kill."
Valor sells ASP expandable batons to law enforcement suppliers, but Bower notes that they have also become popular with civilians.
The Mag Lite, which was originally designed to serve police in the dual role of flashlight and baton, is an impact weapon that can be kept in a car or home. Even a Mini Mag Lite can be an effective weapon.
"You hold it in your hand inside your fist and punch. It is like carrying a role of dimes or quarters. Someone with a Mini Mag Lite who knows how to use it is better trained and better defended than someone with a gun who just puts it in her purse."
author: BY HOWARD PROSNITZ