View Full Version : Breaching Tools for LE Patrol
I have some questions concerning manual breaching tools for LE patrol use. What are you currently issued? What have you used that works (LE or MIL)? What is you opinion on the subject? Currently our department mandates that every patrol car carry an ax, crow bar and shovel. I think there are better options available today and would like to see us consolidate tools. The less we have to carry the better IMO, provided you can still complete the task.
I would also like to know how you mount your tools. I have an SUV but we aren't provided with any kind of organizer, so it's all just tossed in the back at the moment. Pictures would be great if you have them.
Firefighter here so my input may not translate over completely but we also spend a lot of time training to break into things.
In my opinion there is no more versatile forcible entry tool than a haligan type tool. It has much more leverage than any crowbar and can be used for a million other things, a step into a high window, the spike can be used to deflate tires and break glass, the fork can be used to twist off padlocks or shut off gas meters. The downside to a haligan is that to see its full potential you need a second person with a striking tool like a flat head axe or a sledge. That being said, there are ways to use a haligan alone. A good haligan and flat head axe can force doors that you would never think possible with good technique. If you go that route I'm sure your local hose draggers would be happy to help school you up on them.
Look up the Jersey Claw.
It's got the geometry of a haligan duck bill for driving into door frames, but has the spike and forks removed (makes is safer to carry, and safer to set as the spike can't be hit accidentally torquing the tool while being held), the head enlarged and widened (makes it easier for the dude swinging the hammer to set, and gives you more leverage for a vertical pry vs. only a horizontal pry), and 90%+ of the weight is in the head so it swings like a sledge (you can use it to set another Claw, smash block, break windows, etc).
IMO, it's the most straight forward LE entry tool, designed to be safer, easier, and more intuitive to use than a Haligan (while working on the same principles). I've trained on it side by side with a variety of Haligans (Akron, Paratech, Blackhawk, Zak Tool, etc) and the Claw was definitely the easiest to beach with (inward and outward opening doors).
You don't have the spike to swing into wood door frames, or the forks to cut metal with... but for residential and institutional doors (primary doors LE is usually worried about breaching), it has no equal in my experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIGsJyIWElg
Just watched the video on that product. Probably better for LEO guys than a halligan. A good haligan can do any of the same tasks and more but as Jim D points out there are aspects about it that require some more finesse to be effective. I would say the Jersey Claw looks to be ideal for your described usage especially in that it can be used as a striking tool which is one thing a halligan is not ideally suited for.
Our Sgt. cars have the Blackhawk backpack, with a ram, bolt cutters, and a halligan-type thing. The ram and cutters are what they are, but I'm not impressed with the halligan; the adze was too thick for what I've used it on. I much preferred the fireman's halligan that we used on SWAT. I'm also not a fan of the breacher's backpack. I'd like to look into that Jersey Claw, and some more training for our patrol officers and Sgts.
Our department (1800 Officers) recently purchased crow bars, bolt cutters, and a sledge for all of the Cpl. cars. We did some testing after the fact with the sledges and they are not ideal for breaching but better than nothing. I think you would be much better served with a small ram and a firefighters holligan tool. A hooligan can do anything bolt cutters can do, but with a little more violence of action. With proper training, a shotgun is also a versatile breaching tool, but sometimes must be followed up with a ram. PM me if you have any questions. We do quite alot of breaching at work.
Our department (1800 Officers) recently purchased crow bars, bolt cutters, and a sledge for all of the Cpl. cars. We did some testing after the fact with the sledges and they are not ideal for breaching but better than nothing. I think you would be much better served with a small ram and a firefighters holligan tool. A hooligan can do anything bolt cutters can do, but with a little more violence of action. With proper training, a shotgun is also a versatile breaching tool, but sometimes must be followed up with a ram. PM me if you have any questions. We do quite alot of breaching at work.
Our department has crow bars and axe's in the cars but I'm not convinced that a crow bar is the most suitable tool when halligan's are available.
Haligan and a ram are all you need. Some of our patrol cars have the Blackhawk Backpack kits and those are ok, but for SWAT all we use are Haligans and rams. We have a few really nice rams which are very small and compact. They weight about 35-40lbs, so with a good wind up you can send some serious force through a door. Our ram guys are pretty big dudes, so they are pretty efficient with them. They would also be good for a patrol car as well, SUV or Sedan. I'm a pick guy, so I can work a Haligan pretty well and those are the only two tools we really need. A ram is pretty useful for patrol work also. A few times over the years I've had to bust through doors for welfare checks or other urgent situations.
skd_tactical
01-15-15, 19:50
Look into a shove knife. I keep a shove knife in my gear, on my body.
For heavy duty breaching a solid (not pinned like a certain kit has) single steel construction Haligan and a medium sledge will work 9/10. I would also recommend large bolt cutters. If you look at the AAR for Columbine they simply wrapped chained around the door handles.
Nothing beats a good flex linear change or a subtle doorknocker charge but Police generally don't have that in their cruiser.
SOS
Every patrol car is issued a JTC claw that has been mentioned before. SGT's each carry a ram but I can't remember which one. We hardly ever use the RAM, Claw works like a champ on your average residential. Most guys also carry a set of bolt cutters but they aren't issued.
I was skeptical of the claw but with a little bit of hands on, I saw the usefulness. With two claws and two officers' you can work almost any door/chain that we normally see. Even one guy with a claw and a little know how can deal with most residential doors. The tool has enough mass that you can create your own "set" if you play it right.
If you can talk to your code people, their are likely houses/buildings being torn down that you could get permission to do some forced entry work in. Nothing beats hands on.
Non-LEO, FD perspective, the Halligan is a staple breaching/forcible entry tool and would be the first item I would grab to force a door... As SoTex1 mentioned, there are likely training opportunities on houses that are going to be demo-ed... At the FD we have a forcible entry prop which is very beneficial for technique development, I would check with the FD and see if they have one...Sure the "brothers in blue" would be welcome, ours are!!
Pro-bar halligan
8lb sledge or maul
30" bolt cutters
dwhitehorne
01-23-15, 15:30
We have the Blackhawk breachers backpack. We have at least one in each district with a shield. They are in a nice package but none of the tools are ideal. The bolt cutters are short. The sledge is ok but I've never gotten the wedge to fit in a door frame since it is so thick. The whole backpack gets heavy fast when wearing a plate carrier. Another thing to remember is you are the mule with the backpack, you can't get any of the tools off without another officers assistance. We just throw them in the trunk of cars with no great organization. David
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