A day in the life of the average patrol officer usually means a significant amount of time spent in their vehicle. Have you ever struggled to remove a critical piece of equipment from the cargo area when every second mattered? Does there seem to be a never-ending pile of gear to sift through every time you are on a call? Having a clean, well-organized “mobile office” is absolutely critical to doing your job efficiently. Even if you have a different specialty and are not on patrol for the majority of your shift, knowing where everything is located in your vehicle and being able to quickly and easily access it is of paramount importance – especially considering the variety of situations in which officers may find themselves while on a call.
While most standard fleet vehicles offer a large amount of cargo space in the rear area behind the seats, this can actually provide more opportunities for clutter and disorganization. There is a never-ending list of equipment and accessories a patrol officer needs for a standard day on the road. Specialty positions, such as evidence tech, S.W.A.T., or crisis intervention dramatically increases the amount of equipment needed. This often results in a pile of bags, cases, and other items stacked from floor to ceiling in the rear of your vehicle, making it extremely difficult to locate items and equipment even under normal circumstances. Having to dig through items to find report forms or a flashlight while also trying to respond to a call is not only stressful but also distracting and potentially dangerous.
Estes AWS Has You Covered
Estes AWS has many solutions that you can mix-and-match to fit your individual needs and vehicle type! Whether you want storage for weapons, gear, or a combination of both, there are many options for you. Take a look at this recent installation; before our products were installed, every type of gear imaginable was on the floor in the rear of the Ford PIU. This could be considered by many in the profession as a relatively small amount of equipment for the everyday officer. With nothing strapped down or separated, it was difficult to access certain items without creating a bigger mess in another part of the cargo area. During high speed runs there was nothing in place to keep equipment from moving around, further causing a disorganized space and potential damage to items.
One of the most popular setups offered by Estes AWS is the one shown below. It consists of a SUV 2.0 Rapid Access Weapon Locker, a Fence Package, and our Auxiliary Drawer, mounted cleanly to a set of Ford PIU mounting brackets. With this simple yet effective setup, we were able to completely transform the function and organization of the cargo area. By utilizing a two-drawer system with the fence package wrapping the top, it became much easier to organize all the various pieces of equipment and give them a consistent and safe home while the SUV is in motion. The auxiliary drawer is a great option for holding smaller miscellaneous gear such as gloves, police tape, test kits, notebooks, extra flashlights, hand cuffs, personal protective equipment, etc. With a locking paddle latch as its method of entry, it is easy to access items quickly and just as easy to put them back. The 2.0 SUV Rapid Access Weapon Locker provides a far more secure drawer to house your weapons and magazines. With the rapid access technology being one of the largest selling points of this product, access to the contents of the drawer is as simple as pushing a momentary switch or a button on a key fob. The carpet-lined drawer and Velcro straps help to secure weapons and keep them from moving while the vehicle is in motion. At the very top of the stack we have the AWS Fence Package – by itself it may not appear useful, but once it is mounted to the top of the locker it becomes obvious how functional it is. A tall fence toward the front of the vehicle provides easy visibility out the rear glass with the diamond cut pattern. The sloping side brackets and front rail finish off the perimeter to create a contained surface on top of the locker. This area is perfect for stowing larger items such as body armor, medical bags, cameras, etc. without fear of them sliding around the cargo area and potentially being damaged.
Contact Estes AWS today, and let us help you achieve an organized patrol vehicle!