Cops Who Care
Twenty Seven years ago I was a rookie cop with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office assigned with ten other deputies to the Wickenburg Substation. Our beat areas encompassed an area larger than the state of Rhode Island with a population base of approximately eight thousand residents.
A few weeks before Christmas the deputies started passing a hat to collect money to buy to needy families in the area. Just under $200.00 was collected just enough money perhaps to buy Christmas presents for the children of two families. Then we had a major problem, we all had to agree which two families were most deserving.
I spoke up and said that we still had another two weeks and what if we went out to the community and asked for their help in raising some more money so we could add a few more kids to our list. A few of the officers agreed and I also enlisted the help of officers from the Wickenburg Police Department and the Arizona Department of Public Service.
We wrote an article for the local newspaper, made some flyers and contacted several community service organizations in the area. Eight days later we had collected $10,000.00, enough money to buy over 200 needy children Christmas presents!
From this a nationally recognized program called Cops Who Care was born. Today our organization is involved in assisting at risk children providing scholarship programs, funding school projects and events, sports programs, the largest Easter egg hunt in Arizona and of course our Christmas toy drive.
Yesterday we had our toy distribution in Wickenburg and provided over 900 needy children. The following video explains our program and some of the children our organization has helped.
Merry Christmas!
CMI Stories
An anonymous “insider” sent me a private message about a blog that discusses the early years inside Cincinnati Microwave (CMI). In ten short years CMI grew to be a ten million dollar company and the largest Radar Detector Company in the industry.
Eventually the company went out of business but was resurrected by its employees to become Escort Passport Inc.
I found the blog both humorous and insightful as the author gives their firsthand account of the early years inside the radar detector industry.
Cheetah C-100 Review
Paradise Valley, Arizona was the first community in the USA to implement a photo radar program over fourteen years ago. Then once neighboring cities found out what a cash cow these devices were they also started sprouting up across the valley.
Then this year the State of Arizona with a huge budget deficit also decided to get into the action and began their program installing sixty stationary and forty mobile speed cameras throughout the state.
Therefore I was relieved when last month I met with the Speed Cheetah representative at the SEMA show in Las Vegas and he gave me one of their new GPS based speed camera detectors to try out.
The Cheetah C-100 is smaller than a pack of cigarettes and can either lay on your dashboard or be concealed if their GPS antenna is connected and it will alert you in plenty of time of approaching fixed speed and red light cameras.
Over the past month I’ve been using the device travelling throughout the southwest.
The unit is equipped with the Trinity Database which I have found to be the most accurate and frequently updated speed enforcement camera database for North America. Both Escort Inc and Beltronics also subscribe to this same service for updating their Escort 9500ix, Escort 9500ci and Bel GX-65 radar detectors.
I can honestly say that the Cheetah C100 would have paid for itself on my first day of use as I sped to Sky Harbor Airport on I-10. During this twelve mile stretch the C-100 alerted me to three newly installed speed cameras that I never knew were activated!
The following video is my review of the Cheetah C-100 and at the end there is a link and discount code that will save you $15.00 on its purchase!
A Tribute To My Friend, "The Judge"
Earlier this week a dear friend of mine Larry Cronin was killed in a motorcycle accident about a mile from my home as he and his girl friend were coming over to visit me.
Tonight I prepared this short video Tribute to my friend “The Judge”
Judge, you will be deeply missed. Till we ride again in the heavens your dear friend “Radar” Roy.
SEMA 2008 – The Radar Detector Experience
A love for cars, trucks or anything else automotive is the founding principles for the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade association. For over forty years, this organization brings a diverse group of manufacturers, distributors, retailers, publishing companies, car clubs and automotive enthusiasts together each year for the world’s largest automotive trade show.
Several of the speed counter measure manufactures attend this week long event to show off their new wares and to network with others in the automotive industry.
Yesterday was opening day for the 2008 event and I felt that this would be a great opportunity to interview the CEO’s and/or engineers of the various radar detector and jammer companies to discuss their various products and their commitments to the industry and customer.
I first met with John Larson, the CEO of Escort Radar Incorporated. Over the past year Escort/Beltronics released three new GPS based radar detectors to the market, the Escort 9500ci which is high performance remote mounted radar detector and laser jammer combo; the 9500ix which is their dash mounted version; the Bel GX65 radar detector and their updated ZR4 laser defense system.
During our interview John stressed Escort’s commitment to the customer saying that they consider “the customer their boss” that they consistently seek input from the radar detector user to improve and develop new products. John revealed some of the new products that they are now working on saying they have several products in the works that will tie other automotive electronic devices into one central unit.
Next I interviewed Leon Gruner aka “Blinder Dude” the CEO from Blinder USA. Leon discussed their updated J16 version of the Blinder M-25 and M-45 laser jammer and their ability to remain strong in the speed counter measure market place for over eight years while others have failed. We also discussed our exploits during the Fireball Cross Country Rally and next year’s run from the west coast to east on Route 66.
Just prior to this year’s show, Don Norton the CEO from Cheetah USA gave me one of their new GPS based photo radar and red light camera alert units, the C100. I had an opportunity to test and review this unit in the Phoenix metro area just as the Arizona Department of Public Safety and Redflex activated sixty new speed enforcement cameras. Don and I discuss this new unit and how during a short eight mile trip it saved me from four of these new cameras and $600.00 in fines.
Cobra Electronics has also embraced GPS technology into their line of radar detectors. Tony, one of the lead engineers of Cobra introduces me to their 2009 line up. Tony who is a long time participant at the annual “Radar Detector Shoot Out” in El Paso, discusses their improvements in processing the incoming radar threats with their detectors and the free GPS update plan they offer.
Notably absent from this year’s show was both Michael Churchman, CEO of Rocky Mountain Radar and Raul Elguea their head engineer. At previous SEMA and CES (Consumer Electronics Show) I approached Raul with cash in hand and television news cameras rolling challenging Raul to demonstrate to me one of his radar jammer products in action in the parking lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center . During this interview Raul backed down saying “Our product will not work in a parking lot”.
During last year’s SEMA event Michael Churchman also was a “no show” at his company’s booth. However I did find him at a Las Vegas bar where we sat down to discuss my $50,000.00 reward that I offer to anyone that could show me a Rocky Mountain Radar jammer/scrambler that worked. When I asked why he and his company had refused to take me up on my challenge he first replied saying that my test was rigged. I reminded Michael that it wasn’t my test, that I (we) would higher off duty police officers to perform the test and if his product worked, he would receive $50,000.00. Again Michael refused to take me up on my challenge.
This video recapping Rocky Mountain Radar’s history in the radar jammer/radar detector marketplace was shot directly in front of their booth and their staff was invited to participate, but they refused.
Speed Cameras Promote Economic Fascism, Not Safety
Tomorrow Arizona will be activating 10 new fixed speed camera photo enforcement cameras scattered throughout the Phoenix area with plans on installing 100 more as a way to reduce the states deficit on the backs of the taxpaying public!
The Veil Guy has just published his perspective of Arizona’s plan on his blog that I find very informative and a must read for anyone traveling on Arizona’s Highway system. To read Bob’s post, please click here
Cops Who Care…
After my retirement from law enforcement and then jumping into the speed counter measurement industry, lots of people may assume that I’ve joined the “dark side” and have abandoned my close ties in the law enforcement community, this is far from the truth.
Twenty Seven years ago I was the founder of a public service organization aimed at helping at risk kids called Cops Who Care. I’m still involved with this organization and this week we are kicking off our annual Christmas toy drive and we just launched our new website at www.CopsWhoCare.org
The following documentary that was aired on the Crime Strike TV show was filmed a few years ago and provides an overview of this organization. If you find my blog informative I would urge you to visit the Cops Who Care website and make a small donation to their cause….
Amazing Internet Coaching Workshop
Over the past month I’ve kicked off a new business that I am very excited about and that is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) training and coaching.
My first presentation was in Orlando Florida with Howie Schwartz. This presentation was geared toward advanced Internet marketers that are all involved in E-Commerce and/or affiliate marketing.
Yesterday, I gave a presentation that was geared to small business owners and nonprofit organizations at the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce.
Later this month, I’ll be in Westport Ct. doing another joint presentation for Howie Schwartz’s Online Profits #3 Workshop.
If you’re interested in learning more about my training or coaching, check out www.AmazingInternetCoaching.com and watch the testimonials that some of the attendees provided:
VF-2 Photo Radar Scam!
I’m often amazed by the gullibility of distributors, dealers, radar detector websites and those who claim to be “expert reviewers” in this industry, case in point, the VF-2 Photo Radar Jammer.
Several years ago a Canadian company began manufacturing the Equalizer VF2 Photo Radar Jammer. They began by selling their device to the European market and in a short period began receiving rave reviews from various magazines and websites as the first electronic device to foil the traffic enforcement cameras.
During this same period, a Colorado based radar detector dealer found out about the device and obtained the exclusive distributorship for the USA. His first stop was Speed Measurement Laboratories to get their “stamp of approval.”
SML made it clear that he didn’t have access to a real photo radar or red light camera and that the only device they could offer was a commercial grade camera and flash device to test the VF-2. Eager to get the product on the market, the new distributor agreed. Several photographs were taken at close range and the VF-2 did block out the photos. The distributor then “spun” this test as an official endorsement.
Booths went up at SEMA and 12 volt electronic distributors and dealers signed up by droves to carry the first electronic countermeasure device offered in the USA that could foil all photo radar and red light cameras.
Being somewhat suspicious of the claims I obtained my first VF-2 directly from the distributor for my testing and review. Cameras and strobes of the same type as the automated traffic enforcement devices used in Arizona were obtained and I performed my first round of testing. The VF-2 failed to activate on over 100 attempts. I contacted the distributor who found fault in my testing procedures and made several recommendations.
We followed his advice but during the second round of testing we discovered that the power transformer of the VF-2 had failed, so the distributor was contacted and I was shipped another.
Just as the second unit arrived, the City of Scottsdale was in the process of activating eight new photo radar cameras on the 101 loop. During the initial phase of their program they were only issuing written warnings and not citations to violators. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to go out and put the VF-2 to a real world test without the risk of racking up fines.
The following video documents my test against four of their cameras going fifteen miles over the posted speed limit. One week later I received four written warnings from the City of Scottsdale in the mail for speeding.
We posted the results of our test and contacted the distributor and several other websites about the VF-2 failing in a “real world test.”
Two years later we still find these same websites and the Colorado distributor still selling and advertising this product as being effective against ALL TRAFFIC ENFORCMENT CAMERAS.
Beltronics GX65 Radar Detector Review
This weekend I received a final production model of the Bel RX65 radar detector and immediately installed it in my truck for my preliminary review.
This is an awesome unit! Not only can the detector detect X, K, Ka and Ku band (after activation) but is also a GPS unit equipped with the Trinity fixed traffic camera database for the USA and Canada.
The GPS will alert you to fixed photo radar and red light cameras that you are approaching.
I logged over 100 miles with the unit and was so impressed with its performance that I produced the following video.
I’ll be using the GX65 radar detector as my daily driver over the next few weeks and will follow-up with a more detailed video about the detectors performance next month….
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