Re: [HOE] Riot Shield

[Brett Dixon <balance@tubas.net>]

On Tuesday, January 28, 2003, at 03:42  AM, c m hylton wrote:

> Anyone know what the stats would be for this item?  Are some able to 
> have
> their guns mounted through slits in them?  Trying to stat some riot 
> geared
> people and that's one thing i couldn't find.

I'm not sure of stats, but overall, I'd keep in mind a few things:

They're RIOT shields, and as such are intended to deflect light weapons 
and thrown rocks, bottles, etc. as well as being capable of use for the 
old Shield Bash.

On a related note, I don't think they commonly are made to be used as 
gun-shields. At least in the case of the police-issue ones I've seen, 
they are made for use in situations where guns are definitely a last 
option, such as hostage situations, or those involving the 
less-than-stable.

They are made by the lowest bidder, and as far as I can tell are one of 
the last items in a police officer's kit to be refreshed as the use is 
so limited and the basic functionality doesn't really 'degrade.' Unlike 
the officer's vests (replaced every few years, I've heard, and replaced 
whenever they are actually shot) they are not that commonly used.

Hmmm... After reading my thoughts, I'd say AV4, possibly? Are their 
shield rules for Deadlands, possibly in Ghost Dancers, that could be 
looked at to provide for the nature of shields?

I saw the county police pull this gear out last summer. My former FLGS 
was on the bottom part of a T intersection, and just off the 
intersection was a movie theater. /Something/ happened (I would have 
asked a cop i game with, but a. i forgot, and b. I don't feel right 
making him talk shop unless he wants to.) in the theater. According to 
rumors, someone stood up in the middle of a movie, drew a gun, and 
threatened to kill himself and possibly others. So, anyway, noticing 
the large number of flashing lights outside, I checked out the 
situation from a safe distance and got to see the cops hustling. Riot 
shields were used...I think the main concern here was that this T 
intersection was in the middle of a commercial area, and had a lot of 
people out and around. The shields used are pretty non-encumbering, 
beyond the nuisance factor of having a large block of lexan on one arm. 
They are pretty lightweight. Some cops seem to have learned to 'run' 
while crounching with these things...

One interesting thing is that this wasn't the stereotypical movie scene 
of a SWAT team or similar. This was your average ticket-writing, 
donut-eating duty officers really hustling to prevent a bad 
situation... The guys moved very quickly, and kept people out of a busy 
intersection... They really deserve some credit for the situation, and 
as far as I know it was handled without any shots being fired.