Give me your ideas-need detector for police department

I need to purchase a metal detector for my police department.The detector will be used for crime scene searches, mainly very shallow or surface objects such as shell casings, knives, cell phones, etc. I am very familiar with metal detecting and have owned many high priced detectors (currently the ltd). I can't justify spending anywhere near that kind of money for how little this detector will be used. Need some suggestions on inexpensive detectors that can be used by inexperienced detectorists. My first thought is the Ace 250, but just thinking of the pinball sounds that thing makes causes horrible flashbacks.

I think the Teknetics Delta 4000 might be a good choice. It has preset ground balance, is easy to use and has plenty of power.

Garrett metal detectors makes a CSI 250 just for police departments just $279.00
get on their website click on security division. HH

You need something with solid no nonsense hits on the shallow stuff and that ID's casings different from other low/mid conductors. The one that comes to my mind is the ID Edge. It will lock on one number from the original direction of approach and a different number from another angle. It's a "no miss' ID that seperates casings from most other low mid range conductors. Should not take long to teach this to anyone.

Tom



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/2010 01:56PM by Jackpine.

You'll get much more ID info with a Delta than what you'd get with the 250. That will be more conducive to officers that aren't as detector savvy as you are be more able to do the detecting job the investigation needs. $279 with "freebie" extras.

Being a retired Pa. Statepoliceman I know when I was working most didn't know a detector from a coffee pot so feel your indication of an Ace 250 is valid as heck in most situations it will do the job even if you are on a day off and used by untrained hands as its user friendly...By the way give Garret a call as they do make one of the lower end GTA units made specifically for what you want it with different meter ID's..Name escapes me right now but visit the Garrett site or a quick toll call to one of Garretts girls will get you the info...Running with low sens. will debong the ace 250 in most cases...

Just checked their site and must have done away with the lower end GTA for security work...Now its the CSI 250 and should work well...

You may want to try the omaga 8000

LowBoy

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Thanks for all the tips guys, anyone have experience on how well the delta 4000 "locks on" to surface targets? I would be interested in notching in a similar shell casing, setting the sens as low as possible or raising the coil off the ground to only pick surface targets, and hitting the area as quickly as possible hoping to get lucky. Then being more thorough if we don't find the item.

I also am a retired police. you might think about additional coils. I was looking for a knife that had been thrown into brush and tall grass and couldnt locate it.the ability to detect thru some cover or jam a small coil into tight places could make a difference.
Saorsa

Here's a 'twist'. (I have done this many times in the past). Try contacting your local metal detecting club to recruit their help. Chances are.....some will be active duty LEO's.......and some will be retired. Many times, I have helped different Dept's locate weapons, shell casings, wallets.........even a projectile in a gunshot victom. (Pinpointing was critical).

I still think the ACE-250 and/or Fisher F4 would be good choices. Many Dept's carry CZ-20's for a multitude of functions......including lake-diving. VERY easy operation, powerful & waterproof.

That's definitely the best strategy for what you'll (and other officers) will be doing. The Delta has great shallow "lock-on" as well as a very easy to use notching system. I guess I don't understand why one would want to settle on category only ID (250) when you can have category and numeric ID (Delta).Are there not usually quite a few different targets that will fall in a category but in conjunction with numeric ID, you'd have a real good shot at being able to blow through an area (providing it isn't extremely trashy) and by concentrating on just a couple numeric ID's, find what you're looking for relatively quick if it's really there.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/10/2010 12:03PM by BuckeyeBrad.

I have decided to go with the Delta. It is often impossible to have non-police enter crime scenes to search for objects. We screw up enough of our own crime scenes, can you imagine a defense attorney calling every member of a metal detecting club to the stand in an attempt to show the evidence was tainted?

Gates 21,

I'm a retired police sgt. from St. Pete, FL and have offered our club to be used in crime scene searches to the area departments. My idea was to place a marker flag at good signals and let their CSI people do the recovery. I do have several retired officers in my club, familiar with handling of evidence, meaning do not touch, and we would be the only ones to respond in most cases. Large field searches would obviously require a bigger team and each retired officer or dept. officer could supervise a segment of the search to maintain control over the evidence.

Wally

On numerous occasions....when (a particular) Dept could not find the evidence............. the club entered into the equation........ and located the evidence without touching/disturbing it. "Evidence" vs no evidence is a far better 'case'. ------ Food-for-thought.