Law Enforcement Ear Mics have become increasingly popular as the technology continues to improve and officers discuss the many advantages of having a durable and discreet alternative to handheld mics.
As with any new law enforcement product that can significantly improve safety on the street, officers are sharing their firsthand experience and recommendations. In response to a recent tip, P1 members weighed in on different product specifications and talked about the advantages of wearing an ear mic during a potentially dangerous situation.
Below are excerpts from comments by Police1 members discussing their everyday use of ear mics:
“I’ve been wearing one for about 8 years. I tried to go cheap at first, but they fell out and the cords got hard and broke. I still haven’t spent a lot of money, but have one that stays in, is comfortable, discreet, and I would never be caught with out it. Those who refuse to wear them usually have similar reasons for not wearing vests. Our dept now issues them and I see no valid excuse to ever be without either.”
“I work morning watch and as you all know, sound travels better at night. It is wonderful when you’re checking a building and you dont have to worry about errant traffic giving away your presence. I think they should be mandatory.”
“Great tactical piece. If you get one, spend the money and get on that is molded to your ear. One thing not touched on is the fact that no matter what, we loose hearing ability for high pitched sounds because of that goofy mic. Some guys at my dept have them mounted to the chest, under the chin. Nice idea especially for the guys who have to turn their head into their mic to talk.”
“I’ve used one off and on over the past couple years. Other than those issues already mentioned, another one is hiding the wires from the radio up to the ear piece. Some of my officers have cut a small hole in their uniform just above the duty belt, along the seam, and then ran the wire from the radio up the inside of the uniform. I’m going to check out the wireless model mentioned above, sounds like the better mouse trap.”
“I’ve also tried a smaller version “ear bud”, but while in foot pursuit of suspect in stolen vehicle, it fell off & disrupted my pursuit due to me not being able to hear dispatch. I recently invested in on that stays in the ear and I haven’t had any problems with it popping out during foot pursuits or other vigorous activities. Great for when you are working on the highway. Traffic and big rigs cause a lot of noise and makes it difficult to hear traffic coming out of your shoulder mic. Helps prevent dispatch dropping the tones on you when they are checking up on you. All officers should be issued one.”
“It is also very helpful when working in a crowd or a loud area like a club or sports event. I also recommend wearing an ear piece during CDU operations.”
To read all of the officer comments on this tip, click here 
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