INDIANA, USA — It’s one of the many dangers on the road and on the job for anyone in law enforcement: Trying to stop a fleeing vehicle.
"Back in the 50’s and 60’s, police departments across the nation used to shoot at tires, and that’s a dangerous thing," Ken Greves said.
Greves is a retired Indiana State Trooper. His law enforcement career began after 4 years with the Navy, back in the late 1960’s. But it was toward the end of his 26-year career in Versailles, Indiana when he came up with an idea that would alter police pursuits around the world.
He remembers the conversation with his wife one night after another ISP trooper damaged a police cruiser trying to end a chase. Internal Affairs got involved because he'd used his car as a deadly force.
“I said, they give us everything in the world, but they don’t give us anything to stop a fleeing car. She said, why don’t you come up with something, and I said, I think I will. I went to Home Depot and bought ten dollars worth of goods.
Four years later, Greves sold that same product known as the Stop Stick for millions. It’s a tire deflation device made with Styrofoam and Teflon-coated quills that can penetrate tires and act as valves, releasing air at a safe, controlled rate. There are 36 quills in a stick that, no matter which way it's thrown into the street, will guarantee a puncture if a tire rolls over it.
However, it’s not fool proof and officers are required to have special training to use them. It’s only recommended for situations in which police can be protected from oncoming vehicles and even then, the task is a dangerous one. Some police departments have shied away from using the Stop Stick after officers have been seriously injured by fleeing cars who swerved to miss the stick and hit them instead.
"You’re right. You have to weigh the situation," Greves said.
Some 30 years after its inception, the Stop Stick is still one of the most popular tools in the trunk for police, military and government officials. The company says it’s successfully ended over 30,000 pursuits.
"It was a game changer," Sgt. Carey Huls with ISP said. He's been on the job for almost 27 years. "We use them now multiple times a week somewhere throughout Indiana."
Huls says every Indiana State Trooper is equipped with one in their trunk. He says ISP deployed one last week in the Charlestown area, and flattened all 4 tires in the fleeing car.
"It’s one of those tools that, without it, what can you do? Not much," Huls said.
Greves says the Stop Stick has saved countless lives. It’s only encouraged him to do more with yet another invention called, The Safety Arrow.
"You put it in your trunk. You hope you never have to use it but I’ll guarantee, it’s not if but when you get a flat tire, it could save your life," Greves said.
The Safety Arrow is for anyone on the road, from school buses, to semis and the broken-down van. Just mount it on the back of your car, day or night. The reflective arrow warns oncoming drivers to change lanes over 200 feet from the disabled vehicle.
"People say, I have a certain roadside service. Well, it takes 30 to 40 minutes on average to get out there. But we recommend to put the arrow on, call your roadside service and get people away from your car. People are hit, killed, injured all the time on flat tires, broken down vehicles," Greves said.
It's an added layer of safety and another chapter for Greves, who we can agree never really retired from public safety.
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