The Lab: Articles: Donuts, Zippers

Donuts, Zippers and Guns...Oh My!
By Lee Lofland

After recovering from the bumps and bruises I received from nearly two decades in law-enforcement I have now devoted all my time to writing and to speaking to writers about real-life cop experiences and crime scene investigations. During my seminars and conferences I’m asked hundreds of questions and these are my responses to a few:

Q. Do cops really eat donuts? If so, how did that tradition begin?

A. Donut and coffee shops are often open at odd hours leaving them subject to robberies. The tradition of cops eating donuts most likely began when these vulnerable establishments offered free coffee and donuts to on-duty police officers. The shop owners were hopeful that the presence of police cars and cops would sway criminals away from their hold-up intentions. Free meals and coffee are still offered today, although most departments have strict policies forbidding officers to accept gratuities of any nature.

Q. How is it that cops come out of a physical altercation without rumpling their clothing?

A .The buttons on the uniforms of police officers aren’t functional. Hidden beneath the row of buttons is a zipper and the shirt actually zips up to prevent it becoming torn open during a scuffle. The shirt and pants are also made from a heavy fire-retardant material that is slow to wrinkle and resists soiling.

Q. Do bulletproof vest really stop bullets?

A. Yes, for some calibers of ammunition, but not all. A bulletproof vest is not bullet proof but is merely bullet resistant. Interestingly, sharp objects such as an ice pick can penetrate the Kevlar quite easily. The bullet- resistant material degrades over time and actually loses some of its ability to resist gunfire. Unfortunately budget restraints do not usually allow for vest replacement.

I’ll close with a bit of cop trivia.
Semi-automatic handguns such as the 9mm’s used by law enforcement are designed for right-handed people. Bullet casings are very hot when ejected, and the spent shells are cast from the weapon, to the right, and away from a right-handed officer. For a left-handed officer the hot material is expelled in front of, and across their body, peppering their face and hands with stinging gunpowder residue and scalding brass cartridges.

Lee Lofland is a former police detective with vast experience in the investigations of major crimes such as Homicide, Murder for Hire, Narcotics and Ritualistic and Occult Crimes. In addition to criminal investigations Lee was charged with the supervision of a Street Crimes Unit and a Tactical Entry Team for service of search warrants. He is a past recipient of the Association of Chiefs of Police Medal of Valor and the Nathaniel Green Award for Courageous Conduct Against an Armed Robber.
Lee currently resides in the Seattle area with his wife Dr. Denene Lofland and devotes his time writing and speaking to writers groups and for conferences.