Inside the Fast-Paced Florida Highway Patrol

Today, some 1,800 troopers patrol the interstate highways and state roads of Florida working accidents, assisting motorists and enforcing the rules of the road. According to the FHP’s Annual Report, during the 2012 to 2013 year, troopers drove over 31 million miles, investigated 211,000 crashes and issued over 1.1 million citations and warnings.

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It is important to note that FHP troopers patrol in some of the most remote areas of the state—a trooper’s closest backup could be many miles away. Not only must every piece of equipment work perfectly 100 percent of the time, but the trooper must have confidence in that gear. This is where the GLOCK won over the troopers of the FHP. In 2010, the agency decided to adopt a new duty weapon. After an extensive evaluation, the FHP adopted the GLOCK 37 Gen4 and the subcompact GLOCK 39, both chambered in .45 G.A.P.

I had an opportunity to speak with Trooper Melissa Oman, who is the firearms coordinator for the FHP. Oman stated that recruits receive 96-plus hours of firearms training in the academy and shoot over 1,500 rounds. The reduced recoil impulse and smaller grip of the GLOCK 37 Gen4 have significantly improved the qualification scores over the previous duty gun.

STREET READY

Since the adoption of the G37 Gen4, the Florida Highway Patrol has had four significant shootings. Oman stated that in two cases the suspect was in a vehicle. In both incidents, the .45 G.A.P. round penetrated the barrier material and neutralized the suspect. In one case, a second officer engaged the suspect with a .45 AUTO and, according to Oman, the .45 G.A.P. bonded Gold Dot bullet performed as well, if not slightly better, than the .45 AUTO. Clearly, the FHP is very satisfied with the street performance of the GLOCK 37 Gen4.