Telescoping Club Called Safer, More Effective in New Jersey.

Byline: Charles Austin

Apr. 29--FAIR LAWN, N.J. -- It's a standard scene in a television crime drama. A police officer exits a patrol car, slipping a long club into a belt loop before slamming the door of the black-and-white.

But suppose the 2-foot-long club -- baton in police lingo -- was left behind because the officer was in a hurry or because it had rolled under a seat? It happens, police officers say. And when it does, they walk into potentially dangerous situations without an important and non-lethal means of restraining a suspect.

Fair Lawn (NJ) officers recently learned how to use a collapsible baton that is less likely to be left behind.

"It's expandable, easier to carry, and opens with a flick of the wrist," said acting Police Chief Erik Rose. "And it can subdue someone without doing too much damage." Because the baton telescopes to less than a foot long, it stays on the officer's belt even when driving.

"The old side-handle baton was sometimes impractical when getting in and out of the car," Rose said.

The police department has had the batons for several months, Rose said, and all of its officers have competed a one-day course in how to use them. If the weapon has to be used, the chief said, officers are taught how to bring people under control without causing undue injuries.