South Bay : It’s a New Kind of Crime-Stopper
The El Segundo Police Department is the first South Bay law enforcement agency to add a tire-flattening strip to its collection of crime-stopping tools.
The stinger strip folds up like a briefcase and extends 25 feet in length, with 1 1/2-inch spikes that are sharp enough to pop all four tires of a car.
Police have just one stinger strip because the $550 device can be used only when they have time to set up the strip on the road. Police first deployed the device last week when Manhattan Beach police radioed their neighbor for help with the pursuit of an armed robbery suspect who was northbound on Sepulveda Boulevard.
When the car neared El Segundo, police laid the strip down and watched as three of the vehicle’s four tires ran over the device and popped, said Lt. Walt Krumbach. Police arrested the suspect once the vehicle became disabled.
“It’s a great tool, but like all the other devices we use, it only works in certain situations,” Krumbach said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
