Personally, I get a bit twerked at the numerous technical articles that are full of good information but don't provide the background necessary for the reader to understand the whys and wherefores of the information offered. I'd much rather deal with a man who has a technical appreciation of the equipment he administrates. These thoughts are the reason this series of articles exist. We assume a certain level of intelligence on your part, and so far we haven't been wrong - but don't be afraid to step on my ears if I ever sound like I'm talking down to anybody. See Spot run.
Most agencies have budget problems.
On top of which, the jobs this stuff is supposed to do for you tend to be important. This month we'll discuss night vision equipment. There's a lot of grant money running around and several thousand pieces a year are being purchased by police agencies. Judging by the feedback we get from users, most agencies don't have much understanding of what makes these things tick. For the most part, night vision is fairly rugged, but can be destroyed in an instant by innocent mishandling.