Blog - Patrol

In the aftermath of a deputy-involved shooting, deputies ran around like chickens with their heads cut off, not communicating anything about the suspect’s description and failing to establish a command post or containment. Meanwhile, precious minutes ticked off, giving the suspect more time to put distance between himself and his would-be pursuers. 

Having a second officer on scene when things are apparently "code 4" can prevent, or at least mitigate, unfortunate surprises. Little things like having a prisoner slip out of your backseat while your nose is buried beneath the front seat of his POV.

Picture this: the pursuit ends with the suspect bailing out and running. You and your fellow officers set your perimeter and give chase. The bad guy gets away, and you and your buddies return to the cars to swap excuses about how you could have caught this guy "back in the day." Sound familiar?

Duct Tape Guy
Dispensing with the fig leaves, this robber stuck with duct tape—enveloping himself with it before pulling off a robbery. Unfortunately, he was so wrapped up in the stuff that he neglected to refrain from leaving incriminating fingerprints on discarded pieces of the tape.

When asked why he read Cosmo, a man I respected explained that you had to know what the enemy was thinking. The following Websites may not have obvious appeal for the street cop, but you ignore them at your own peril.

The song asserts that "your enemies won't do you no harm, because you know where they're coming from." But it's getting them identified and on radar in the first place that's the problem, and first impressions at least as they relate to smiling faces and our profession can be an iffy proposition, at best.

Consider, for example, surveillance operations that do not run 24/7, where suspects are occasionally at liberty to be detained by patrol officers who may not know what they're in for once they pull such suspects over, or otherwise detain them. At these times it’s best to share the info.

While I can't do anything to help you pass the time during the waiting process, I can give you some tips on how to maximize your testing experience.

As any cop who works day shift will attest, teachers are often the front line in identifying problems. Tagging, dope dealing, and gang activities are often identified by vigilant teachers. But vigilance is only half the battle. What the teachers do with the information they acquire is just as important. As such, teachers sometimes make well-intended mistakes.