Articles - Careers & Training

Crooks often commit multiple crimes. When you make an arrest and get ready to begin interrogating, you will normally administer the four-part Miranda warning. But if you want to ask questions about more than one crime you think your suspect committed, do you have to inform him of all possible topics of discussion? The short answer is, "No."

“If a man aspires to the highest place, it is no dishonor to him to halt at the second, or even at the third.” —Marcus Tullius Cicero One of the early impressions I had upon graduating from the academy was the need to start studying for the sergeant’s exam that I would be eligible to take in three years. Tucson was a fast growing city and its constant growth was making it a great agency for promotion.

"My brother told me, 'If you want everyone to love you, join the fire department. If you want half the people to love you but half the people to hate you, go ahead and be on the police department.'" — Officer Michael Pecha, Omaha (Neb.) Police Department.

Each of us who wears a badge and a gun gets to live a real-life monster movie.

One thing that's clear from the statistics is that law enforcement is becoming a more dangerous occupation. Which begs the question: Is the training that the average law enforcement officer receives adequate enough to help him or her counter the threats presented by the job?

In many cases, two or more crooks commit crimes together. When you catch them, you'll generally do your best to get admissible confessions from them. Arresting multiple suspects can actually give you better chances to obtain statements.

The really great thing about a career in law enforcement is all the exciting and wonderful experiences we get to have. Using Oscar Wilde's definition of "experience" as the name we give our mistakes, I have had a lot of "experiences."

Who becomes a cop? Who are the men and women that comprise the ranks of a profession where they can be killed for no reason other than the fact that they are cops?

America is running short of cops. There aren't enough to go around. And it won't be long until a shortage becomes a full-fledged crisis.

Working long hours or driving a patrol car all day makes it difficult to stay in shape. After several months of reduced physical activity, compared to the Police Academy, even the younger police officers can find five, 10, or even 15 additional pounds around their mid-sections.