Articles - Careers & Training

Car stops are a daily occurrence for most patrol officers. Whether in a big city or out in the country, a traffic stop is at the very root of what we do. And like most activities that we consider “routine,” we can get a little complacent on traffic stops and put ourselves on “auto pilot” without even realizing it. That’s a bad move on our part.

Patrol training is the obligatory stepping stone to street work for many a new cop. It is weeks (or months in remedial cases) of short meals, long nights, and court in the morning. And this time spent with a veteran field training officer (FTO) can result in some of the most curious pairings of individuals since Pat Boone married himself to heavy metal. Still, this mentoring process is critical to the development of new officers.

Law enforcement works a profound sea-change in the blood of men and women who have worn the badge. It makes them more informed voters, neighbors, co-workers, and friends. It makes them better citizens.

It is easy to get careless while engaged in something you do a great deal. If you are a uniformed police officer and don’t work in a jail, chances are that traffic and vehicles are the bread and butter of your existence.

You can do everything according to policy and still find yourself having to respond to a complaint or prepare a legal defense. It’s not fair; it’s not right; it just is. And when the legal snakes come after you, you’ll need proof that you are a highly trained and professional law enforcement officer.

The number of reserve officers is increasing throughout the country as more law enforcement organizations utilize this cost-effective means to add manpower. As with any organization, a reserve unit is only as good as the people on its roster, and this all begins with recruitment.

Step-by-step instructions and photos show you how to disarm a suspect carrying a gun or a knife.

After much debate, the Fair Labor Standards Act has been changed to protect law enforcement officers who receive overtime compensation.

Disarming a suspect carrying a gun who has the drop on you is a subject that is rarely addressed in academy or in-service DT programs. And that’s unacceptable. Every officer should be trained in a fundamental disarming skill set.

There seems to be a constant change of roles between officers based on rank, position, and seniority. We on the inside know that relationships between cops of different ranks are far more complex than what you see on a line organization chart.