Articles - Patrol

As any officer who has ever worked the midnight shift knows, sound travels and night. We all tend to laugh at suspects who give away their hidden positions by making some little noise, yet we are bigger culprits than they are when it comes to announcing our presence to the world.

In this day and age, hostage incidents have become almost commonplace. Hostage-takers and criminals in general view us as "symbols" of an institution (criminal justice system) or a way of life that they despise.

Facing conflict and confrontation is inevitable for anyone in law enforcement.  The challenge is to take an angry or uncooperative person and have him or her voluntarily cooperate with you.

Skin cancer is by far the most common cancer in the world. Most cases can be cured, but the disease is now a major health problem. Law enforcement personnel in the field, especially those in high-risk areas of the United States, are at risk for developing what can be a fatal form of cancer.

It was Nov. 1, 1955: my first tour of duty as a policeman. I had been assigned to the 15th Precinct, in midtown Manhattan, to kick off Operation Cross-town, a scheme devised to expedite the flow of vehicular traffic through one of the busiest sections of the city.

While you may be tempted to think you are "getting away from it all," an experience I had this summer while floating the Yukon River forced me to re-evaluate the steps I undertook to prepare for such journeys.

Any officer who has been involved in a search for a missing victim knows that law enforcement needs every possible break. Cadaver dogs, though not likely to become widely known or ever be the subject of a television series, give cops just the break they need when searching for human remains.

The coastline comprises a wide assortment of conditions, including open-ocean waters, often with high seas, shallows, winding and narrow inlets, bays, canals, harbors, wetlands and the Long Island Sound, each posing a different challenge for a police boat.

The answer to the drug problem lies in a variety of factors. Education is one. Good parenting is another. Also, while drug abuse is stupid, romanticizing its use through popular culture is more so. Finally, let's not be afraid to pass judgment.

The Crisis Unit, manned by mental health technicians, provides the department with a team of specially trained civilians who have years of experience with the mentally ill.