Articles - Patrol

Only you know your leadership situation. Whether you are the chief of police or an officer on the beat, you should know your area of responsibility and what is required of you when the "big one" hits, whatever that catastrophe may be.

The overwhelming majority of lawsuits filed against police officers and their agencies include both state and federal causes of action.

Be prepared for things to go south on every contact you make. You never know when you’ll need to take chase or pull your gun at a moment’s notice.

Even the summers in England were cold to Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes. So on July 22 when the temperatures in South London were balmy to the locals, Menezes was bundled up in a coat.

Possessing a rough-hewn face and a rawboned build, Richard Johnson, 31, of Grand Prairie, Texas, was already wanted for a series of aggravated robberies in Ft. Worth by the time he took up a gun and fired a couple of shots at his mother. She escaped unharmed. But then Johnson turned things up a notch, stabbing himself in the stomach and setting fire to the converted mobile home they shared.

Over the years in police products there have been fewer and fewer items that have a high “wow” factor. We see a lot of redesigns and improvements to many current products, but precious few innovations. But let me tell you, BlackHawk Product Group’s new Night-Ops Gladius flashlight is an innovation.

Most traffic stops are routine. You see a moving or equipment violation, make the stop, and issue a citation or warning. Everything’s over in 10 minutes or so.

Slicing through the rolling hills and quiet villages of Vermont’s Upper Valley are the dual black-ribbon roadways of interstates 89 and 91. Stretching from the Canadian border into New Hampshire and Connecticut, respectively, the robust thoroughfares form the backbone for travel in western New England.

“We only have two things going for us,” said Deputy Marshal Eddie Dolan, calling in from Kodiak. “No one’s been shot so far and no hostages are involved. All the rest is bad news.”

A process server has dropped a summons and complaint notice in your hand. You’re being sued for something that the plaintiff claims you did on the job.