Melanie Basich

Managing Editor Melanie Basich joined POLICE Magazine in 2000 (when her last name was still Hamilton). An award-winning journalist, she has covered such topics as agency budgets, officer suicide, emerging law enforcement technologies, and active shooter tactics. She writes and manages the product section of POLICE.

Patrol

Officer Revives Fellow Cop After Heart Attack On Duty

Officer Michael A. Riley administered CPR and was finally able to detect a weak pulse and get Officer Bryan Nickelson breathing. By that time, additional police officers were on scene reporting the events on the radio.

February 16, 2011

PFC Michael A. Riley's quick action helped save a fellow officer. Photo courtesy of U.S. Capitol Police.

Patrol

Officer Ends Confrontation With Knife-Wielding EDP Teen Peacefully

After responding to an EDP call, Scranton (Pa.) PD's Officer Rocco Cipriano parked and began walking toward the residence. A neighbor stopped him and said the girl had been outside of the house carrying a butcher knife and told the neighbor she would kill the cops if they came.

January 20, 2011

Officer Rocco Cipriano of the Scranton (Pa.) Police Department. Photo courtesy of Scranton PD.

Technology

Wireless 'Body Wire' Technology

The Phantom from Tag 5 Industries allows undercover officers to covertly record and broadcast conversations using a smartphone app and remote hardware instead of a physical wire on the body.

January 20, 2011

Technology

Cops Tackle Social Media at SMILE Conference

It's now become nearly impossible for law enforcement agencies to remain uninvolved in social media. Enter the Social Media, the Internet, and Law Enforcement (SMILE) conference.

January 9, 2011

Patrol

Off-Duty Capitol Police Officer Stops Schizophrenic Shooter

As the officer got into his Dodge Ram truck, the man with the duty belt started firing on his vehicle. Thornton lay down along the front seat as glass from his truck's windows shattered around him. He kept peering up to check the assailant's location.

December 19, 2010

U.S. Capitol Police Officer Eddie Thornton is the NLEOMF's Officer of the Month for December. Photo courtesy of NLEOMF.

Patrol

Uniforms: What's Out There Now

Here's a primer on the types of apparel offered by uniform companies for law enforcement officers.

December 12, 2010

Patrol

Outerwear: 2010

Prepare yourself for cold weather with these jackets for duty.

November 23, 2010

Special Units

DeadStop Shield: The One-Handed Bullet Deflector

LCOA Composites has harnessed its experience creating military vehicle armor and deployable ballistic shelters to develop new DeadStop lightweight police shield technology. The company's ported lightweight Level IIIA shield weighs less than 14 pounds so it can be held with one hand.

November 15, 2010

Patrol

Officer Takes Down Armed Drug Offender

For his perseverence under fire, Officer Ray Blohm of the Upper Darby (Pa.) Police Department has been selected as the November 2010 Officer of the Month by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

November 4, 2010

Officer Ray Blohm, Upper Darby (Pa.) Police Department

Technology

Video Analysis: Caught on Camera

Ocean Systems' dTective is a video analysis software suite devoted to the task, which the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office in Texas routinely uses to run one of four regional labs across the country dedicated to retrieving and processing video evidence.

October 27, 2010

By comparing the size and shape of the incendiary devices in this arson case, video analysis yielded definitive proof that the suspect held the same items in the video.

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