Dave SmithMore from Dave SmithPatrolStay RefreshedWhen I took over firearms instruction in the academy the first thing I did was try to imbue everyone with the ideas that shooting was fun, anyone can do it, and if there is a problem it is only the technique, and not the person.June 8, 2011TrainingThe HoleOver the years I have had so many "if only" moments; most of them have been about debt and its related stresses. When I was developing officer safety programs at the academy, I was stunned to find the number one cause of divorce among law enforcement officers was not dispatchers, but financial stress.May 3, 2011PatrolReading Body Language: Leaky PeopleExperts say when we interact with others we are always "leaking" with our face or body what we are thinking or feeling. My wife, the Sarge, has a way of refusing to acknowledge what I am saying and demanding to know what I am actually "thinking," since I'm apparently a pretty bad "leaker."April 13, 2011PatrolMy Inner Cro-MagnonWhat the heck happened to us? Cro-Magnons were big, athletic, and healthy until they died (mostly young), and had bigger brains than we do.March 13, 2011PatrolDumping GarbageWe have to decide not to carry garbage around ourselves and not to accept it from others.February 9, 2011PatrolEmotional Survival for RetirementOne of the great challenges of turning civilians into crime fighters is developing their sense of being initiated into a unique group of people who will share high-risk adventures and protect not only each other physically, but morally as well, preserving that collective honor we each hold so dear.January 23, 2011TrainingWhat I Wish I'd Told ThemLife's unfair. Get over it. If you understand this point you will have a long and healthy career and make it to retirement without hating everyone around you.January 3, 2011PatrolSpring Forward, Fall BackThe funny thing is most Americans can't even name the time zone they live in much less understand why they are changing their clocks twice a year, and they have to ask the flight attendant what time it is wherever they've just landed.December 27, 2010PatrolEverything Old is New AgainMy friend pointed to his weird five-toed footwear and said since wearing them his body had found new vigor and was pain-free.November 4, 2010PatrolIllusion of ConfidenceThe scary part is when we ourselves are confidently wrong we're completely oblivious to it.October 30, 2010Previous PagePage 15 of 21Next Page
