Dave Smith

Officer (Ret.)

Articles•by Dave Smith•August 20, 2015

Normalcy Bias

Officers might find themselves in a mental state called "normalcy bias" which can cause them to woefully underestimate the possible negative impact of a crisis or disaster.

Articles•by Dave Smith•July 2, 2015

The Crowd

He raced to help one of the victims and, as he struggled vainly to save her life, he was stunned by the crowd that gathered around; not to help, but to observe, to…what?

Articles•by Dave Smith•June 25, 2015

Next to training and modern medicine, the single most important factor in the increased survivability of today's police officer is this modern version of the chainmail worn into combat for centuries by warriors. Back then no clear-thinking fighter would have been caught dead without his mail under his tunic, so what is our excuse?

Articles•by Dave Smith•May 24, 2015

Positive Negativism

Optimism is a sense of control in your life, the belief that you can control your destiny and your emotions, and that if you continue to strive you can create positive outcomes.

Articles•by Dave Smith•April 10, 2015

Magic Lessons

Magicians use humor and empathy to lower your guard, so keep yours up and don't relax just because the subject you are dealing with seems "nice." Rather, you should be the one to use humor and empathy to lower the guard of the people you're dealing with: suspects, witnesses, and internal affairs alike.