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Dave Smith

Officer (Ret.)

Articles•by Dave Smith•October 16, 2014

Learn or Die

It seems continuing to learn stops the forgetting process, which is important because in our profession forgetting can have dire consequences. How many times have you watched a video of an officer getting hurt and thought, How did he forget to keep proper positioning? or Why did she stop watching the hands?

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Articles•by Dave Smith•September 9, 2014

Posts for Public Consumption?

If you shot somebody tomorrow, how would the post you put online today read in the mind of Miss Mary Poppins sitting at her breakfast table?

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Articles•by Dave Smith•August 7, 2014

Act As If..You're the Best Possible Officer

If Wiseman is right we don't all need to get certified as safety experts, we need to act certified. If every time you made a traffic stop you acted like you were demonstrating to a group of cadets the right way to do a stop, what would you do?

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Articles•by Dave Smith•July 10, 2014

Hitting the Reset Button

When you hear a war story, imagine yourself in the situation, "preloading" yourself for success in similar incidents.

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Articles•by Dave Smith•June 30, 2014

Cowboy Up

John Wayne knew the canyon was dangerous and was ready. Our ambushes occur in a modern-day canyon of houses, vehicles, and woods, and we also need to have the Duke's "always prepared" mindset.

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Articles•by Dave Smith•May 8, 2014

Eustress Me!

Seeking stimulus makes you stronger when you do it properly, but don't blame law enforcement for your three failed marriages and bad liver.

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Articles•by Dave Smith•April 11, 2014

The Human Element

The one element that has remained unchanged in our ever-growing technological environment, as the commercial says, is the human element. The key is to somehow keep the mind focused on what's important and use all these technological advances to your advantage.

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Articles•by Dave Smith•March 21, 2014

Ode to the Belt

The cow skidded down the far emergency lane, and my vehicle creaked and scraped down the other. I slammed on the now stiff brakes and my Chevy ground loudly to a stop, steaming and groaning while I waited for the impact of some approaching vehicle.

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Articles•by Dave Smith•February 11, 2014

A Warrior's Service

Too often people say negative things about the term "warrior" when what they are really against are "members of a tribe." There is no good thing about our society that was not made possible by a warrior's courage, sacrifice, and service.

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Articles•by Dave Smith•January 30, 2014

Don't be a Philistine

Are you confident in your defensive skills? If so, then don't take them for granted, but rather keep training. If you're lacking in these skills, then make them strengths by practicing.

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