Dave Smith

Officer (Ret.)

Articles•by Dave Smith•June 9, 2011

Stay Refreshed

When 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.

Articles•by Dave Smith•May 4, 2011

The Hole

Over 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.

Articles•by Dave Smith•April 14, 2011

Reading Body Language: Leaky People

Experts 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."

Articles•by Dave Smith•March 14, 2011

My Inner Cro-Magnon

What the heck happened to us? Cro-Magnons were big, athletic, and healthy until they died (mostly young), and had bigger brains than we do.

Articles•by Dave Smith•February 10, 2011

Dumping Garbage

We have to decide not to carry garbage around ourselves and not to accept it from others.

Articles•by Dave Smith•January 24, 2011

Emotional Survival for Retirement

One 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.