Police Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Dean Scoville

Associate Editor

Former associate editor of Police Magazine and a retired patrol supervisor and investigator with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, Sgt. Dean Scoville has received multiple awards for government service. He was the author of Shots Fired, Police Magazine's monthly column examining officer-involved shootings as experienced by the officers themselves.

Inside the Badge by Dean ScovilleApril 12, 2012

Put It in Writing

Your written product is often the single most tangible evidence of the work that you do, and if your readership falls off, it will result in unfiled cases, lackluster evaluations, and a generally all-around crappy reputation among your co-workers.

Read More →
Articlesby Dean ScovilleApril 9, 2012

Shots Fired: Montrose, Colorado 07/25/2009

The door splintered under the boot of Officer Robbie Satterly. The officers rolled into the doorway. And Gurney let loose with multiple blasts from the Benelli. Within the span of two seconds, 36 pellets peppered the doorway.

Read More →
Inside the Badge by Dean ScovilleApril 4, 2012

Trayvon Martin: The Gunfire Next Time

For a yoctosecond, I found myself initially jumping on the P.C. bandwagon believing that if Trayvon was white that he'd still be jabbering on his cell phone today. But as the back and forth allegations of "racist shooting" and "slanted media bias" gained momentum, I wondered if the string-pulling puppeteers of the three-ring big top—CBS, NBC, and ABC—hadn't gotten the better of me.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Inside the Badge by Dean ScovilleMarch 20, 2012

Look Closer

It is the prejudice of some cops to just accept things as they appear to be. A robbery is a robbery; a burglary, a burg. But sometimes it pays to remember the slogan from "American Beauty"—"Look closer."

Read More →
Articlesby Dean ScovilleMarch 19, 2012

You Are Not a Psychologist

Hard-earned insight into the vagaries of the human mind can only take the average officer so far. As the psychological impairments of those he or she comes into contact with become more acute, it's less likely that an officer will be successful dealing with them.

Read More →
Articlesby Dean ScovilleMarch 13, 2012

Shots Fired: Volusia County, Florida 11/26/2011

It was the prospect for violence that found Volusia County, Fla., Dep. John Braman pulling up short of a single-story house in Deltona on the morning of Nov. 26, 2011. He'd driven there in the hopes of finding Corey Reynolds.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Inside the Badge by Dean ScovilleMarch 6, 2012

'Act of Valor:' Where's the Police Version?

If you've been on the fence about seeing "Act of Valor," I hope that you will plop down your 10 bucks and do so. Maybe if "Act of Valor" is a hit, they'll make more movies that honor the sacrifice of the military instead of deriding our warriors.

Read More →
Inside the Badge by Dean ScovilleMarch 2, 2012

Whatever Happened to Verbal Judo?

Today's up-and-coming cops have mastered texting, sexting, e-mailing, and Facebook but are less accomplished when it comes to face-to-face interfacing. That’s the art of conversation—and therefore the ability to verbally de-escalate situations—is dying out.

Read More →
Inside the Badge by Dean ScovilleFebruary 23, 2012

I Feel the Need...the Need for...an ER

A person has to know their limitations. No less than Dirty Harry has expressed his opinion on the matter, and I like to think most cops adhere to the philosophy.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Articlesby Dean ScovilleFebruary 17, 2012

Tales of the Occupation

The Occupy protestors have been willing to forego "nine-to-five" picketing in favor of setting up camps on public land. And that has presented two major problems for law enforcement: crime within the camps and civil disobedience once the protesters are legally ordered to disperse.

Read More →