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In this column for the past few weeks I've tried to pass along useful information about being safe during the global pandemic of COVID-19. This week I just want to provide some levity to aid in your sanity.
One respondent wrote: "All personal protective equipment is in limited to no supply. We are taking public donations to keep our officers in gloves and sanitizer. We are purchasing PPE from Ebay to meet our immediate needs."
Hundreds of police officers have been exposed to the disease, with nearly 200 reported cases in Washington state alone. Here are some thoughts on how police officers can keep safe amid this current pandemic crisis.
How will officers who are symptomatic of the coronavirus now be able to substantiate its impact on their health in the future?
An increasing number of officers—at least two dozen in Washington, another two dozen in California, and several more in other states—have been ordered into quarantine.
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan has set up a sanitation station for cruisers to be completely sanitized after they transport people to jail.
Here are a few thoughts I've collected over the years of knowing a great many retired officers who are incredibly happy and successful after they've shelved the uniform, returned to civilian ranks, and done amazing things as "regular people" after leaving active-duty.
The Coronavirus is presently not a substantial threat to American law enforcement but its emergence into the national narrative provides an opportunity to remember that other threats pose a significant danger, and to recall that some simple steps can prevent succumbing to infectious disease.
Cops have a truly unique opportunity to be the lighthouse that guides little ships—our children—giving them immediate safety, guiding them to future security, and finding them safe harbor.
Bail reform in its current form is not a sustainable solution, just as the previous system was bound to collapse under its own weight.
The debate on "militarization" of American law enforcement has deep history. However, the discussion should now turn to the future of public safety in the United States.
Here are some thoughts on best practices for agencies and individual officers as the use of social media becomes more prevalent in policing.
There are myriad other examples of politically motivated civil unrest throughout American history—from the Whiskey Rebellion in the 18th Century, to the Pottawatomie Massacre in the 19th Century, to the mayhem surrounding the 1968 Democratic National Convention in the 20th Century.
There were far too many products on display at the Sands Convention Center and Expo in Las Vegas to adequately capture it all, but as I zoom along at 300 miles per hour about 34,000 feet above sea level en route home, here are some of the things that immediately spring to mind as having a lasting impression on me.
Like forensic, physical, testimonial, or any other form of evidence, digital evidence should not stand alone as the sole pillar of a prosecutor's case. But it is absolutely reasonable to have digital evidence included when it's relevant, and that is only possible when investigators gain the type of access Attorney General Barr and his Department of Justice is looking for in the case of the terror attack on NAS Pensacola.
