Patrol: Page 23

Quotes to Inspire Greatness in Law Enforcement

Here are some inspirational quotes—some of which are famous and some of which are somewhat obscure—framed in the context of policing now and in the future.

Here are several quotes that can serve to inspire law enforcement officers.

Americans Support Police Well Beyond National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

It's easy to look at the landscape of public opinion in America and come to the conclusion that the majority of people in the United States despise the police. However, the vitriolic anti-police sentiment demonstrated by a small number of the public, the press, and the political class is not an accurate reflection of how the majority of Americans feel about their law enforcement officers.

Is a Rational, Reasonable Approach to Immigration Enforcement Possible?

Following the murder of Corporal Ronil Singh, elected officials and law enforcement leaders across California are pointing to legislation friendly to illegal immigrants as the reason an illegal immigrant was able to murder the officer in cold blood.

Following the murder of Corporal Ronil Singh, elected officials and law enforcement leaders across California are pointing to legislation friendly to illegal immigrants as the reason an illegal immigrant was able to murder the officer in cold blood.

2018 in Review: A Glass Overflowing with Great Stories of American Policing

Despite downward numbers of recruits seeking to join the ranks of law enforcement and increasing indications of de-policing across the country, we can—if we look hard enough—find countless bright spots for American policing in 2018.

Glass Half Full 2

Watch the Hands: Improving Police Interactions with Deaf Subjects

Officer safety is obviously paramount—and should never be jeopardized by allowing a potentially dangerous subject who should be handcuffed to retain use of their hands—but weigh into your tactics the fact that communicating with a deaf subject who is handcuffed becomes significantly more difficult.

It is estimated that up to 9% of the population has some degree of hearing loss, which means that at some point during an officer's work week they will encounter at least a handful of people who are in this group.

Politics Trumping Tactics: [Don't] Sit Down… You're Rocking the Boat

Elected officials' underlying goal of getting re-elected directly impacts how these politicians interact with their police departments in setting department policy.

Foot and Hoof Patrol: Meaningfully Connecting Cops and Citizens

Foot patrol is the essence of community policing—officers on foot create opportunities for the public to connect with their police (and vice versa). Conversely, when officers are wrapped in two tons of metal and plastic, that opportunity for real connection is essentially lost.

Arrive Alive: Police Must Reduce Single-Vehicle Crashes on Patrol

Too many officers are driving themselves into their graves—turning their cars into their coffins—in single-vehicle crashes. According to ODMP, there were 34 such preventable duty deaths in a three-year span from 2016 to the present. It's impossible to know how many officers were seriously injured but survived single-vehicle crashes during that time period. Something must be done.

Among the five tenets of the Below 100 program is the admonition to 'watch your speed' behind the wheel. This is as close to a 'no brainer' as there can possibly be, but excessive speed has proven to be one of the prevailing factors in single-vehicle collisions. Image courtesy of Below 100.

Officer Safety Considerations for Foot Pursuits

While empirical data doesn't exist—at least to my knowledge—on lost productivity due to injuries sustained during foot pursuits, anecdotal evidence suggests that medical leave following such activities is significant enough to give some thought to the matter.

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Recharging Your Batteries: The Benefits of "Unplugging"

There is certainly benefit to being current on events involving the people you consider family—your brothers and sisters across the country with whom you share a special bond—as well as the world at large. However, it's also important—and extremely beneficial—to spend some time completely disconnected from the job. This is a lesson I recently re-learned.

I promised myself—and more importantly, my family—that during a recent vacation to Hawaii I would completely disconnect in a 'fast from all manner of media.' It was on my flight home that I realized that I was more rested and relaxed than I'd been in years. Image courtesy of Doug Wyllie.

Speaking on the Unspeakable: Ending the Pandemic of Police Officer Suicide

I've talked with officers who have lost a colleague to suicide—as well as many widows of officers who died by suicide—and just about everyone has said that the warning signs were there before tragedy struck. They just didn't put the pieces together until it was too late. Let's all do a better job of helping officers in crisis.

A Thin Blue Line Flag

Love and Hate: Some Observations about the Pittsburgh Synagogue Attack

It's somewhat disappointing that it takes an act of evil for the pure good in people to come bubbling visibly to the surface, but when the deep-down-good does show itself, we are reminded that it's been there all along—it's just been hiding beneath the waterline.

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