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?
August 7, 2014
When you hear a war story, imagine yourself in the situation, "preloading" yourself for success in similar incidents.
July 10, 2014
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.
June 30, 2014
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.
January 30, 2014
Being overly emotionally committed to your agency only leads to heartbreak. Unrequited love is one of the toughest emotional hits a human can face and therefore I ask you to rethink your relationship with your agency and those who work with you.
December 23, 2013
I know a lot of crime fighters who begin to wax philosophical after their fifth beer and one of the common axioms I hear is: "I would rather be lucky than good."
October 11, 2013
Over the years I have seen many variations on "deadly errors" officers make to get themselves hurt but the version that is still my favorite is the first one I learned, and I think it is time to do a quick review.
September 1, 2013
Ah, but the healing is a wonderful thing to see. Daily, each of you earn more and more and more honor for us all. Your courage, your actions, your compassion, is an hourly ratcheting up of our honor.
July 11, 2013
Cops should be most concerned about flaws in studies involving PTSD. Post-traumatic stress wasn't even recognized as a disorder until 1980, and then suddenly it was everywhere, caused by everything and happening to everyone.
June 12, 2013
Panic has little place in the modern world, and for a crime fighter it can be a killer; action is our mantra, and preparation is our antidote.
May 14, 2013
I have discovered that a trainer has an incredibly powerful role to play in imbuing the trainee with either positive or negative expectations. And our profession demands that we hone skills essential for victory in confrontations.
April 3, 2013
One of the first things that becomes apparent when I review dash cam footage of incidents is how much vulgarity spurts out of our little brains under stress. It has long been said the last two words on the black box recorder from crashed aircraft are "Oh shit!"
March 12, 2013
Everyone is well aware that humans are visual creatures. It is far and away our most dominant sense and that is one of the reasons I get so frustrated that we have so many distracters in our modern patrol vehicles.
January 2, 2013
Code three is lights and siren, and man is it fun. You are lord of the road, racing here and there to accidents, crimes in progress, officer needs assistance, and whatever crisis needs a uniformed hero ASAP.
December 18, 2012
Some trainers say it takes 5,000 reps or five years to master a weapon or a skill, but that doesn't match the research. The research says we don't know how many reps or how long it will take YOU to master a skill.
November 13, 2012