There are—contrary to common belief among the public and the press and the politicians—substantial successes in multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional response to terrible events. But Improvements can still be made.
February 17, 2021
Implementing a successful body-worn camera program is a lot more complex than choosing your preferred vendor and slapping those cameras on the uniforms of your officers.
January 27, 2021
Accept the fact that a suicide-by-cop incident could happen to you on any call on every shift you work.
May 1, 2020
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.
January 24, 2020
This week's column is about my deep appreciation for the family of the Thin Blue Line allowing me—a civilian scribe from a city and state not well known for supporting police—to be your adopted brother.
June 7, 2019
The threat of ambush is ever-present. There is a growing war on cops in America, and the probability of being the victim of such an attack is increasing. Be vigilant, always.
May 31, 2019
During ILEETA 2019, we talked about family and friends—some of whom we've said goodbye to this year. We shared tears of sorrow, hugs of support, kisses on the cheek, and moments of uproarious laughter.
March 22, 2019
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.
December 21, 2018
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.
November 30, 2018
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.
November 23, 2018
Very few people who get into teaching have the mental, emotional, or physical fortitude to use deadly force when under imminent threat. However, every teacher should receive some level of active shooter response training—everyone should have at least some idea of what to do in an attack.
October 12, 2018
Earlier this week, it was reported that Black Lives Matter protesters "crashed" the wedding of one of the two Sacramento police officers reportedly involved in the fatal shooting of Stephon Clark. This incident offers a stark reminder that even when you are off duty, there are people who want to do you harm. Here are some thoughts about keeping yourself and your family safe away from the job.
August 10, 2018