One would have thought that the news media—for all its protestations of harms incurred at the hands of police—might have adopted some form of its own Hippocratic oath by now. That it would swear to avoid putting cops and citizens in danger.
October 10, 2013
It's been said that a truly good cop could have worked any era in law enforcement and done quite well. When my mind revisits those cops that I used to work with, around, and to varying degrees tolerated, there are two groups that stand out predominantly for their diametrically opposite approaches to patrol.
March 28, 2013
Well, a couple of weeks ago I blogged about the attempted arrest of a Santa Maria (Calif.) Police officer that resulted in his shooting death. I'd like to think that a vast majority of the few thousand—we keep a running tally—who read the piece at least understood where I was coming.
February 14, 2012
Why did the Santa Maria (Calif.) PD attempt to arrest one of its officers on a public street? Was there some other precipitating factor at work? Because absent such explanations, I fail to see the need for the PD to take the officer down then and there at a DUI checkpoint.
February 2, 2012
It is quite possible that Baca did try to keep abreast of things, only to find his efforts undermined by another all-too-human factor-the fear of alienating one's self from the marginal affections of el jefe. Face it, nobody wants to get caught playing Mr. Blackwell—the fashion critic-to the emperor with no clothes.
October 31, 2011
There are few things more terrifying than the thought of a captain of a patrol station playing both sides of the fence. The question isn't whether or not your captain had your best interests in mind but how far would he or she go to protect his or her criminal contacts?
September 15, 2011
Causing an innocent person's death is just about the worst thing you can do on patrol. Seeking payment for injuries sustained while killing two teens is beyond the pale.
November 24, 2010
Ask yourself if succumbing to that split-second thought is worth permanently depriving the people who trust and depend on you the value of your services.
October 21, 2010
Your notes are legal record. Make them complete as possible and keep them safe and secure. Failure to do so can compromise a prosecution.
September 2, 2010
Sadly, I’ve seen the pursuit of casual sex get more cops in trouble than perhaps anything else. It’s not just the cops’ fault either. It takes two to tango, after all. But it is the cop who most frequently has something to lose in the equation, and often does.
August 1, 2008