Tag: How-To Guides: Page 14

Vehicle Ops

Effective Pursuit Driving

Michigan State Police Sgt. Jim Flegel of the Precision Driving Unit explains how troopers evaluate patrol vehicles and explains how to correct for skids created by oversteering or understeering.

December 8, 2010

Patrol

Concealed Suspects: Into the Hearts of Darkness

Attics, basements, closets, and crawlspaces all present great hazards to officers searching for concealed suspects.

November 17, 2010

Weapons

Reloading With Your Weak Hand

Dep. Jennifer Fulford never expected the assailant's 9mm bullet to rip through her nerves, disabling feeling in her fingers and causing the loss of use of her entire dominant hand. Fortunately, she was not out of ammo; she performed a one-handed reload with her weak (non-dominant) hand, as she had learned.

November 9, 2010

Weapons

An Effective Weapon Maintenance Plan In 5 Steps

What I've learned over the years is that many officers will typically use way too much oil and solvent when cleaning their duty weapons. I've seen officers use lithium grease, brake cleaner and PB Blaster in their Glocks, but the main issues causing problems were from too much oil, or failure to remove all of the solvents.

October 20, 2010

Careers

Interview Failures and Faults

Show the energy and drive you have to become their officer selection. Interview boards don't understand the "I will give you an honest day's work for an honest day's pay" work ethic. They want energy, motivation and somebody who is clamoring for the position.

October 13, 2010

Patrol

The Worst Advice I've Ever Received

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about some of the best advice I ever received. It seems only appropriate that I should also share some of the less sagacious comments I and other deputies and officers have received through the years, as well.

September 29, 2010

Patrol

The Best Advice I Ever Received from Other Cops

I was sure that I could take the dude, but my T.O. reminded me to never judge a book by its cover. He'd known a good many cops and suspects who'd gone headlong into fights, thinking they had the upper hand by virtue of their age, size, or perceived martial arts skill, and they promptly got their asses handed to them.

September 15, 2010

Weapons

How to Grip Your Gun

Having a firm grip on your semi-automatic handgun is key for several reasons, the most important of which is to avoid what's commonly called "limp wristing" the gun. When a shooter has a weak or loose grip on the gun, it usually results in the firearm not cycling properly, causing the gun to jam. A firm grip will also help you on assignments, where you need to fire from a marine platform. Read "Perfecting Your Handgun Grip" for more. Photos courtesy of Michael Rayburn.

September 9, 2010

Patrol

Developing Training Acronyms

One of the best ways to train law enforcement officers in a classroom setting is to chunk up material into quickly memorized bites. You can also maximize the effectiveness of training by using a variety of memory aids.

September 7, 2010

Careers

How to Get Along In a Department

It is a common rookie mistake to think just because you're now a copper with the uniform and shield, you're special. Don't ever fool yourself; the department's staff is what keeps you rolling.

August 16, 2010

Patrol

Problem Solving

Though there are many decision-making formats, there is one common component that is more important than any other: defining the problem you are trying to solve. One of the key ways to do so is by framing.

August 8, 2010

Careers

Little Things To Make Patrol Life Easier

Experience is probably the best teacher in the category of little things that can be a pain in the day at work. The academy instructors maybe mentioned a few and you should have observed your Field Training Officer (FTO), but some things just seem to slip by.

August 2, 2010