Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby announced Tuesday that a grand jury has returned an indictment against former officer Arthur Williams, charging him with first- and second-degree assault and misconduct in office. A warrant has been issued for his arrest, Mosby said.
Perhaps nowhere in contemporary American society does the question of the right tool for the right job come into play more often than in matters of police use of force.
The truth is that the state of American law enforcement is a very fluid thing.
Ride around the streets of Salisbury, N.C., and you'll see graffiti that looks out of place. Gangs in this Southern city have splattered once-pristine walls with messages pledging allegiance to gangs in Los Angeles and New York City.
In smaller agencies, policy manuals—if they existed—were just a few policy statements. Now there are multiple bound volumes that no officer can be expected to memorize, let alone understand. — Tom Aveni, Police Policy Studies Council
Experts say you deserve praise for being willing to withstand ridicule and even let bad guys win in court to prevent attacks. "If you ask me what law enforcement has done best since 9/11 is that they are stopping these plots in the beginning stages before they go operational," says E.J. Kimball, managing director of terrorism expert Steven Emerson's Investigative Project on Terrorism.
LAPD brass is still trying to mold SWAT into a softer, gentler special unit that won't offend the politically correct sensibilities of community activists. But now for one of the few times in its distinguished history, SWAT is actually vulnerable to such pressure.
At some point in his or her various travels, the patrol officer will ask a question that pertains equally well to the task at hand and his or her career in law enforcement: Just how the hell did I get here, and where am I going?
Maintaining a balance between one's identity as a woman and as a police officer is never going to be easy. Knowing this, Sgt. Stefani Gombar of the Phoenix PD cherishes one piece of advice she received in the academy from a female officer: "Don't lose yourself."
There is no shortage of inducements to work specialized units. Cool tools, flexible schedules, prestige, and the ability to work at something one is truly interested in are but a few of the perks.