Cut-backs Are Putting Us On A Dangerous Road
To say Oregon is shooting itself in the foot is an understatement. Oregon is sitting on the couch with its feet up on the coffee table, a case of ammo and having target practice on both feet! The...
View ArticleHow to score on the oral
Sometimes small tweaks result in big changes. Like a small stone thrown in a still pond, the ripple from the stone affects the entire pond. There are small tweaks or changes that can be made in your...
View ArticleDon't compromise integrity
If you were to ask your friends, relatives or co-workers the question, "What do you think defines a persons' success?" you would receive a myriad of responses. But almost inevitably, there will be...
View ArticleAre cameras reducing accidents?
Twenty-three states presently employ red light cameras, to the dismay of many motorists who have received traffic tickets in the mail. This program, according to the states who participate, is aimed at...
View ArticleBrave new world for today's officers
Police officers today have a much more difficult mission than they've had in past decades. Or perhaps it has only become apparent since the devastating attacks of 9-11 – an event that brought about...
View ArticleOfficer safety is the issue here
The Mesa Police Association (MPA) has a genuine concern for both Mesa police officers and the public's safety as the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office threatened to enter in the City of Mesa. The...
View ArticleIn the presence of a hero
It's rare that one person can accomplish change for the greater good on their own. But every once in a while one individual is so courageous that they touch the lives of those around them in ways they...
View ArticleCan we get a little help?
Facing dramatic shortfalls in tax revenue, cities and counties across the nation are struggling to fund programs including public safety. One of the major factors aggravating the situation is the high...
View ArticleMemorial signs a powerful reminder
It's happened 42 times in the history of Phoenix and it cannot be forgotten. Our first brother fell on February 5, 1925; the last one was on September 18, 2007. We have lost 33 police officers and nine...
View ArticleDESERT SNOW
As a young California Highway Patrolman, Joe David never imagined that he would soon be at the forefront of the war on drugs. Nearly 20 years after developing the groundbreaking Desert Snow program,...
View ArticleToday it's my city, tomorrow it's yours
Local governments all across America are caught in a budget squeeze and looking for something - or someone - to blame. They look for a villain, instead of having an honest conversation with taxpayers...
View ArticleSwimming against the tide
As some police officers and their agencies try and figure out how to handle changes regarding the law and criminal penalties for low-level drug possession, many others in public safety have turned into...
View ArticleBlowback, unfairly second-guessing the use of force
Editor’s note: The author is responding to an article in the Los Angeles Times slamming cops after an officer-involved shooting. The Times’ report on Inglewood police shootings ignored the challenge...
View ArticleWe Never Stop Looking Out For Each Other
Retired NYPD detective Greg Boyle spent 21 years on the job, working the streets of Brooklyn without ever firing a shot. After leaving the Department in December 2002, he worked part-time as an armed...
View ArticleBringing the Fight to Their Turf
"When lives are at stake, America's first responders do not hesitate to rush into harm's way. We do our jobs, searching for, rescuing, and aiding victims regardless of what dangers and health hazards...
View ArticleWe must never forget why we do what we do
As we continue on in our personal career path, it's important for each of us to remember to keep the "spirit of a good police officer" in mind. This mantra is something I have followed during my 16...
View ArticleCop-Turned-Doc a Blessing
There are lots of cops who have also worked as emergency medical technicians, but this is the first time we've ever heard of a real-deal street cop becoming an M.D. As an undercover cop, Pete Gutierrez...
View ArticleA Place For Women In Need
As police officers, we see first-hand the devastating effects an unplanned pregnancy can have on the young women of our communities. Often these young women are forced into a life of prostitution,...
View ArticleWhen the Device Is The Evidence.
As you read this article, you are no doubt surrounded by various technological devices, be they your iPhone, netbook, Kindle, or MDT. You rely on these devices everyday for communication with others;...
View ArticleResisting Arrest: Not A Crime
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office in the Portland, Oregon area recently sent out a memo regarding a resisting case (State v. Oliphant) and its decision's effect on Oregon law enforcement. In...
View ArticleOfficer's Kidney Is Saving Two Lives
In what can only be described as a massive kidney swap, highly skilled surgeons recently performed 26 operations on people in desperate need. The first of a kind organ exchange was the brainchild of a...
View ArticleGo home Mrs. Terrorist!
In Amherst, Massachusetts recently, hundreds of cops and their supporters showed up in force to protest the scheduled speaking appearance of a terrorist and a cop-killer. The demonstration was a...
View ArticleBody armor, bad guys and weapons: a deadly mix
Criminals are packing more heat,” proclaimed a USA Today headline of December 16th, 2009. The story – based on a survey by the Police Executive Research Forum – confirmed the trend many law enforcement...
View ArticleStill waiting on interoperability
What if a massive earthquake struck the U.S.? How prepared are we for interoperable communications during emergencies (or day to day)? Even as the U.S. rushes to aid Haiti, we have to ask ourselves...
View ArticleA grand debut at the Las Vegas Speedway
The new police car from Ford, developed by the people who drive them. The iconic patrol car of the last decade, the Crown Vic, is soon to fade away into history when Ford ceases its production next...
View ArticleStop your whining and get to work!
I've been "on the job" now for around 17 years or so, give or take, in various locations and positions. I've worked with good cops and some not so good. However when I started in law enforcement, there...
View ArticleForgotten heroes of 9/11 are dying
After the attacks of September 11, 2001, we all said "Never Forget." In that spirit, it's important to keep in mind that people from all over the country came to the aid of New York City. Every state...
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Leaders tackle the issues
The basic idea behind American Police Beat is that everyone wins if law enforcement professionals have access to relevant information and are able to communicate with each other on issues impacting...
View ArticleWhat a Difference 30 Years Makes
I am what a lot of people refer to as "an Old School, Old Dog." I've been in the business of corrections and police work since 1977. When I went to school, criminal justice was known as police science....
View ArticleThe problem is leadership, not our pension system
There is no "pension system crisis" in California but the state as well as many cities and towns do have ongoing budget deficit problems and most are suffering from a shortage of skilled leadership....
View ArticleAre You Sure You'll Get Your Pension?
Tony Capria was a law enforcement officer who was injured in the line of duty, so he was legally entitled to full pay while on the job, and 75 percent of his salary upon retirement. But he never...
View ArticleFollowing the Flags of 9/11
When Mike Simler, a former police officer in Washington, D.C. and Colorado, was searching for a way to have a special ceremony at the US Air Force Academy football game on September 11, 2010, he came...
View ArticleStatue honors police officers severely injured in line of duty
In an effort to recognize sacrifices made by Chicago Police officers severely injured in the line of duty, the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation recently dedicated a statue that pays fitting tribute...
View ArticleYou got a problem? Just dump it on the cops!
As a street patrol officer in Boston, I was recently summoned by radio call to a housing development for a matter pertaining to "the electricity was out." Upon arrival, I discovered that the building...
View ArticleThe Case Which Changed His Life
It's not news to police professionals that bravery comes in many forms. It could be a kid sticking up for a smaller kid on a street corner. It could be police officer rushing on to the tracks to pull...
View ArticleDon’t let your friendships interfere with police work
I have often told new officers I've had to train, "If you want to know who your real friends are, pin on a badge." I tell them that if you do your job, even when interacting with your friends and...
View ArticleCOLORADO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS NEED YOUR HELP
Two Colorado State Patrol troopers face serious felony charges following a duty-related shooting in July, 2010 near Grand Junction, Colorado. Trooper Ivan “Gene” Lawyer and Corporal Kirk Firko are both...
View ArticleOfficer’s article is controversial
A lot of times, when a cop sits down at his desk to write up his or her opinion of a new policy, a recent event, or merely to bark at the moon, the result is what could be described as "an intensity of...
View ArticleWhen good cops leave the job
When good cops retire and ultimately settle down to what they envision as life of fewer demands. Naturally, thoughts will revolve around their continued existence, and what the future will hold in...
View ArticleSoldiers rescued by police
Sometimes even the Army calls 911. A daring NYPD helicopter rescue in the dark featuring dangerously high winds is responsible for the safety of two West Point cadets. Here's the report: On Sunday...
View ArticleNew age bad guys
Gang crime is an epidemic that keeps law enforcement slogging uphill with long and tiresome investigations. The gang investigation itself has grown more complex due to technology and the way gang...
View ArticlePolicing? Yeah, there's an app for that.
According to FOX News, a Massachusetts police detective was recently spreading the word at a law enforcement technology conference about a phone app he developed. Detective Peter Olson from the...
View ArticleBaca supports Secure Communities
Consider the following case: In January, a local police agency arrested a man for driving with a suspended license. A subsequent fingerprint screening revealed that he was also a convicted felon...
View ArticleWe built it and they came
Anyone who has ever visited Virginia City, Nevada knows that this little mountain town of Northern Nevada is drenched in gold- and silver-mining history. Mark Twain penned many of his stories from this...
View ArticleConfronting Police Suicides
When it comes to the issue of police suicides, there are many that would rather just avoid the topic altogether. Sadly, that's one of the reasons that suicide is more prevalent among cops than most...
View ArticleOIS support from agencies is lacking
High risk incidents are scary things. After one officer-involved shooting at a local agency, the officer involved told me one of their top administrators made a statement that made him concerned. Once...
View ArticleResponse to article “Policing the flash mob” by Cynthia Brown
After reading an article by Cynthia Brown in a recent issue of the American Police Beat, titled “How do we police the flash mob”, I wanted to chime in with a few points and perhaps facilitate a...
View ArticleMake an impression on kids with stickers
Police officers have a lot of opportunities to interact with kids during a tour of duty. Some of these contacts may initially involve a negative environment such as a domestic violence call where...
View ArticleMy private prison investigation
Follow the money. Those famous words by "Deep Throat" in the book, All the President's Men, are worth living by. I personally came to realize this in 1997 when I started looking into correctional...
View ArticleCop collector ALERT!
Hi everyone, we are a little less than six months out from the 2012 National Police Collectors Show and have sold 75 percent of the 241 available tables. Things are going well with table reservations...
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