K-9 Drake, a retired K-9 Trooper from Florida was living as a pet with his handler Trooper Boody, who adopted him.  On November 19, 2012, a burglar tried to rob his home, K-9 Drake did as he was trained and protected his home. With no bullet-proof vest, he charged the crook who shot this loyal [...]

Chicago has some of the toughest gun control laws in the United States.   However, former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel, a strong supporter of gun control, seems helpless to stop the shocking level of gun crime in his city.  This weekend’s horrifying toll demonstrates that gun control seems to have little effect on [...]

Ariel Castro, the man accused of kidnapping, rape, and murder over a decade was ushered into court for his arraignment on June 12, 2013.  He never once lifted his face to see anything save the floor in front of him.  The same monster who allegedly inflicted terror over the three women he abducted and the [...]

Deputy Arturo Ramirez of the San Bernardino (California) County Sheriff’s Department briefly crossed over to the firefighting side of public safety recently when he rescued five people from a burning building before firefighters arrived.  Deputy Ramirez is assigned to the Victorville Station and was on routine patrol at 2 a.m. on June 15 when he [...]

Police Officer William Sprague, 30, died Saturday due to injuries following a hit and run incident while he was investigating a disturbance call at Grady T. Wallace Park at approximately 12:30 a.m. June 13. Officer Sprague responded to reports of the disturbance, involving approximately 100 people, and was attempting to make contact with the driver [...]

I started in law enforcement at 19, less than a year out of high school. For many years, I lived in the same small town. This was an iconic, sheltered suburban life that gave me a limited view of the real world. I bought my first police scanner at 16 and would listen to it [...]

If you have never shared the joy and sense of accomplishment and belonging that participation in Special Olympics can bring to an athlete you are missing out on a powerful experience.  The Special Olympics are a testament to people overcoming challenging circumstances and a powerful demonstration of acceptance and inclusion. Ever since the first Special [...]

In May, Colorado became the first state to legalize marijuana for possession and sale. Colorado residents can legally buy and possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants. Regulations are in place for childproof packaging, ad restrictions, warning labels, and guidelines for drivers. Police officers are receiving training to deal [...]

On June 10, jury selection began for the six-person panel that will decide whether George Zimmerman is guilty of the second-degree murder of Trayvon Martin, an African-American youth, in Sanford, Florida last year. The case has attracted worldwide attention. The Encounter between Zimmerman and Martin On February 26, 2012, 28-year-old Zimmerman shot and killed 17-year-old [...]

NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly praised Joselyn Martinez for her assistance in solving the cold case murder of her father, Jose, who died 26 years ago.  Joselyn was 9 when her beloved father was murdered in New York City.  Ms. Martinez, through her own detective work, located Justo Santos, the alleged murderer, in Miami. Jose [...]

On June 3, 2013, the Supreme Court (USSC) issued the opinion of Maryland v. King. You can read the opinion by visiting the Court’s website at www.supremecourt.gov. The opinion regarding genetic (DNA) searches was far from unanimous. Justice Kennedy delivered the Court’s opinion.  Four justices; Scalia, Ginsberg, Sotomayor, and Kagan, dissented with Justice Scalia authoring [...]

Both scientific and anecdotal evidence consistently demonstrate that eyewitness accounts of crimes and identifications of suspects are often unreliable. According to the Innocence Project, an organization that investigates potential wrongful convictions, approximately 75% of convictions overturned after analysis of DNA evidence are due, in part, to erroneous eyewitness identification (www.innocenceproject.org). Yet, police rely on eyewitness [...]

The Night Stalker is dead.  Richard Ramirez died on death row in San Quentin reportedly of “natural causes” on Friday, June 7.  The exact cause of death for this lawless murderer has been withheld because of privacy laws. Ramirez assaulted, raped, and tortured more than 25 victims and murdered 13 people in the Los Angeles [...]

News is unfolding from Santa Monica, California, regarding an Active Shooter Incident.  Santa Monica police ended the shooting spree, killing gunman John Zawahri at the Santa Monica College Library on the day before his 24 birthday.  This is where the shooter fired his last round. Once the AS was terminated, calm and order was restored.  The police [...]

On June 2, the US Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s prohibition against taking DNA samples during booking. The case centers on DNA testing that Maryland performed when Alonzo King Jr. was arrested for assault in 2009. A DNA swab connected him to an unresolved 2003 rape case. King sued, claiming that the test constituted [...]

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an initiative to encourage states to implement a multi-pronged approach to move closer to its goal of zero deaths as a result of drunk driving.  Among their recommendations are reducing BAC(Blood Alcohol Content) from 0.08 to 0.05, increased enforcement of liquor laws and development of vehicle systems [...]

On May 25, 2013 a tragedy was prevented at West Albany High School, in Albany, Oregon became known. This incident reinforced the notion that police cannot prevent violence by school shooters or bombers without the help of civilians.  Unless police know that an individual is exhibiting signs of mental distress and erratic behavior, school bombers [...]

What’s the difference between tasteless kidding and hate speech? Are you amused when someone makes a joke about raping women—or are you offended? Until recently, Facebook viewed violence against women as a suitable topic for humor. Posts that slammed Jews, gays, or Muslims were classified as “hate speech” and taken down; posts that shamed women [...]

For almost 100 years—going back to the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of 2014—the US has used punitive methods to try to control addictive substances. Over a trillion dollars has been spent fighting the War on Drugs that President Richard Nixon initiated in 1971. Is it time for a different approach? That’s the question explored in [...]

The always-busy NYPD was stretched to the limit responding to 25 gunfire calls in less than 48 hours.  Twelve people were shot in Brooklyn, 8 in the Bronx, 4 in Queens, and 1 in Manhattan over this past weekend. With the rising heat in New York City possibly contributing to the violence, victims Ivan Martinez, [...]

Keith Stephens, spokesman for the Arkansas Fish and Game Commission has sadly announced that the body of 32-yearold Conservation Officer Joel Campora has finally been recovered. Conservation Officer Campora and Scott County Arkansas Sheriff Cody Carpenter were checking on residents in the Y City area when flash flood waters on the Fourche La Fave River [...]

The Saskatchewan RCMP reports that Conservation Officer Justin Knackstedt, 23, of the Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Division was struck by a vehicle and killed about 7:40 p.m. Friday evening. The incident occurred on Highway 11 near Victor Road near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. A traffic crash that occurred at 5:30 pm had blocked the south bound lanes [...]

Chief John Batiste of the Washington State Patrol announced that Trooper Sean O’Connell, 38, was struck and killed in a vehicle crash about 5:30 p.m. Friday evening.  The crash occurred on Fir Island Road near Greenfield Road in Conway, just south of Mt. Vernon. Preliminary details indicate that Trooper O’Connell was working a traffic detail [...]

Keith Stephens, spokesman for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has confirmed that Sheriff Cody Carpenter of the Scott County Sheriff Department died during the overnight flash flooding that swept through western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. Sheriff Carpenter and Conservation Officer Joel Campora were in a boat checking on residents in the Y City area [...]

As I reflect on the officers being honored during the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service, I think back on my career and all of close calls I have had.  I contemplate how many times I was one step, one second away from being added to that Wall. I think back on all of the hours [...]