In looking back in your career what are the key moments that define your career? According to www.dictionary.reference.com defines legacy as “anything handed down from the past, as from ancestor, or predecessor.”  What does this mean for you at the end of your career?  Looking back over 5, 10, 15, 10 or 25 years what [...]

On Monday the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision that—depending on how you look at it—makes either a strong case or a weak case for the right to privacy. The case involves a GPS device that police in the District of Columbia attached to Antoine Jones’s Jeep without obtaining a warrant first. After tracking Jones [...]

Sean Riley helps cops in trouble; specifically suicidal, drug, and alcohol addicted officers.  Providing guidance for such weighty issues is tough within the general population.   Assisting public safety personnel with the same problems can be excruciating.  Many law enforcement members don’t want to talk about addicted and suicidal officers.  Cops observe the signs of colleagues [...]

The “American Marketing Association [AMA] defines a brand as a ‘name, term, sign, symbol or design, or combination of them intended to identify the good and services” (Lake, 2012, para. 1). In today’s society people are surrounded by product images that entice them to purchase items. Coke, Pepsi, McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, [...]

Two provocative articles in the January 24, 2012 issue of the New York Times may be useful to police departments striving to meet emerging challenges in the criminal justice field. The first, “Men Struggle for Rape Awareness,” explores some of the consequences of the broader definition of rape adopted recently by the federal government, which [...]

How often does police training reach the front page of  The New York Times?  I’m not sure, but my guess is not very.  However, it has been big news for the liberal-leaning paper for several days. Back in 2010, a film called “Third Jihad” was allegedly shown to 1,400 NYPD officers as part of training.  The [...]

Law Enforcement is once again mourning the death of a Police Officer. Senior Police Officer Gail Thomas was struck by an alleged drunk driver and killed in Atlanta, Georgia. Officer Gail Thomas, a 15-year veteran of the Atlanta Police Department, was assisting another officer with a traffic accident on the Brookwood Interchange ramp and was hit just [...]

Consider creating suspense during your next presentation through a relevant and inspiring story.  There is no better time than the beginning.  Think of ways to use a personal or well-known story that allows for suspense to build, causing your audience to eagerly wait for the conclusion. The following is an example from a presentation I [...]

Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, a Marine on trial for killing Iraqi civilians in 2005, is considering a plea deal that would deny his veterans’ benefits but allow him to go free. The alleged war crime occurred in Haditha in response to a roadside bomb explosion. Wuterich, who had been warned that Haditha was a hotbed [...]

Tuesday, January 24, 2012, will mark the one-year anniversary of the line of duty deaths of Sergeant Thomas Baitinger and K-9 Officer Jeffrey Yaslowitz. Just one year ago, the two St. Petersburg police officers and a gunman were fatally shot and a U.S. marshal was injured early Monday in gunfire that broke out as police [...]

The Connecticut State Crime Lab has changed since the famed forensic pathologist Henry Lee, MD ran the show.  Lee, a world-renown pathologist, has solved some of this country’s most puzzling cases.  In the case of Helle Crafts, the flight attendant whose ex-CIA husband killed her and ran her through a wood chipper, Dr. Lee and [...]

As we finish the first month of the New Year, many of us are adjusting to our committed changes we have made for a healthier 2012.  One area which can make a huge difference in our wellness program is our eating when on duty. Do you have a plan for your meals at work? Do [...]

I became a police chaplain in 1995.  I have always believed that when you have a calling in your life, you should answer it.   I have served as a chaplain for public housing security officers in the Oklahoma City area and then moved on to serving as a chaplain with the Sheriff’s Department. In 2010, [...]

Honolulu Police Officer Garret Davis was been killed in the city of Aiea, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.  Police sources confirm that one of their own died late Saturday night after stopping to assist a motorist.    Witnesses reported seeing a car on fire.  Two other accident victims, a man and a woman, were taken to Queens [...]

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly, announced that his department is developing a terahertz scanner that will reveal firearms through clothing.  The human body naturally emits this form of radiation, which can freely pass through clothing, but not metal.  As a result, terahertz scanners can display an image of a firearm’s outline.  The technology used in this [...]

We do not always get to pick the duties we fill as law enforcers, but I believe they are all important. I recently had an officer complain to me about his training assignment for a basic academy class. He was tasked with training the class about forensics, but wanted only to teach defensive tactics to [...]

According to spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Corrections Shea Wilson, Sgt. Barbara Ester was stabbed to death by male inmate Latavious Johnson, after she noticed that he was in possession of a pair of tennis shoes that weren’t issued by the ADC. Because they were not formally issued, the shoes were considered contraband. Sgt. Ester then entered the [...]

Police Officer Frank Barbagiovanni, of the New Britain Police Department, had a heartbreaking and difficult response to a 911 call back in November, 2011.  He tried in vain to save the life of a ten year old boy.  Despite Barbagiovanni’s best efforts, the child died later at an area hospital.  In the course of valiantly [...]

Ongoing terrorist activities and insurgencies, in whatever configurations they come in and no matter what local conflicts they are involved in, constitute the primary warfare threat facing the international community today. Having said this, the threat of a nuclear armed Iran will have major implications not only in the region but directly on the United [...]

On the night of April 4th, 1985, Sgt. James Bevis responded to an armed robbery which had just occurred in a small town in Jackson County, Florida.  Sgt.  Bevis spotted a vehicle, which matched the description of the vehicle used in the armed robbery. He followed and then stopped the vehicle. He got the suspects out of the vehicle and [...]

A precious five year old is in critical condition in Norfolk, Virginia’s Children’s Hospital of the Kings Daughters after a selfish, irresponsible, and now jailed 43-year old woman allegedly chose to drive under the influence (second offense) and swerve around a school bus she was too busy or too impaired to wait for.  In the [...]

Leadership is often discussed and reviewed.  I recently watched a video which starred Randy Pausch, a former professor from Carnegie Mellon University. I have watched this video numerous times and have forwarded it to other professionals. This video represents what is good about people, legacies, succession planning, and mentoring. The video can be found at [...]

We were in Washington D.C. for a drug prevention conference. It was around 2:00 a.m. when my wife and I were awakened by someone pounding on our hotel room door. A frightened girl’s voice followed, “Come quick; Stephanie is really sick. Please hurry”. There was no question of the sincerity in her voice. Someone needed [...]

It has been a while since I have put fingers to keyboard, but I thought this an important article. I recently attended training  in Minneapolis, Minnesota coordinated by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center- Rural Policing Institute. The training was focused towards rural police officer safety. Three instructors participated; John Bostain, Brian Willis, and Mike Sumeracki. [...]

Agent Francis Crespo-Mandry was gunned down as he and another partner responded to a panic alarm at a gas station. As Agent Crespo-Mandry and his partner arrived at the gas station they were confronted by two armed subjects. The suspects opened fire on the officers, fatally wounding Agent Crespo-Mandry. One of the suspects was wounded in the ensuing shootout [...]