I remember, oh so well, in the early ’90s when “Community Policing” became the new buzzwords in law enforcement how so many agencies all of a sudden started teaching classes for the subject. As a person who had been a municipal police officer for my entire police career to that point, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why agencies who dealt with HUGE jurisdictions felt they should be teaching classes on something COMMUNITY oriented. Let me explain. Continue reading Community Policing Today

Ego: egotism; conceit; self-importance (for the purposes of this article)

Legacy: anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor

Honor: high respect, as for worth, merit, or rank

Respect: the condition of being esteemed or honored

All definitions drawn from the online resource, www.dictionary.com.

I was involved recently in a conversation with a gentlemen who was trying to discover my motivations for being a police officer. He too is a police officer but we have different circumstances and situations in our lives: he is the (almost) stereotypical bachelor cop who is divorced, whose children are grown, and whose life primarily – from all outside observation – revolves around his profession as a police officer. I am married a second time, have four children – only one of whom is “grown” (emancipated) – and my life certainly doesn’t revolve around my profession as a police officer. In fact, after 24 years, while I still characterize myself as a “contemporary warrior”, I consider myself a family man first. A large portion of my free time is spent with my family. Continue reading An Ego-Free Legacy

From Massad Ayoob’s First Responder column, Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement, July 2006 issue:

“… a captured hard guy admitted to police that he ‘rated’ cops by the guns they carried… …if the cop carried a cocked and locked .45 automatic, this thug considered the officer just to dangerous to mess with.”

Same author, column, issue:
“A battered revolver with factory grips… was the mark of a Barney Fife type he figured he could take easily.”

(My appreciation to Massad for including such information in his columns. It’s necessary for cops to know and understand as the following addresses.)

Think about the above sentiments as voiced by an arrestee. I first heard that criminals “rated” cops when I was in the police academy. I’ve argued appearance with other veteran officers. To me, what the public thinks is not nearly as important as what the bad guy thinks when the time comes for him to get handcuffed. I’d much rather have him thinking, “He’s too dangerous to mess with,” rather than, “Hmmm… Barney Fife… you’re dead.”

Continue reading Be Professional

OK: So, I’ve been a cop since 1985; or since 1982 if you count my Military Police service time. In that time I think I’ve met far more cops who carry a knife on duty than those who didn’t. In fact, here recently, it’s been quite common for me to find cops carrying two knives on duty: one in either pocket. Generally they will say that one is for general utility cutting (strong side knife) while the other is for weapon retention or other defensive purposes (weak side carry). I took a class on Edged Weapon usage in 2002, and it was specifically designed around “tactical folding knives” carried for the multiple purposes cops carry knives. Considering all of the uses we carry knives for got me to thinking about how varied the policies might have to be. Let’s discuss it a bit… Continue reading The Folding Lockblade Knife As A Police Lethal Force Tool

I’ve been promising myself that I’d write this article for about a year now. Every time I started in on it, something else would pop up that took higher priority. Finally I have the time set aside to write it.

Understand going into this that the whole article is simply my opinion. Due to the fact that this article will touch on several constitutionally protected rights, it’s important for the reader to recognize that I’m just another human being and my opinion is nothing more than that – my opinion. I happen to believe that it is a relatively educated and informed opinion, but that’s been argued in the past as well. Reader be warned: Some of you will be pissed off by what I have to say. If you can accept that, read on. At the bottom is an email link to send me comments and I encourage readers to send me comments whether they agree, disagree or have a recommendation. If you’re going to waste your time sending me, “You’re an asshole,” emails, it’s your time, not mine. ‘Nough said… Continue reading Police Chaplains In Recruiting

By: Mike Marcon

This article may seem to be more questions than solutions – but life saving solutions lie within the questions.

Let’s imagine a worst-case scenario. Dispatch has sent a lone patrol officer to a domestic disturbance. Immediately, upon stepping out of his cruiser and moving around the front of it, he takes . . . → Read More: The Self-Aid Kit: Medical Gear Every Cop Should Carry