By Leischen Stelter
Today wraps up the final day of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International conference in Minneapolis, Minn. Read about the Department of Homeland Security’s annoucement at this conference that could change the way first responders communicate.
By Michael Sale
In the August/September 2012 edition of Blue Line Magazine, psychology columnist, Dr. Dorothy Cotton, asks an old question: “Is it useful for a police officer to have some higher education?” By higher education, she means something beyond the traditional high-school diploma.
It was not so long ago that many police officers with a post-secondary education would not let it be known that they possessed a university degree for fear of incurring a negative reaction from peers and supervisors.
By James Deater
Recently there have been horrific events unfolding in small towns throughout the United States, where the loss of life has been unimaginable. As we continue to fight terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan, utilizing our intelligence agencies and U.S. military to their fullest extent, there is a time-bomb ticking in our own backyard. Read more about the impacts of Mexican drug cartels and why, as a country, we need to recognize this is an imminent threat and do more to motivate and educate policy makers to respond.
By Michael Sale
Recently, while attending the annual conference of the FBI National Academy Associates, I sat through my fifth presentation by Gordon Graham, law enforcement’s leading expert on risk management. I realize, now, that risk management should be a way of life and not something we simply apply to our professional responsibilities.
Many officers are pursuing college degrees to advance their careers. An officer with a degree is more likely to stay with his or her agency longer and less likely to receive discipline. They are often better suited to take on higher-level positions. Many supervisors encourage officers to earn degrees in nontraditional subjects that will help them develop skills and knowledge that will shape them into well-rounded people. Read more about some of the most common nontraditional degree programs for LEOs.
More than a week after the Aurora, Colorado theater shooting, questions are still being raised about what measures were in place to prevent such an incident and what, if anything, could have possibly made a difference in the outcome. To some, this may seem like hindsight and speculation, however, as with all incidents of this type, review, discussion, and (if needed) change, are critical.
By Leischen Stelter
It seems like every day my inbox is packed with new stories about police reform. The biggest story was the July 24th announcement by Attorney General Eric Holder of a major overhaul of the New Orleans Police Department. Holder, in conjunction with Mayor Mitch Landrieu, signed a federal consent decree that is designed to clean up NOPD. Just a few days later, the Justice Department announced a similar (but less expansive) reform of the Seattle Police Department. What’s going on here?
By Leischen Stelter
Probation officers and correctional officers have a lot to offer law enforcement, he says, namely intelligence and information. Often times, corrections officers gather information from inmates who are suspected to be involved in gang activities or other potentially dangerous affiliations like sovereign citizen groups and white supremacists. It’s important for these officers to share this information with police, since the issues that happen inside an institution will eventually flow out onto the streets.
One of my all-time favorite movies is Cecil B. DeMille’s, The Buccaneer, with Yul Brynner (Paramount Pictures, 1958). While there are many aspects of this picture that raise questions about Hollywood’s creative historical license, I often recall that this was where I learned my first important lesson about responsibility.