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Depth of Knowledge

The world of policing is changing quickly. There are new legal decisions, procedures and technical advances almost everyday. How is a police officer working irregular, unpredictable hours supposed to keep up with this?  In these economic circumstances, when all budgets are being examined, how can departments afford to keep their officers’ training up-to-date?  In this column I will provide some options for agencies and officers to gain free or affordable training and information.

I meet and talk to a lot of police officers nationwide at conferences and when I visit their police stations.  I have become painfully aware of how much my brother and sister law enforcement officers don’t know about their chosen vocation of enforcing the laws.  I asked a  Deputy Sheriff  at a recent conference I attended if he knew what “drug fire” was or had anyone ever mentioned it to him.  He didn’t.

These are a few of the fee online subscriptions and free magazine subscriptions that are available. 

  • Homland Security News Wire is great resource of what is going on in homeland security worldwide.  If you are enrolled a homeland security degree program like I am Homeland Security Newswire is a invaluable website for supporting term papers you maybe required to write.
  • Homeland Security Today is another great online publication plus they will send you a magazine via snail mail and you can still get it online as well.
  • PoliceOne.com another free online publication. They have great articles and often have information on up-coming conferences.

These next two publications are  Law Officer Magazine and  Tactical Response Magazine these are great magazines, however there may be a subscription charge. I say “may” because when you fill out the subscription form you may be eligible for a complimentary subscription.  Please check with the individual magazine companies to see what their criteria is for a complimentary subscription.

Like publications, there is free or low-cost training available to police officers. The FBI will give classes on “Teacher Development,” “Semi-Automatic hand gun Combat Training,” “Range Master Training,” and also “Questionable Document Training” to mention a few.  I have been a student in all the above FBI courses. It has been my experience that the FBI employs excellent instructors. The courses were great you learn a lot of valuable information that you can use on the job. To find out what courses your local FBI office is offering please contact your local FBI office and ask for the  training coordinator.    

Our traditional tools of the trade are handcuffs, a hand gun, and a baton, but the most powerful tool we have is our intellect.  Criminal justice is a profession and part of being a professional is keeping up on the latest developments in your chosen field. Read the police journals and magazines get engaged in your vocation. Develop your depth of knowledge as much as you are honing your skills in defensive tactics.  I have only scratched the surface of in the free or low cost literature. Watch this space for more information in future editions. In addition future editions of this blog will contain detailed information on how to acquire free or inexpensive training.  We will also examine how to evaluate higher education programs and how to select the one that best suits your needs.

I didn’t forget about the “drug fire” question, just so you know.  Drug Fire is part of the National Integrated Ballistic Network that tracks ballistic evidence  from crime scenes nationwide. Read more in this article from Police Chief Magazine.

By Dennis Porter

Leischen Kranick is a Managing Editor at AMU Edge. She has 15 years of experience writing articles and producing podcasts on topics relevant to law enforcement, fire services, emergency management, private security, and national security.

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