By Stephen Owsinski Each time I see or hear the words “police reforms” or “reimagining the police,” I think back to the days of duly qualified accreditation professionals who sift through cop shop’s policies and protocols, scrutinizing every scintilla, ultimately ensuring the candidate law enforcement agency meets muster in myriad ways, predominantly founded in “precepts Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D A Cincinnati Police Officer was recently fired for using the N-word on duty and recorded on her body-worn camera in a moment of frustration. She may appeal the decision, but in these volatile times, the firing is likely to be upheld. A recent article in Sports Illustrated reports that Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D An alert campus police officer noticed a clear 2-liter bottle containing an unknown liquid in the stadium parking lot filled with cars from attendees of a football game. The area was the primary route for pedestrians leaving the game that was ending just a short time after the officer Read more »
By Steve Pomper Fair warning: This article is intentionally wide-ranging and, admittedly, perhaps, a bit erratic. But, if you take nothing else away from this article, just remember cops respond, back-to-back, to incidents from minor to major and vice versa, and then they go back into service. Regardless, cops must adjust and respond appropriately to all Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D Sabin Ward, 21, is now perhaps the youngest police chief ever in the state of Ohio. Ward, who was sworn in Friday to lead the New Athens police force, was eager to begin his first shift after the ceremony. “Being the age that I am puts a big responsibility Read more »
By Stephen Owsinski An Israeli technology company has engineered a remote-based device with Superman-ish capability, enabling law enforcement officers to “see through walls,” whether up-close or from a safer distance. Per the company’s press release, “For the first time, military forces, law enforcement agencies, and first responders are able to detect live objects beyond the Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D Ever since Adam and Eve looked down and realized they were naked and that was somehow not quite right, most of humanity has insisted on covering up. When law enforcement officers encounter a nude individual, the presumption is that there is something very wrong. How much clothing is the Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D Facial recognition, fake cell tower interception, surveillance flights, and license plate readers all have two things in common. They solve crimes and they cause privacy concerns. When does good investigative police work cross the line to an invasion of privacy? Do criminals have the right to privacy? Should citizens Read more »
By Stephen Owsinski With the nationwide manhunt for the Alabama jail escapee and corrections officer garnering tons of media attention, the ill-fated finale evolved in Monday morning quarterbacks questioning how law enforcement and fire personnel handled the scene. Despite reams of media portrayals derived from body-worn cameras delivering hardcore reality and imperfect humans mitigating an Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D Drug laws have been all over the map since the first federal legislation started regulating them. A 1912 international agreement obligated all participating nations to regulate opium traffic within their borders. The U.S. Congress passed the 1914 Harrison Narcotic Act to meet the treaty obligations. Intended to be a Read more »