By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D Almost everyone being interviewed for a job claims that “I am good with people.” That’s not enough for the law enforcement officer. For most people being “good with people” means knowing how to engage in polite conversation, handling occasions when people are mildly upset, or dealing with occasional conflict. Read more »
By Stephen Owsinski Scrolling social media while sitting in a candlelit room after Hurricane Milton knocked out my power in Tampa Bay, I was uplifted to see many posts from scores of South Florida law enforcement agencies holding prayer sessions before departing for my region. These observations of prayerful backup officers departing from afar were Read more »
By Steve Pomper I don’t know why this story surprised me, I mean, she couldn’t still be the county prosecutor, could she? But when I read about another mockery of justice in Cook County (Chicago), there was State’s Attorney Kim Foxx standing behind it. I was stunned because even though I would have remembered with Read more »
The National Police Association (NPA) supports Alabama House Bill 58, which imposes a penalty for failing to inform a law enforcement officer, when questioned, about being in possession of a concealed firearm. The bill was introduced by Alabama Rep. Chris England (070) and has been pre-filed for consideration in February of 2025. If passed, the Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D “I just want to help people.” That’s what candidates applying to be a police officer sincerely say when asked why they want the job. It remains the statement of most police officers who are in the job. It is also a lament when officers are assaulted, rejected, persecuted, and Read more »
By Stephen Owsinski Coconut Creek, Florida, police Officer Ethan Rodriguez was off duty and traveling way outside his jurisdiction when he observed a clog of drivers who stopped because of a roll-over crash on a bustling New York expressway during rainfall. As any on-the-spot cop would, Officer Rodriguez told his family to remain in their Read more »
By Steve Pomper I’ll concede that some people are unable to get it due to diminished cognitive abilities or some other non-preventable condition. Everyone else has no excuse and can get it—if they want to. By get it, I mean understanding the cause and effect of your choices. For example, why will a city’s residents repeatedly Read more »
NPA billboards remind the public of their critical role in maintaining public safety. Crime is not solely the responsibility of law enforcement; it is a social issue that requires active participation from the community. Billboards serve as a reminder that a partnership between law enforcement and residents is essential for reducing crime and improving neighborhood Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D When seconds count, help is minutes away. That’s the old saying about the reality that everyone is their own first responder. The recent deadly hurricane seasons show that we could amend that cliche to say hours or even days away. This reality doesn’t mean that emergency responders can’t be Read more »
By Steve Pomper These two stories flew onto my radar on the same day, and though only tangentially related, both tell the story of failure (or success, if the aim was to bring down the Seattle Police Department (SPD). There is the failure to honor a police department’s history, culture, cops, and their sacrifices and the Read more »