By Stephen Owsinski I watched a pseudo-TED speech by a seasoned policeman whose beginnings of swearing in as a cop were riddled with abject trauma from the gruesome loss of his mom (fatal crime victim) and dad (suicide), manifesting resiliency to turn worst-case scenarios into pure passion for helping people in dire straits. The presentation Read more »
By Steve Pomper After graduating from the Washington State police academy in 1992, the Seattle Police Department assigned me to a precinct that was not my first choice but only because of my selfish interest in a shorter commute. Still, a trade with a senior officer was already in the works when I showed up, so Read more »
By Stephen Owsinski The annual Faith and Blue weekend transpired recently, with community members and the clergy meeting and praying over cops and forging formidable bonds. Among many just like it, the following gratitude for cops’ blessings was published by the Whittier Police Department crimefighters: “Happy Faith and Blue Weekend! We are thankful to all Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends, so quotes the Good Book. In the world of police work, the man or woman who lays down their life for their community is likely to be in the prime of their Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D As a monitor of law enforcement news, I frequently see headlines about small police departments affected by simultaneous resignations or simply being dissolved. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is subject to debate. The demands on modern law enforcement are intense and expensive. Recent legislation, Read more »
By Stephen Owsinski The uniqueness is true about cops and their loved ones standing behind them throughout a perilous career that can bring devastation at any moment. It is a poignant ingredient that children of police parent(s) endear their moms and dads as heroes, crime-fighting crusaders who hold special places in young hearts. Despite the Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D American policing is unique in the world primarily because of our national historic interest in liberty and self-determination. 1) We are not a branch of the military. Even though law enforcement is often described as paramilitary, American policing is decidedly civilian. Many of the founders didn’t even want a Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D You never know what you’re going to get. One of the things cops like about the job is the variety. It may seem that the days are filled with traffic stops, theft reports, and resolving disputes, but an ordinary call can become unique in a split second. Then there Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D Dallas Police Officer Matthew Brady was one of four officers who fired shots that killed an armed murder suspect as they tried to arrest him. Brady committed suicide the next day. We can’t automatically assume that Brady’s death was immediately connected to the murder suspect’s death, but it appears Read more »
By Stephen Owsinski The rhetoric rings true: law enforcement officers are a resourceful bunch and always put their best foot forward in any venture for the good of others. In this case, using their firearm shooting skills to compete with other police shooting teams in a collective effort to raise money for cops fighting cancer, Read more »