Bystander Management is Increasingly Critical Especially when Unmanageable

Behind the Badges: Crisis Negotiations Unit Training

By Stephen Owsinski Although it is not every day that law-enforcement professionals deploy Crisis Negotiations Unit assets to instances involving standoffs, the ultra-preparation and training for these chess-like scenarios are paramount. Today, we take a glimpse of the training aspects of police personnel honing skills to more effectively handle often tension-filled engagements involving high-strung individuals Read more »

Shooting Under Internal and External Stress

By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D When an officer fires their duty weapon there is no shortage of questioners, critics, and scrutiny. Why so many bullets? Why didn’t they talk him down? Why didn’t they just Tazer her? Those questions have to be answered for every individual case, but the public needs to have some Read more »

The Public’s Fascination with Homicide

By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D If there is one area of law enforcement that retains the respect and fascination of the public it is the murder detective. Americans are fascinated by murder. The harder to solve, the better. The most incongruous the setting, the better. The prettier the victim, the smaller the town, and Read more »

Law Enforcement in Rough Waters

By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D While there are police units specifically assigned to water safety, every officer is a general-purpose emergency responder and may find themselves saving lives at risk from drowning. A special force of Metropolitan Las Vegas police rescue officers deployed to save a couple being washed away in flood waters while Read more »

North Carolina Sheriff Equips School District with AR-15 Rifles

By Steve Pomper   Madison County (NC) Sheriff Buddy Harwood has been criticized for making what many see is a difficult, responsible, and rational decision. He’s equipping his county’s public schools with AR-15 rifles in response to the horrendous school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. CBS News reported, “When the school year begins in Madison County, North Carolina, Read more »