By Stephen Owsinski With the toppling of historical statues and the frenzy of renaming buildings in recent years, it is refreshing to witness the opening of a new school whose namesake pays tribute to a slain policeman and his indelible guardianship over humanity, predominantly our youth. The approximately 800 students at the Sparks, Nevada elementary Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D There are plenty of occupations that aren’t on a 9-5 schedule, but America still seems to run on the assumption that weekends exist and summertime is for relaxing. Here are some things that your police officers have been doing in the dog days of August. In Indiana, K9 handler Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D As a walking piece of police history, I remember the days when my duty belt consisted of my Colt .38, a pair of handcuffs, some tear gas, and a baton ring. How things have changed! I also added wrestlers’ knee pads for doing CPR while kneeling on broken glass, Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D Of the estimated 850,000 police officers serving the U.S., approximately 110,500 are women. Despite the inclusion of women in recruiting efforts and their gains in supervision and administration, there is an 85% chance that the police officer answering your 911 call will be a man. Much of the speculation Read more »
By Steve Pomper We all know about the Virginia election earthquake that shook the commonwealth in 2021. Many called it a red wave. A sign of things to come in the mid-term elections, they also said. That election signaled a possible halt to the destruction of the American criminal justice system. That’s because it also Read more »
By Stephen Owsinski Late at night on June 10, 2022, a public information officer (PIO) with the Maine State Police published a press release announcing forthcoming major changes in the law enforcement agency’s infrastructure stemming from “changing demands of the public safety environment.” Department of Public Safety PIO Shannon Moss outlined plans to implement midnight-shift Read more »
By Stephen Owsinski On June 10, 2022, Florida’s pro-police Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law on behalf of the Sunshine State’s retired police K9s, ensuring provisions of care while the furred crimefighters wile away the days. “In Florida, we back the blue, and that includes the K-9s that are often the first to Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D Can a police officer get through a shift without making a mistake? If so, can they sustain that perfection for a career? How about a physician, a factory worker, a teacher, or an engineer? We accept mistakes as part of life. That’s why we have so many safeguards in Read more »
By Stephen Owsinski Those interested in law enforcement sometimes take advantage of ride-along programs offered by police agencies, but the reasons for doing so vary. Generally, on paper, the self-explanatory term for ride-along is “civilian observer,” and the applications to partner with a cop in a police cruiser entail the words “Hold-Harmless” in capitalized block Read more »
By Stephen Owsinski In the months preceding December 2014, Tarpon Springs, Florida police Officer Charlie “K” Kondek, Jr. relished the thoughts of a retirement home built somewhere up in the mountains. A humble abode in which he and his beloved family could switch gears and enjoy solitude afforded by nature, leave long burdensome patrol shifts Read more »