Featured Blog Posts (36)

The Multi-Jurisdictional Approach to Active Shooter Training

In November 2007 I was tasked by my chief with developing a multi-jurisdictional approach to active shooter training in Yakima County here in Central Washington State. I work in a small town where there is frequently only one officer on duty during the day and this is a common theme for other agencies throughout the county. I am a grant writer and that is where this originally started from, the original program was built around obtaining grant funding to acquire Simunitions equipment and a suppo… Continue

Added by Tracy D. DeLozier on November 6, 2009 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Active Shooters & Getting the Word Out

I just got off the phone with Jeff Chudwin, Law Officer columnist and chief of police for the Village of Olympia Fields, Ill. I was asking the impossible: "Chief, give me something relevant, a hook, so we can get all our great active shooter training coverage out there--relate it to what's happened at Ft. Hood." Not so fast, said Chief Chudwin. There aren't any tips that aren'… Continue

Added by Crawford Coates on November 6, 2009 at 3:30pm — 2 Comments

Domestic Violence Is Dangerous For All By Karen L. Bune

It is a known fact-- and one that should never be forgotten-- that domestic violence episodes are extremely periolous not only to the victims directly involved in the contentious situation but also to those in the criminal justice system who respond to their immediate crises. For law enforcement officers, calls for service that are domestic in nature can be one of the most dangerous types they respond to and, of course, they make every attempt to do so with back-up. Domestic violence situations… Continue

Added by Karen L. Bune on October 1, 2009 at 12:00am — 1 Comment

Brutal Victimization Forever Changes NYPD Officer, Damian Bartels By Karen L. Bune

Cops don’t like to think of themselves as victims, but, sadly, they too, become victims of crime. Anyone who has ever attended the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial knows with certainty that too many officers have been killed in the line of duty. However, cops don’t always have to be working to become victims. On their “off” hours and trying to enjoy life like anyone else, they can also be confronted with unforeseen circumstances and surrounding events that produce devastating victimiz… Continue

Added by Karen L. Bune on September 21, 2009 at 3:30pm — No Comments

Marriott's Handling Of Sexual Assault Incident Is Abominable By Karen L. Bune

It is readily apparent that a franchise of Bethesda, Md.-based Marriott International Inc. has absolutely no understanding of criminal victimization. The outrageous response to a female victim who was raped at gunpoint-- in the presence of her children --at the Marriott Hotel and Spa in Stamford, Connecticut is clearly indicative of genuine ignorance. Instead of responding with sensitivity and concern, the corporation chose to take the low road of blaming the victim for what happened to her and… Continue

Added by Karen L. Bune on September 4, 2009 at 12:30am — No Comments

Tampa PD's Loss of Corporal Mike Roberts Impacts Us All By Karen L. Bune

The Tampa Police Department is grieving the loss of a colleague and highly respected police officer, Corporal Mike Roberts, an 11-year veteran on the force. Killed in the line of duty recently by a man pushing a shopping cart and armed with guns, the scuffle that ensued between the defendant and Corporal Roberts resulted in Roberts being pistol-whipped and ultimately shot and killed. He had just been promoted to the rank of detective and would have been headed to the Hit and Run Squad. A true pu… Continue

Added by Karen L. Bune on August 30, 2009 at 3:18am — 1 Comment

"Hot" Momma's Playboy Pose Provokes Controversy By Karen L. Bune

Gahanna City (Ohio) Police Officer, Ron Firthen, should know better than to think his wife, Beth Firthen, and the “hot” momma of their four children could actually pose nude and appear in the January 2008 issue of Playboy magazine without a vociferous outcry of response from his fellow cops and others who heard about the pictorial spread. Mrs. Firthen quickly became the subject of talk and reaction in the police department and the community. Autographed copies of the magazine were in demand, and… Continue

Added by Karen L. Bune on August 28, 2009 at 3:00am — 4 Comments

Butch And Arrow Need Help To Remain On Patrol By Karen L. Bune

The tried and true are going by the wayside in more ways than one. Hard copy newspapers are trailing off the face of the earth with rapid extinction due to a significant reduction in advertisers as well as falling readership especially by young people. Then, there are the numbers of U. S. Postal Service mailboxes that are being removed from neighborhoods and street corners due to the notable drop in mailed correspondence. If all that is not bad enough, the real kicker is that, once again, anothe… Continue

Added by Karen L. Bune on August 2, 2009 at 3:00am — 2 Comments

Blue Knights

Blue Knights LEMC (Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club) a fraternal order comprised of federal and state law enforcement professionals. I recently joined and have had a great time riding the open roads and meeting hundreds of fellow law enforcement officers... I am the V.P. in our chapter and would like to interest anyone who might want to join or perhaps starting up a chapter. This is the real deal, no messing around with unprofessional actions... This a great club, Our chapter has been growing in… Continue

Added by Mr. T on July 28, 2009 at 7:30pm — 3 Comments

A Beer With Obama Changes Nothing By Karen L. Bune

With the backlash and outrage that has erupted over President Obama’s interference and outlandish, uncalled for remarks concerning the arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Gates, Obama is now trying to smooth rough waters. He personally called and spoke with Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley and, after talking with him, publicly announced at a press conference that perhaps Sgt. Crowley and Professor Gates could visit the White House and share a beer with the President. “My impression of him was t… Continue

Added by Karen L. Bune on July 25, 2009 at 7:30pm — 4 Comments

Police Pursuit Scrutiny: Coming to a City Near You

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to watch a live pursuit on a national news station. The pursuit caught my attention because it involved the Houston Police Department (HPD) and in the past few years, HPD has come under scrutiny for Pursuits. Before I continue, let me say that I have spent some time with Houston Police Officers, interviewed many of them during a promotional process a few years ago and found the agency to be professional and progressive. The fact that HPD has come und… Continue

Added by Travis Yates on July 25, 2009 at 2:05am — No Comments

Professor Gates and President Obama Out Of Bounds By Karen L. Bune

“The apology won’t come from me. I’ve done nothing wrong,” said Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambridge Massachusetts Police Department. Henry Louis Gates, a Black man, a Harvard Professor, and a friend of President Barack Obama, is demanding one from the police officer. Responding to a report of a possible breaking and entering, Sgt. Crowley encountered Gates who reportedly was uncooperative, belligerent, and yelling loudly. He refused to provide identification when asked for it. Gates wound up bei… Continue

Added by Karen L. Bune on July 24, 2009 at 12:30pm — 6 Comments

Officer TJ Bomba Fighting Tough Battle By Karen L. Bune

He is 28-years-old, married with a child, and is a Montgomery County Maryland police officer. He has been fighting for his life, and it is not due to an on-the-job incident. Employed with the police department for approximately three years, TJ Bomba even received the Medal of Valor in the early stages of his career. He had everything going for him until June 23, 2009 when he suddenly became ill. Experiencing muscle soreness, an extremely high fever, and dehydration, he went to the doctor, but he… Continue

Added by Karen L. Bune on July 11, 2009 at 3:13pm — 1 Comment

NYPD Officer Firpo Shares Commonalities With Officer Donald Rickert in PGPD Maryland

Cops these days don’t let any grass grow under their feet. Officer Dariel Firpo, a new and recent graduate of the New York Police Department Academy, no sooner finished his graduation ceremony when he observed a senior citizen being robbed and thrown to the ground. Without hesitation, Officer Firpo instantaneously went into pursuit mode and chased the culprit until he was able to apprehend him and place him under arrest. Not only did he nab the mugger who has a history of 48 previous arrests, b… Continue

Added by Karen L. Bune on July 7, 2009 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Call Boston PD and Save The Horse-Mounted Unit Now! By Karen L. Bune

It’s not too late for a last ditch effort to save the Boston Police Department’s Horse-Mounted Unit. Though the city council voted to disband the unit due to budget constraints and tough economic times, the horses have not yet left. And, in the meantime, John Henry and the Red Sox have offered up money to keep the horses and retain the horse-mounted unit intact. This unit is valuable to the city, and it has been in existence for 150 years. In a city that receives visitors from all over the worl… Continue

Added by Karen L. Bune on July 7, 2009 at 11:51am — No Comments

Senator Barbara Boxer's Pettiness Is An Affront By Karen L. Bune

It is apparent that Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif) is either replete with self-aggrandizing egotism or a blatant level of profound ignorance in which either case she enhances the critics of women in powerful positions who are oftentimes perceived by some as self-centered shrews. Boxer’s response to Brigadier General Michael Walsh, of the Army Corps of Engineers, subsequent to him addressing her as “ma’am” according to military protocol, was a shameful and unbecoming public display of behavior a… Continue

Added by Karen L. Bune on July 4, 2009 at 4:16pm — No Comments

American University Professor Penning Poetry On Prisons By Karen L. Bune

It might be hard to imagine that a university professor, who has studied prisons extensively and has even met with hardened criminals, could write something other than scholarly, theoretical manuscripts. However, Dr. Robert Johnson, a professor at American University, Washington D. C., in the Department of Justice, Law, and Society and a renowned expert in the field of corrections, has done just that. His poetry books, "Poetic Justice: Reflections on the Big House, the Death house, and the Ameri… Continue

Added by Karen L. Bune on June 27, 2009 at 1:30am — 1 Comment

H1N1 & First Responders

The World Health Organization has raised "swine flu" to a Stage-6 pandemic. Europe has confirmed its first death, and closer to home, 36 students and their seven chaperones from a San Diego-area high school remain quarantined in China after some tested positive for the virus. It's not gone away, even if we've heard less about it recently. How this affects first responders is a complex question, especially as the story develops and the question evolves. In conjunction with our sister sites JEMS.… Continue

Added by Crawford Coates on June 16, 2009 at 1:00pm — No Comments

Vested For Life

As some of you may know, when I write it almost always is about emergency vehicle operations. I have been honored and privileged to have been given opportunities across the world to both speak in person and to write about this important subject but recently I have become involved in a project that is far more important for me. I am shocked at what I have discovered and I think you will be to. What is it you ask? There are police officers in America that are not given bullet-proof vests to w… Continue

Added by Travis Yates on June 11, 2009 at 11:00pm — No Comments

My process of recovery after being involved in fatal shooting.

I was involved in a fatal shooting of a suspect on Wednesday 3 June 2009 at 0004hrs in Lincoln County, North Carolina. As the case is still being investigated by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation I cannot give any details in a public forum such as this; however, I can give you the basic facts such as the News Media already has. Myself and a female deputy that I directly supervise were both involved in this fatal shooting which was domestic related. Suffice it to say, the male susp… Continue

Added by William W. Pitts on June 12, 2009 at 12:00am — 5 Comments