March 2018

News March 29, 2018

Online TTA Catalog Available from BJA National Training Center

With the many opportunities for law enforcement-related training occurring across the country every day, identifying a central location to locate relevant training is an ongoing need for the field. The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) National Training and Technical Assistance Center’s (NTTAC’s) online Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Catalog serves as a central location for law enforcement and Homeland Security partners to identify relevant training and other technical resources based on their respective needs and locations. The catalog also includes…

News March 28, 2018

No Cost Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP) Now Available

The Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP) is a free tool developed by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, providing real-time overdose surveillance data across jurisdictions to support public safety and public health efforts to mobilize an immediate response to an overdose spike. ODMAP can be used in the field on any mobile device or data terminal connected to an agency’s computer-aided dispatch system, providing the ability to upload data and view the map in actual time. Additional information…

Weaponry March 19, 2018

Reach Far into the Darkness with the OD40 Long Distance Illuminator

Mike Boyle I’ll confess to being a bit of a light nerd. My personal inventory includes dozens of different specimens, ranging from full-size rechargeables through pen-size units you can drop in a pocket. When I find myself in a dark place, having an instantly available light source helps keep me safe. So, how did I come to have so many lights? I doubt if any other technology in the public safety field continues to evolve any faster than illumination tools….

Weaponry March 19, 2018

What’s Hot from SHOT?

Mike Boyle One of my favorite annual rituals is attending the SHOT Show. This event might be best described as the world’s largest firearms bazaar where manufacturers, large and small, display their wares and introduce new products. This year’s event was held January 23-26, 2018, in Las Vegas, Nevada. A couple of days of hard touring will put even the most jaded firearms enthusiast into sensory overload. It’s just impossible to take it all in! There are, of course, thousands…

Training & Education March 19, 2018

Training for Off-Duty and Plainclothes Carry

Todd Fletcher After recognizing a training deficiency about eight years ago, I began teaching a class called, “Off-Duty & Concealed Carry Tactics for Law Enforcement.” The class covered equipment selection, marksmanship and live-fire exercises specific to the types of situations law enforcement officers could face. To this day, I am still amazed by the number of officers who tell me this was the first time they had ever trained using everyday clothing and concealed carry equipment. While frustrating, this is…

Law Enforcement Leadership March 19, 2018

Law Enforcement Leadership March April 2018

Mike Carpenter “Hey, Boss, Where Are We Going?” There are many definitions of the word “leadership” and there are many books to read and many Web pages to click on to learn about this skill. But, let’s keep this simple and look at a very basic (but very powerful) definition of leadership which I like: “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.” (John C. Maxwell) Where Are You Going? Do you know…

Busted March 19, 2018

BUSTED! – Real Stories of Genuine Absurdity March April 2018

James L. McClinton, Ph.D Can you hear me now?… A 69-year-old woman in Goodyear, Arizona, finally succumbed to a frustration many wives suffer. As her husband sat on the toilet, she barged in and “shot two bullets at the wall above his head to make him listen to me,” she told Goodyear police when they were called to the scene. The woman said her husband “would have had to be ten feet tall to be hit by the bullets,” but…

....and nothing but the truth March 19, 2018

…AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH March/April 2018

Ramesh Nyberg I was an investigator for 22 years in homicide, working death scenes of all kinds, but I’ve never been to a scene littered with the bodies of innocent schoolkids. I’m thankful for that. And, so, on the very day I am writing this latest column, it is the same day that the students, faculty and staff of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas are returning to school for the first time since the shooting. I dedicate this column not only to…