November 2018

Responding to Persons Experiencing a Mental Health Crisis

This series of publications from the International Association of Chiefs of Police offers guidelines for law enforcement officers responding to situations involving individuals reasonably believed to be persons in crisis. The series addresses how officers can best make judgments regarding the mental state and intent of individuals and offers model policies for the use of special skills, techniques and abilities to effectively and appropriately resolve situations while minimizing violence. Various formats of the series can be downloaded at https://tinyurl.com/y9zcwqwa.  


Justice Department Announces Release of New Fentanyl Safety Video for First Responders

Recently, the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) released the Fentanyl Safety Recommendations for First Responders’ companion training video, Fentanyl: The Real Deal. The video was produced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help first responders protect themselves when the presence of fentanyl is suspected or encountered on the job. The video is available at https://tinyurl.com/y8epbq7w. Fentanyl: The Real Deal provides recommendations to law enforcement on how to navigate safely around the increased prevalence of fentanyl…


Contact Between Police and the Public Fell Over a Four Year Period

The Bureau of Justice Statistics recently announced that the portion of U.S. residents age 16 or older who had experienced contact with the police in the preceding 12 months declined from 26 percent in 2011 to 21 percent in 2015. The number of residents who had experienced contact with police dropped by more than nine million people, from 62.9 million to 53.5 million during the period. From 2011 to 2015, the number of persons who had contact which was police…


The Wheels of Justice November December 2018

Sergeant James Post TRANSPORTATION 2019 P&SN presents its 21st annual report on the latest technical advances in police vehicles, components and aftermarket equipment. Welcome to our annual transportation issue which covers all that’s new in LE transportation as gleaned from national events like the IACP Conference, National Sheriffs’ Association Annual Conference, Police Fleet Expo, and the annual Michigan State Police (MSP) vehicle evaluations. This year, we’ve rearranged a couple of sections to provide you with a faster, easier review. Our…


Law Enforcement Leadership November December 2018

Mike Carpenter  “…Down the Road” We all look “down the road” towards retirement. Regardless of the job we have, most everyone has retirement dreams of (maybe) moving to an island, taking long walks on the beach and sitting at an oceanside bar for afternoon drinks. Regardless of your retirement ambitions, you are not there yet. There are some small problems to overcome which lie between your current job and your future aspirations. Now, the good news for a lot of you…


Use-of-Force Policy and Training Issues

Ed Nowicki One of the most important aspects of a law enforcement officer’s duty relates to the use of force. If officers do not respond with force in certain circumstances, these officers may pay the ultimate price with their lives. If their force response is excessive, they may unlawfully take someone’s life. NOTE: This article was written by a use-of-force practitioner and a judicially recognized use-of-force expert who is not a licensed attorney. This article does not constitute legal advice….


Surveillance Tactics to Find and Stop Opioid Dealers

Leischen Kranick According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, it’s estimated that 115 people die every day in the United States from overdosing on opioids. However, this number does not account for the numerous individuals who overdose, but do not expire, with some of them overdosing repeatedly. “I’ve seen this happen with the same person as many as seven times in a 24 hour period,” said James Deater, who spent more than 27 years as a trooper with the…


Range versus Reality: Movement and Cover

Todd Fletcher When you get a group of shooters together, the discussion inevitably turns to their individual likes and dislikes. They discuss training philosophy, equipment preferences and why “their” way is better than the “other” ways. These conversations usually include point shooting versus sighted fire; how to perform malfunction drills; how to perform slide lock reloads and tactical reloads; 9mm versus .45 ACP; and many others. When it’s a group of law enforcement firearms instructors, it can get even worse….


…AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH November/December 2018

Ramesh Nyberg A Disappearing Act Like No Other Not long ago, my wife and I saw a play by a small acting group here in south Florida, called “The Camp.” It was about an American regiment pressing towards Berlin at the end of WWII. During a stop in a small German village, they come across a strange area and start to investigate. To their horror, they find a concentration camp, abandoned by the Nazis, but still occupied by dead and…