January 2019

Police Body-worn Camera Legislation Tracker

Laws governing how and when police body-worn cameras can be used and whether the footage is released vary considerably across the country. The Urban Institute has developed a legislation tracker to find out more about passed and pending state legislation. Recently, the Urban Institute updated the tracker and published an article on five new trends in state body-worn camera legislation: States are developing evidence-based model policies and standards; There’s no nationwide standard on when footage is considered public record; Privacy…


2019 Model Year Patrol Vehicle Evaluation Report Released

Since 1981, the National Institute of Justice, through the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Information Center system, has partnered with the Michigan State Police (MSP) to conduct an annual patrol vehicle evaluation. You can find the recently released 2019 model year report, Police Vehicle Evaluation Model Year 2019, at https://tinyurl.com/ycaaltb4. The purchase of patrol vehicles is one of the largest expenditures a law enforcement agency faces. For many years, police fleet administrators have had numerous choices to make when…


GLOCK® Continues Its Pursuit of Perfection

Todd Fletcher In the late 1980s, GLOCK took law enforcement by storm when they introduced the GLOCK 17. After a short period of time, GLOCK dominated the law enforcement handgun market – largely due to the high capacity offered by their pistols compared to other handguns of that time. The primary reason GLOCK pistols continue to dominate the law enforcement market is the reliability and dependability of the GLOCK Safe Action System®. These pistols have proven to be durable and…


Education 101: Criminal Justice vs. Homeland Security

Choosing the Right Program Is Key to Achieving Your Career Goals Rebecca Waters Once you’ve decided to pursue higher education, the decision-making process has just begun. Which degree is most likely to help you reach your objectives? Which school should you attend? “Before deciding to pursue my doctorate degree in criminal justice, I first spoke with the admissions representative, a current student in the program that I was considering, and a graduate of the program,” says Dr. Michael Pittaro, Assistant Professor…


The Rescue Essentials TCCC IFAK

As the saying goes, you’re only as good as your training. Learning proper tactical combat casualty care techniques and practicing them in the classroom and in field situations has proven beyond all doubt to save lives. The critical importance of training to gain muscle memory and self-treatment capability cannot be overstated. The Rescue Essentials TCCC IFAK is designed for use as a simulated medical equipment teaching tool for use by law enforcement and tactical medics and is not for field…


The Wheels of Justice January February 2019

Sergeant James Post STOPPING THE BAD GUYS IN THEIR TRACKS Ever since the wild, wild west (and earlier), the bad guys have run from the good guys. Since then, we’ve been trying to figure out how to stop them before they hurt innocent citizens or one of us. Of course, we’ve always had firearms available to us, but those have been pretty much ineffective at stopping moving objects from stagecoaches to Challenger Hellcats. Fleeing felons on horseback or Ninja crotch…


Legal Update January February 2019

Larry E. Holtz, Esq. Driveway Car Searches Unlawful Without a Warrant       Does the automobile exception permit a law enforcement officer – uninvited and without a warrant – to enter the curtilage of a home in order to search a vehicle parked at the top of the home’s driveway? Recently, in Collins v. Virginia, 584 U.S. ___ (2018), the United States Supreme Court said, “No!”  “The automobile exception does not afford the necessary lawful right of access to search a…


Law Enforcement Leadership January February 2019

Michael Carpenter …Down the Road: Part II So, the idea of a well-paid second career teaching criminal justice classes at a college after you retire appeals to you? Well, you won’t get this second career teaching criminal justice classes based on your outstanding “police résumé.” As I mentioned in Part I, you need an “academic résumé.” And, you may need to start NOW to put that academic résumé together, even though your 20 year mark (or whatever your earliest retirement…


BUSTED! – Real Stories of Genuine Absurdity January February 2019

James L. McClinton, Ph.D. Without stupidity, there is no intelligence… When the owner of a hardwood floors business in Grand Rapids, Michigan, arrived at work, he discovered that someone had broken into the store. Surveillance footage showed that around 2:00 a.m. the day before, a burglar had thrown a rock through his store window, apparently tempted by the “gold” bars stacked in the window. The not too bright thief failed to realize that the bars are promotional items made of…


…AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH January/ February 2019

Werewolves Hiding in Plain Sight Among Sheepdogs Ed Nowicki – Guest Columnist Many of you are familiar with Lt. Col. Dave Grossman’s brilliant metaphor, “Of Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs,” when Col. Grossman equates the role of law enforcement to be similar to that of a sheepdog, protecting the herd (society) from the wolves. I absolutely agree with Col. Grossman’s observations. There is another predator I see lurking among the sheepdogs. While this predator may not be as physically dangerous as…