May 2020

News May 28, 2020

New BVP Application Funding Period

The Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP), created by the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998, is a unique U.S. Department of Justice initiative designed to provide a critical resource to state and local law enforcement. Since 1999, the BVP program has awarded more than 13,000 jurisdictions a total of $467 million in federal funds for the purchase of over one million vests (1,395,976) as of February 2020. The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is pleased to announce the…

News May 28, 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Resources for Law Enforcement

In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its impact on law enforcement and other first responders, the National Police Foundation (NPF), in collaboration with the National Alliance for Public Safety GIS (NAPSG) Foundation and Esri, has developed a COVID-19 situational awareness tool for law enforcement agencies. The tool, featuring a real-time dashboard, provides critical insights to assist executives, commanders, administrators, and other decision makers in assessing and monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on our nation’s first responders, including officer…

Training & Education May 19, 2020

Pistol Practice with a Purpose

Mike Boyle Without question, these are dangerous times for the law enforcement professional. Over the last several years, the rate of attack on officers has been creeping up along with a corresponding spike in serious injuries and fatalities. To meet this challenge and to stay safe, many officers recognize that they have to take the initiative. To cut right to the chase, spending a few hours on the range or in the gym only when the department pays you…

Training & Education May 19, 2020

Confidence and Competence through Weapon Handling Practice

Todd Fletcher The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cancelation of nearly all law enforcement training. This has affected in-service training, agencies hosting training courses and officers attending training conferences. As a result, it’s more important than ever to take responsibility for our own training needs. Competence breeds confidence and many officers need more confidence in their skills to motivate them to practice voluntarily. The most skilled shooters are the ones excited about improving their skill level, even though the basic…

The Wheels of Justice May 19, 2020

The Wheels of Justice May/June 2020

Sergeant James Post CORONAVIRUS AND POLICE CARS If you had told me six months ago, or even 20 years ago (when I first started this column), that I would be writing about a global pandemic, I would have volunteered you for a room at the laughing academy. But, here I am in lockdown, staring out of my office window, feeling like my dogs watching for squirrels. A new enemy of all Americans (and the rest of the world) has landed…

Legal Update May 19, 2020

Legal Update May/June 2020

Larry E. Holtz, Esq. TRAFFIC STOPS: THE “OWNER IS THE DRIVER” ASSUMPTION May a law enforcement officer, consistent with the Fourth Amendment, initiate an investigative traffic stop after running a vehicle’s license plate and learning that the registered owner has a revoked driver’s license? In Kansas v. Glover (U.S. 2020), the United States Supreme Court said, “Yes.” The facts in Glover unfolded in late April 2016, when Douglas County, Kansas, Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Mehrer, while on patrol, ran a registration…

News May 18, 2020

2020 Drugs of Abuse Resource Guide

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has released the 2020 edition of Drugs of Abuse, A DEA Resource Guide which is designed to be a reliable resource on the most commonly abused and misused drugs in the United States. Because education plays a critical role in preventing substance abuse, this comprehensive guide is intended as a tool not just for medical practitioners and law enforcement officials, but also for educators, families and communities. A copy of the 112 page guide…

Busted May 18, 2020

BUSTED! – Real Stories of Genuine Absurdity May/June 2020

James L. McClinton “How I met your father”… A young man in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, met a woman via a dating app and arranged a date. For their first encounter, he asked the fair maiden to pick him up at his parents’ house. That struck her as being a little odd, but she agreed to his request. The man then drank wine in the passenger’s seat while she drove around town. When they approached a bank, he asked her to…

....and nothing but the truth May 15, 2020

…AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH May/June 2020

Fear of Missing Out Ramesh Nyberg I almost didn’t write anything for this issue. It’s not that I didn’t have anything to write about; I certainly do. It was because I wasn’t sure if I really could – physically or mentally. Today is Thursday, April 30th, 2020. Four days ago, I woke up to a regular day. My wife, stepdaughter and I went out for a long walk to relieve some of the COVID-19 induced cabin fever and we took…