January 2025

Training for Active Shooter Scenarios: Best Practices and Training

Eugene Nielsen In recent years, the frequency and severity of active shooter incidents have underscored the critical need for comprehensive training programs for law enforcement personnel. It is imperative for officers to be well prepared – both mentally and physically – to handle such high stress situations. An active shooter is defined as an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. These situations are unpredictable and evolve rapidly, often concluding within…


Addressing Crime through Innovative Technology: Technology Implementation Guide

In this series, CNA studied the use of emerging technologies by law enforcement agencies. Case studies examine the Chula Vista (California) Police Department’s program of using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), more commonly known as drones; the Fairfax County (Virginia) Department of Public Safety Communications Next Generation 911 equipped communications center; the Las Vegas (Nevada) Metropolitan Police Department’s Fusion Watch center and its cameras and monitoring equipment; the Pinal County (Arizona) Attorney’s Office’s new digital case management software for its adult…


Police Sniper Utilization Surveys Available

Derrick D. Bartlett – President American Sniper Association What is the average distance of a police sniper shooting in the United States? The generic answer to that question (for at least the last 30 years) has been “around 70 yards.” It has been stated as fact in sniper schools, articles, books, and conversations around the country. When pressed for a source of this information, most people have credited “the FBI’s statistics.” When the American Sniper Association (ASA) was formed in…


Are You Considering Law School after Pulling the Pin?

Stephenie Slahor, Ph.D., J.D. Some law enforcement professionals consider attending law school during their “tour of duty.” Exploring the reasons and options can help decide if pursuing law is the right path. The Presley Center of Crime and Justice Studies of the University of California, Riverside, previously hosted a presentation about attending law school. Members of the Riverside County Bar Association cohosted the presentation to assist with the considerations to make when deciding whether to gain a law degree. Panel…


Bank Robbery and Police Ambush: Insights and Lessons from The Debrief

Jon B. Becker This case deeply impacted me, not only because it involved a deliberate ambush on police officers which left six injured, but also because of the remarkable response from everyone involved, both during and after the incident. I have the honor of hosting a podcast called The Debrief with Jon Becker. The show, which is available on YouTube and all other major podcast platforms, is now entering its fifth season. The format of the presentation is a long…


12 Tenets of Training           

One necessary component of planning and preparation for an active assailant and mass violence incident is giving personnel the necessary skills and equipment to manage their roles and responsibilities effectively – skills in areas such as incident command, leadership and active assailant response. The 12 Tenets of Training checklist is meant to provide leaders and training personnel with key considerations to help select training which has been vetted; has proven to be effective; and is taught by qualified, certified, and…


“The Debrief with Jon Becker” Announces Launch of Season Five

“The Debrief with Jon Becker,” the acclaimed podcast that takes an in-depth look at incidents, practices, and lessons learned of elite tactical units, announces the launch of its highly anticipated fifth season. Featured episodes this season include critical incident reviews of the Greater Victoria ERT Police Ambush, the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue shooting, and the Uvalde school shooting, among others.  This season will also include the well-received Decision-Making Exercises (DMEs) that began in Season 4, allowing Debrief listeners and…


Busted! Real Stories of Genuine Absurdity January/February 2025

James L. McClinton, Ph.D. This might make a real good “Mayhem” commercial… On a recent morning, Philadelphia police responded to an unusual incident on the Schuylkill River. An amorous couple parked in a vehicle on Kelly Drive had accidentally plunged into the river near the Columbia Bridge around 4:30 a.m. Police say a man and woman were engaging in sexual activity in the backseat when the woman accidentally disengaged the gear, causing the vehicle to roll right into the water….


…AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH January/February 2025

Ramesh NybergHeroes and Villains A recent online news article bears the headline, “Why You Shouldn’t Shoot Down a Drone.” Isn’t it astonishing that people have to be informed that shooting at objects in the sky is dangerous? I’m seriously thinking of this for the plot of a novel: A man is found dead in his backyard with a bullet wound to the head. He was outside smoking because he and his wife had agreed there was no smoking in the…