February 2025

How to Select Your Off-Duty Handgun

Larry J. Nichols There are several factors regarding an off-duty handgun which a user should consider before making a purchase. Selecting an everyday carry off-duty handgun can be problematic and expensive for those who are not proficient in the art of handgunning. The first consideration one must make when purchasing a firearm is to know what the primary purpose of the selected handgun is going to be. Most handguns are capable of the self-defense role, as well as hunting, plinking,…


Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

Bloodstain pattern analysis is a forensic science discipline which reconstructs a blood shedding event and can provide crucial evidence in some legal cases.   Several reports have questioned the validity of bloodstain pattern analysis, including a 2009 National Research Council report and one in 2016 by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. These reports called for more objective methods in forensic science and a better understanding of the error rates of current practices.   In response, the…


BJS Releases “State and Local Law Enforcement Training Academies and Recruits, 2022 – Statistical Tables”

The Bureau of Justice Statistics has recently released, “State and Local Law Enforcement Training Academies and Recruits, 2022 – Statistical Tables.” The report describes the number and types of law enforcement training academies in the United States in 2022 and it presents findings on the characteristics of recruits and training outcomes. Findings in the report are based primarily on the 2022 Census of Law Enforcement Training Academies (CLETA), the fifth iteration of the data collection. Conducted periodically since 2002, CLETA collects…