2025

Heavily equipped law enforcement officers in tactical gear and modern body armor standing in formation, representing advancements in ballistic protection and gear technology.

Technology August 25, 2025

2025 Innovations in Body Armor and Ballistic Materials

Jake Ganor What cutting-edge developments are shaping the future of ballistic protection for police? Last year’s article, “2024 Innovations in Body Armor and Ballistic Materials,” explored three intersecting storylines. First, it chronicled how UHMWPE (Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene) composites displaced aramid across vests, plates and helmets, measuring the jump from legacy SK76 fiber to Dyneema® SK99 “Force Multiplier” laminates and attendant weight cuts (e.g., Level  III plates falling from 3.3  pounds to 2.4  pounds). Second, it signaled Dyneema’s unnamed post‑SK99 fiber…

Cover page of a Bureau of Justice Statistics report detailing 2022 training topics and instructor data from state and local law enforcement academies in the U.S.

News August 20, 2025

New Report on Law Enforcement Training Academies

The BJS recently released State and Local Law Enforcement Training Academies’ Training Topics and Instructors, 2022 – Statistical Tables. This report describes the number and types of basic training curricula of state and local law enforcement training academies in the United States in 2022. 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 information from training academies which are…

Close-up of law enforcement officers holding smartphones displaying a life-detection app interface, part of new technology delivered by the Department of Homeland Security for locating hidden individuals.

News August 12, 2025

DHS S&T Delivers New Capability for Detecting Presence of Life to Law Enforcement

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has delivered the Detect Presence of Life (DepLife™) technology to industry partner MaXentric Technologies LLC. MaXentric will make this first responder solution available to law enforcement agencies across the United States. DepLife enables agents and officers to easily and safely identify whether any individuals are inside a room when direct line-of-sight is not an option. S&T funded the radar-based DepLife capability and developed it in collaboration with Fort Lee,…

Cover of the DEA’s 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment report, highlighting U.S. and global drug trafficking threats and enforcement priorities.

News August 4, 2025

2025 National Drug Threat Assessment

The US Drug Enforcement Administration recently released the 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA), the DEA’s comprehensive review of the threats posed to the United States by deadly illicit drugs and the violent domestic and international drug trafficking organizations responsible for producing and trafficking the drugs poisoning our communities. In addition to highlighting current trends and emerging threats, this year’s NDTA includes overviews of the cartels and criminal organizations which were designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated…

Blurred view of police cars with emergency lights at night, representing the high-stakes environment central to the Supreme Court’s 'moment of threat' decision.

Legal Update July 30, 2025

Legal Update: Supreme Court Rejects the “Moment of Threat” Rule

Larry E. Holtz, Esq. In Barnes v. Felix, 605 U.S. ___ (5/15/2025), the United States Supreme Court determined that, in assessing whether an officer acted reasonably in using force, a court may not simply consider the precise moment of the threat. According to the Court, the “moment-of-threat” rule improperly narrows the proper Fourth Amendment analysis. “To assess whether an officer acted reasonably in using force, a court must consider all the relevant circumstances, including facts and events leading up to…

Two tactical officers in full ballistic gear kneeling behind cover during a training exercise, showcasing modern body armor and protective equipment.

Equipment & Apparel July 25, 2025

Ballistic Armor Update: 2025

P&SN Staff The ballistic protection industry has seen steady advancements over the past year, with new upgrades and design enhancements improving armor effectiveness. Here’s a look at some of the latest developments. Adept Armor Armorfoam is Adept Armor’s new protective material which is a self-bonded hybrid of ultralight Ivoryguard™ elastomer foam with high tenacity ballistic fibers. Weighing only 0.2 g/cc, these flexible pads are lightweight, yet deliver protection beyond what most foams can offer. A 10″ x 12″ ballistic trauma pad…

Uniformed police officer riding a small children’s bike with emergency lights, illustrating the unexpected and sometimes humorous moments in police work.

Busted July 23, 2025

Busted!

James L. McClinton, Ph.D. The budget cuts are starting to show… In Lone Tree, Colorado, a police officer was busy arresting a suspect in a theft when the perp decided he didn’t want to go to jail and first took off on foot before grabbing a nearby motorized scooter. Thinking fast on his feet, the police officer commandeered a kid’s bike to pick up on the chase, police said. “The suspect might’ve had a scooter, but [the police officer] had…

Female law enforcement officer practicing firearm skills under supervision during tactical training exercise, using a metal barrel for cover.

Training & Education July 18, 2025

Teaching Female Law Enforcement Officers How to Shoot

Larry J. Nichols As instructors, it’s important to understand the substantial differences in how males and females think and process information. Years ago, I was commissioned to instruct actress Debbie Reynolds (1932-2016) on how to handle and fire a Smith & Wesson® Model 15 revolver for a movie she would be starring in as a policewoman. Later, I also taught actress Lucy Liu how to handle and fire an H&K MP5 submachine gun for an action movie in which she…

Police officers in riot gear forming a line during a protest, highlighting the tense balance law enforcement faces in crowd control situations.

....and nothing but the truth July 15, 2025

And Nothing But the Truth

Ramesh Nyberg There’s something happening here…what it is ain’t exactly clear There’s a man with a gun over there, telling me I got to beware…  “For What It’s Worth (Stop, Hey What’s That Sound)” – Buffalo Springfield, 1967 If any profession can consistently claim the phrase “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” as their own, it’s we in law enforcement. A year and a half ago, I published my memoir and one of the main reasons I…

Yellow warning sign with circular arrows symbol and the word 'Danger'—used to represent the dangers of circular reasoning or cyclical logic.

Training & Education July 11, 2025

The Dangers of Circular Reasoning in Police Investigations

Eugene Nielsen Circular reasoning, a logical fallacy in which an argument’s conclusion is used as a premise, is especially dangerous in investigations where objective reasoning and evidence-based decision-making are critical. When circular reasoning infiltrates the investigative process, it undermines the accuracy and fairness of investigations, resulting in flawed conclusions, wrongful convictions and eroded confidence in law enforcement. By understanding this fallacy, its implications and how it can manifest in investigations, law enforcement agencies can take proactive steps to improve their…