Articles

Training & Education September 14, 2020

The New “Reality”: How Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) Impact Law Enforcement Training

Todd Brown As this technology continues to develop, there will be more realistic, more accurate, more valuable, and more “real” training available to our officers than ever before. Virtual reality is exploding all over. From entertainment to training NFL quarterbacks, new “reality” technologies are poised to change the way we accomplish many training goals in law enforcement. In fact, as a result of the worldwide pandemic we are dealing with, online, AR, VR, and MR technologies are quickly becoming a…

Training & Education September 14, 2020

Executive Orders, Chokehold Bans and Eliminating Qualified Immunity: We Are a Witness to History

John G. Peters, Jr., CLS, Ph.D. Few people “live” through history changing events, yet alone be the target of them. The Revolutionary War, the American Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement are three examples when citizens “lived” the experience and saw massive changes take place before their eyes and during their lifetime. Now, we in law enforcement (past and present) are seeing and living through unprecedented changes in the profession of our choosing, in our communities, in our nation,…

Man in uniform walking with a flashlight/

Equipment & Apparel September 14, 2020

Duty Flashlight Selection

Eugene Nielsen While everyone recognizes the need for a flashlight, often very little thought is given to its selection. Although on the surface a flashlight is a relatively simple tool, there are a number of features which need to be considered. Flashlights differ greatly in convenience and performance. Every flashlight has its own compromises between size, weight, light output, battery type, and runtime. Advances in LED (Light-Emitting Diode) technology, as well as in battery efficiency, have resulted in flashlights which…

Busted September 14, 2020

BUSTED! – Real Stories of Genuine Absurdity September/October 2020

James L. McClinton, Ph.D. So, how’d you two meet? Well, we just ran into each other on the street one day… After police received a report of a stolen Toyota® Land Cruiser, they quickly spotted the vehicle as it drove through downtown Newberg, Oregon. As the 27-year-old driver fled from police in the ensuing pursuit, speeding through the city streets, the Land Cruiser plowed into a Buick Regal which was being driven by a 25-year-old Newberg woman. Investigators quickly discovered…

....and nothing but the truth September 14, 2020

…AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH September/October 2020

Ramesh Nyberg One Positive Aspect of 2020… It is the year of the unprecedented. It is also the year of the unthinkable; the undesirable; and, apparently, the unmanageable.        If there is a silver lining to 2020, it is that this has laid bare the true colors of our politicians. Before you recoil in horror (Nyberg is talking politics?), let me assure you, this is not a piece about politics. I am not going to venture into those shark-infested waters to…

News August 12, 2020

NIJ Publication: Evidence-Based Policing in 45 Small Bytes

A new publication from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), this guidebook offers a practical framework for understanding Evidence-Based Policing (EBP). The framework is presented in 45 small “bytes” – a number which illustrates the broad function of policing in a society which expects a lot from its police agencies.      The guidebook covers topics such as gauging external and internal conditions; assessing performance; identifying and analyzing problems; and evaluating practices and testing alternatives. The guidebook emphasizes which data, analysis…

News August 10, 2020

Police Chiefs and Prosecutors Find Common Ground

The Police Executive Research Forum brought together prosecutors and police executives from 11 jurisdictions in 2019 to look for common ground on criminal justice reform. Leaders from the group recognized that, in the growing national debate over criminal justice reform, police chiefs and prosecutors were often talking past each other instead of to each other. This new report from that forum details the discussions and presents a set of 12 common-ground principles agreed upon by the attendees. To read a…

News August 10, 2020

Officer and Community Wellness Resources for Law Enforcement

A new National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) Clearinghouse toolkit has been curated by the PSP team to provide a suite of timely resources dedicated to assisting law enforcement with best practices for building community trust, strengthening relationships and increasing cultural understanding with diverse communities. The resources included also address officer resiliency and ways to mitigate the impact of stress on the duties of policing. For more information or to build your own customized toolkit, visit the PSP Web site at…

News August 10, 2020

Department of Justice Awards Nearly $400 Million for Law Enforcement Hiring to Advance Community Policing

The Department of Justice recently announced nearly $400 million in grant funding through the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP). The Attorney General announced funding awards to 596 law enforcement agencies across the nation which allows those agencies to hire 2,732 additional full-time law enforcement professionals. The awards are inclusive of the $51 million announced in May 2020 as part of Operation Relentless Pursuit.   “The Department of Justice is committed to providing the police…

Police officer in uniform holding weapon.

Equipment & Apparel July 23, 2020

Ballistic Armor Update: 2020

The 27th Annual Report on the Latest Advances in Ballistic Armor Technology and Design Police and Security News Editorial Staff Photo by Alec Favale It’s been unusually quiet on the home front regarding the state of the industry for advances in ballistic armor technology. This can be attributed to a number of reasons – the most obvious being the current situation worldwide, with countries continuing to battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. First reported back in 2018, the NIJ’s revised ballistic-resistant…