Articles

News June 6, 2019

Improving the Safety and Wellness of the Nation’s Law Enforcement Officers

The U.S. Department of Justice has released two reports which focus on the mental health and safety of the nation’s federal, state, local, and tribal police officers. The first report, Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act: Report to Congress, includes 22 recommendations to Congress ranging from supporting programs to embed mental health professionals in law enforcement agencies to supporting the development of model policies and implementation guidance, enabling law enforcement agencies to make substantial efforts to reduce suicide. The…

News June 5, 2019

Mental Health Crisis in the Community and in the Jails

Law enforcement has increasingly become the primary point of contact for individuals living with mental illness and the presence of these individuals in jail populations has grown to crisis proportions. A new report, developed by the Major County Sheriffs of America, identifies innovative practices which have proven successful in reducing the arrest and incarceration of individuals living with mental illness in jurisdictions across the country. Copies of this report can be downloaded at: https://tinyurl.com/yx8oghrl

News June 4, 2019

Law Enforcement Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems

The Justice Technology Information Center recently released two new reports related to the ways in which law enforcement agencies use UAS to fulfill their missions. The Testing of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Law Enforcement Use in Indoor Tactical Missions summarizes testing done by three law enforcement agencies on using small unmanned aircraft systems for indoor tactical missions. Information on the effects and potential limitations imposed by maneuvering in tight, confined spaces and in environments where GPS, video and command/control…

Training & Education June 3, 2019

The Police Leader’s Role

Gerald W. Garner There is nothing the law enforcement leader does which is more important than working to assure the well-being of his (or her) employees. Once they know that they have that backing from leadership, most will be willing to go out and do a job which may be more dangerous today than it has been in years. Policing has never been easy, but today’s challenges have further complicated an already convoluted public safety scenario. Leading a law enforcement…

Training & Education May 31, 2019

Responding to Incidents Involving Persons with Autism

Barbara J. Morvay A first responder who is able to identify a person with autism can then respond in a way which best supports the individual. You are dispatched to a scene with gunshots fired. Upon arrival, you observe three men fleeing from the scene. You and your partner are able to apprehend two of the individuals. Another squad car has arrived on the scene and the officers are providing support to secure the scene and the situation starts calming…

Training & Education May 31, 2019

Firearms Training Technologies

Rebecca Waters Simulated training systems can provide advantages to traditional firing ranges and live training scenarios. Law enforcement training simulators continue to evolve and can now offer several advantages over traditional training in classrooms, shooting ranges and live training scenarios. Training simulators can mimic the experience of responding to real-life incidents with full-size projections on one screen or multiple screens; sound systems providing realistic sound stimuli; and, sometimes, other atmospheric effects including smoke, smell, fog, and scent. The officers…

Training & Education May 21, 2019

2019 ILEETA Conference: Enhancing Training and Making Connections

An Inside Look at This Nation’s Premier Law Enforcement Training Event Todd Fletcher The 2019 International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) Conference has wrapped up and instructors from all over the world have returned home to continue their mission of training law enforcement officers. After six solid days of instruction, everyone left exhausted, reinvigorated and ready to share new information and knowledge. The ILEETA Conference includes classes on leadership, supervision, use of force, defensive tactics, live fire firearms…

Police Vehicles, The Wheels of Justice May 21, 2019

The Wheels of Justice May June 2019

AMERICAN POLICE CAR HISTORY 101 Sergeant James Post Early spring is a great time of the year for those of us living in “four seasons” parts of America. Trees and flowers are blooming; birds are singing; and, to replace the boredom of winter, calls for service are increasing. But, spring sucks for Law Enforcement (LE) vehicle writers such as myself because the “Big Three” automakers, the motorcycle builders and the LE equipment manufacturers are either still designing, building or tweaking…

Legal Update May 16, 2019

Legal Update May June 2019

Supreme Court Limits Excessive Forfeitures as Criminal Penalties Larry E. Holtz, Esq. Recently, in Timbs v. Indiana, 586 U.S. ___ (2019), the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled that states cannot impose excessive fees, fines and forfeitures as criminal penalties. The Court’s decision underscores that the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against “excessive fines” applies to states and localities as well as the federal government. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, just back in court after lung cancer surgery, wrote the majority opinion and…

Weaponry May 14, 2019

Law Enforcement Backup Weapons

Mike Boyle Should an officer find himself in a worst-case scenario and the primary weapon is not available, a hidden backup could indeed save the day. A backup weapon might be best described as an ancillary weapon used for a secondary or auxiliary purpose. Attitudes toward backup weapons by law enforcement agencies and individual officers span the entire spectrum. Despite the obvious advantage, the concept of backup weapons for police is far from universal. I’m familiar with departments which provide…

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