Articles by publisher

K-12 Anonymized Threat Response Guidance

The “Anonymized Threat Response Guidance: A Toolkit for K-12 Schools” can help K-12 schools and law enforcement and community partners create tailored approaches to addressing anonymous threats of violence, including those received on social media. The toolkit outlines steps which school leaders can take to assess and respond to anonymous threats and to better prepare for, and prevent, future threats. It also highlights how K-12 schools can work with law enforcement and community partners in addressing these threats.   The accompanying…


How New Jersey’s New Use-of-Force Policies Are Impacting Officer Training and Public Safety

In 2021, New Jersey implemented new use-of-force policies, including mandatory training in de-escalation and peer intervention. But, how have these initiatives impacted officers and their day-to-day policing practices? The National Policing Institute conducted a multi-year evaluation, surveying over 31,000 officers who completed Integrating Communications, Assessment and Tactics (ICAT) and Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) training to assess the impact. This research offers a rare look into how officers perceive these training efforts and what it means for public safety….


Emergency Response Reinvented: The Growing Role of Drones as First Responders

Eugene Nielsen The primary advantage of the DFR model is rapid situational awareness, allowing officers to assess threats, make informed tactical decisions, and allocate resources more effectively – often before the first unit arrives on scene. The concept of Drone as a First Responder (DFR) is rapidly gaining traction in the United States, with companies like Skydio, BRINC, Aerodome, and Flock Safety leading the charge. This technology promises to revolutionize the way law enforcement agencies respond to emergencies, offering faster…


Staying Safe and Smart: How Modern Handgun Safeties Help You Avoid Legal Trouble

Larry J. Nichols Officers and armed citizens must maintain their defensive firearms to factory standards, with all safety features intact, as they are liable for the weapon’s condition in court. As an honorably retired law enforcement firearms instructor, armorer and firearms expert witness, it has become abundantly clear to me that the significance of maintaining a defensive handgun to factory specifications has largely become lost on many individuals who carry a personal defense handgun. This has prompted me to share…


FBI Releases Annual Internet Crime Report

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has released its latest annual report. The “2024 Internet Crime Report” combines information from 859,532 complaints of suspected Internet crime and details reported losses exceeding $16 billion – a 33% increase in losses from 2023. According to the 2024 report, Alabama is ranked 26 out of all states in the number of complaints received by the public. As a group, people over the age of 60 suffered the most losses at over…


Legal Update May/June 2025

Larry E. Holtz, Esq. Gun Kits Which Readily Convert Into Working Firearms In Bondi v. Vanderstok (US 3/26/2025), the United States Supreme Court upheld the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) rule treating ghost guns as deadly firearms. Ghost guns are unserialized, untraceable firearms which can be easily put together in minutes from parts acquired without a background check. The federal Gun Control Act (GCA), 18 U.S.C.§ 921(a)(3), defines a “firearm” to include “(A) any weapon (including a…


Edged Weapon Defense: Lessons from the Past

Michael T. Rayburn Present-day officers must relearn and strengthen their ability to recognize threats; understand the deadly potential of even small weapons; and accurately judge when the use of deadly force is appropriate. Lately, it seems we have been inundated with numerous videos of officers being attacked with edged weapons, resulting in multiple cases of officers being slashed; stabbed; and, in some instances, stabbed several times. I am not here to point fingers, but, clearly, somewhere along the way, the…


DEA Releases New Ketamine Resources

The DEA has a new Web page on the Diversion Control Division Website dedicated to ketamine. Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic which has some hallucinogenic effects. It distorts the perception of sight and sound and makes the user feel disconnected and not in control. It is referred to as a “dissociative anesthetic hallucinogen” because it makes patients feel detached from their pain and environment. Learn more about ketamine trends, common street names, and enforcement related to the drug


Beware of More Potential Land Mines: 15 Principles for Reducing the Risk of Restraint-Related Deaths

John G. Peters, Jr., Ph.D., and Darrell L. Ross, Ph.D. ©2025. A.R.R. In September of last year, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) unveiled its report, 15Principles for Reducing the Risk of Restraint-Related Deaths, sparking critical discussions within the law enforcement community. While PERF’s standing as a trusted advocacy organization lends weight to its recommendations, many of these principles demand scrutiny before adoption. As seen with the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s Model Policy on electronic control weapons –…


Busted! Real Stories of Genuine Absurdity May/June 2025

James L. McClinton A real Cokehead… Colombian police arrested a 40-year-old man attempting to smuggle cocaine under a carefully attached toupée. He was detained at Cartagena’s airport before boarding a flight to Amsterdam. A scanner revealed 220 grams of cocaine hidden beneath his “narco wig,” with an estimated street value of 10,000 euros. A police video showed an officer removing the wig, uncovering about a dozen drug packets. Authorities confirmed the suspect had two prior drug trafficking convictions. (Cut and…