….and nothing but the truth

Ramesh NybergNot in Kansas Anymore This column is a first – I’m writing it from another country. I’m in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, nearly 10,000 nautical miles from Miami, staying at my in-laws’ house. To say things are “different” would be quite the understatement. It’s culture shock at every turn. I’ve had some remarkable experiences in just the first seven days I’ve been here, but, for this column, we’ll stick to the justice system, the traffic and policing of the…

Ramesh Nyberg Freedom of Speech Is a Problem? Recently, my wife and I went to see an Indian comedian performing in West Palm Beach. He was really funny, but what really grabbed me about his performance was the first thing he said when he got on stage.         “I’m very happy to be here – and I mean I’m happy to be here in the United States, where I can speak freely.” He went on to explain that, as a vocal…

Ramesh Nyberg What a Difference a Decade Makes I think it’s safe to say that, as we get older, we get more nostalgic. I say this because of the myriad posts on Twitter and Facebook about “remember this?” and “whatever happened to….?” You’ve seen them and you’ve gotten accustomed to seeing the same stuff coming from certain people in your circle of colleagues and friends, right? There is a group of ex-cops I know who just can’t seem to pull…

Ramesh Nyberg (and…the truth hurts) If you woke up one day and that face of yours – the one you have come to know, love and take care of – suddenly had a large, offensive, seeping boil on it, what would you do?It’s safe to say that you would try your best to hide it from everyone else. Until it went away or it was medically attended to, you might even avoid looking in the mirror. You would draw as…

RAMESH NYBERG It’s Been a Busy Week… The week I am writing this column began on Monday, October 25th. It’s a week following a week of three big criminal justice stories – two of them in my home state.       I tell my students that we are never lacking for study material and it’s true. The headlines of the Miami Herald­ – as well as every major news outlet in the country – are always overflowing with real crime stories, arrests,…

by Ramesh Nyberg Spending the Hours Reminiscing There are times when one is reminded of days gone by and it’s poignant, or wistful, or just plain “those were the days.” Three things have recently brought me back down memory lane, specifically to the decade of the 1980s, and I was reminded of life in South Florida during that time. I should preface this by telling you that, though I have visited many places around the country and the world, I…

RAMESH NYBERG Making a Difference This column is dedicated to the victims and families of the Surfside, Florida, condo collapse. Is it weird what I’m feeling? Here I am in Boston with my wife on vacation, enjoying time with my son, his wife and my 18-month-old grandson, and I suddenly have an urge to be in Surfside, picking through rubble and recovering victims of this disastrous building collapse. They say that police work “gets in your blood” and never goes…

RAMESH NYBERG What Happened to Antonio? November 30th of this year will mark 15 years since I retired. On that day, someone said something you’ve probably all heard before: “You never get police work out of your blood.”I scoffed.            You think I miss getting called out in the middle of the night for a dead crack dealer? Do you think I miss my uniform days, getting shot at, bricks and bottles thrown at me, and getting called every name in…

Ramesh Nyberg “Thank you, but…” This column is dedicated to the memories of Officer Brian Sicknick, Officer Jeffrey Smith and Officer Howard Liebengood. Rest in peace, brave warriors. Nightmare scenario, perfect storm…whatever phrase you want to ascribe to January 6th, 2021, it probably doesn’t suffice in expressing the trauma, fear, stress, and downright desperation our brothers and sisters in blue suffered at the hands of the raging, violent mob which attacked our capitol building that day. It was the ultimate…

Ramesh Nyberg “I am the eye in the sky, looking at you…” – Alan Parsons, 1982 The old “Adventures of Superman” TV show started with, “Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird…it’s a plane…no, it’s…” …Officer Friendly! It is?      Yes! I’m not talking about a police officer wearing a cape. I’m speaking about unmanned aerial systems, better known as “drones.” Quadcopters (as they are also called) have become more than just wondrous playthings for retired cops who write for…