Some people say that police officers are crazy. We go out looking for violent criminals for a relatively small amount of compensation knowing that being killed is a very real possibility. You know who is crazier? People who will do it for free. Reserve police officers and deputies are men and women who volunteer their time to chase bad guys. They put on a uniform, strap … [Read more...]
Policing in Joplin After the EF-5 Tornado
[Ed. note - Aaron spent time recently in Joplin, MO providing support to the local law enforcement agencies. The following article is his observations from his time spent there.] The large media outlets have covered the weather event that on Sunday evening, May 22, caused an EF-5 tornado (the most powerful form of a tornado) to strike the heart of Joplin, Missouri. … [Read more...]
Fake ID Fail
Seriously, this has to be the worst fake ID I have ever seen. I don't know who found it, and under what circumstances, but I'm guessing there is a funny story to be told over a cup of coffee. NOTE: When making a fake ID, leave your girl out of the photo. Curiously, this fake ID (FAIL) is actually pretty good if you leave out the photo of the cute couple. … [Read more...]
Christmas Gift Ideas for the Cop in Your Life
Every year, my wife asks me the one question I try my best to avoid: "What do you want for Christmas?" I guess I am like most cops. I like toys, and cop toys are especially fun. It is hard for most of us to justify our spouses spending the money on gifts for us, so we tend to minimize the whole thing and we wind up with a sweater instead of the latest tacti-cool … [Read more...]
Crime, the Economy, and Congressional Spending: Yep, the Citizens Are Pissed
During the past few weeks, Americans have been watching their 401(k) and other retirement funds sink. Most people are just now starting to wonder how bad things will get. I'm no economist, but I suspect things are going to get a lot worse before they start to get better. Cops get to see a wide cross-section of society. We deal with people of all races, … [Read more...]
Guns, Bullets, and Gunfights by Jim Cirillo: Review of the Excellent Book by a True Hero
I just finished reading Guns, Bullets, And Gunfights: Lessons And Tales From A Modern-Day Gunfighter by Jim Cirillo and was very impressed. Cirillo, a retired NYPD officer, was an exceptionally gifted shooter and police officer who won more armed confrontations than any other modern police officer I have read about. His insights and experiences are recounted in this … [Read more...]
Meth Lab Dangers: Who Enters First?
I had an interesting call tonight. A woman calls from a residence stating that she thinks her roommate is trying to cook meth. She tells the 911 operator that he is heating acid on the kitchen stove, lots of noxious smoke is in the house, and she and/or someone else inside the residence is having problems breathing. Dispatch sends three units plus the fire department is also … [Read more...]
Crime Prevention: Try Incarceration!
Let me rant for a few minutes, if I may. I am tired of the courts not putting and keeping people in prison. I'm not talking about some dirtbag getting off because a police officer made a bad call on a Miranda issue, or should have gotten a search warrant when he didn't. I'm talking about people that are found guilty. How many criminals have you arrested without a prior … [Read more...]
Teaching Our Citizens to Protect Themselves
If it wasn't so sad, I would laugh every time I heard someone say that a police officer's job is to protect them. Perhaps I should explain... Although we wish it to be otherwise, I doubt there is any police officer who believes that he or she can protect any individual citizen from being harmed by criminals. Well, maybe the chief might, but I think that … [Read more...]
Disguised Weapons: A Hidden Threat to Police Officer Safety
Police officers often find weapons on suspects during pat-downs and post-arrest searches. Sometimes the weapons are firearms, and other times the weapons are knives, ice picks, brass knuckles, and the like. These are generally no problem to spot and identify, right? Not always. There are many criminals walking around with weapons that are disguised as mundane, common items. … [Read more...]