Civilians who’ve never had to physically restrain an “ain’t-gonna-be-controlled” suspect usually have no idea how much force and how many officers may be required to gain compliance. So when they see video of cops trying to subdue an unyielding subject, it’s easy for their naïve eyes to interpret knee strikes, baton strikes, CEW hits, and...Read More
Whether it’s an OIS with racial overtones, a bad hire who drives drunk on- or off-duty, a cyber hacker who exposes sensitive files—something is lurking out there that could suddenly hurl your agency into a maelstrom. How well you weather it will depend, says critical communications expert Melissa Agnes, on how skillfully your department has...Read More
When a crisis slams your agency like a battering ram, here are two realities of today’s law enforcement world which, as an administrator, you ignore at your peril: • Social media may already be spreading a viral anti-police narrative before you even hear of what’s happened. Time is not on your side. • Stiffing reporters...Read More
For a heart-stopping moment during his foot pursuit of an ADW suspect, a gang member with a long history of violence, Ofcr. Rick McCall was a sitting duck. His gunbelt hung up as he tried to scale a wobbly chain-link fence, pinning him at the top. The suspect lay on the ground 5 ft. below,...Read More
In a letter to the editor that we printed in issue #273 [1/14/15], Sgt. Casey Bokavich of the Redding (CA) PD mentioned that his agency was preparing to host members of a local civil rights group for a training session on police use of force. We decided to check in recently to see how that...Read More
“No comment.” Those are the “two most dangerous words” a law enforcement administrator or spokesperson can utter these days after an officer-involved shooting, according to an excellent video presentation by Force Science Certification Course graduate Brian Willis which you can access on YouTube by CLICKING HERE. Refusal to provide information on a major force event...Read More
As police shootings in the St. Louis area stoked emotions and headlines, a group of officers conducted a “day of immersion” into the world of law enforcement for local politicians in hopes of opening their eyes and minds to the realities behind the badge. The special training unfolded against a backdrop of still-smoldering protests over...Read More
At the latest ILEETA training conference, Rick Rosenthal, a veteran TV news anchor who’s now a law enforcement consultant, delivered some mixed metaphors you might find comforting as you contemplate the possibility of an OIS in your jurisdiction and the publicity firestorm that may well ignite in its aftermath. The media are not the bone-crushing,...Read More
The dominant goal of citizen police academy programs is to get civilians to walk a mile in an officer’s boots. Thanks to the creativity of Force Science Analyst Steven Goard, those who attend the academy conducted by the Livermore (CA) PD walk an important extra mile—through the landmines of a simulated OIS investigation that tests...Read More
